Essentially this means - what has happened before will happen again. While we can not predict if there will be another USS Plunger in our future, we can look to the past and take pride in our participation of a pround and honorable history.

That history begins with the SS-1/SS-2 - USS Plunger. The SS-1 was ordered from the Holland Torpedo Boat company in 1985, but never completed sea trials. Improvements to the design resulted in the SS-2 who successfully completed sea trials and was commissioned on September 19, 1903. The success of this submarine set the standard for the future development of U.S submarines. The USS Plunger(SS-2) was decommissioned at the Charleston Nave Shipyard on November 6, 1909 with Ensign Chester W. Nimitz commanding.

Fast forward to November 19, 1936 commissioning of the next USS Plunger, the SS-179. In keeping with a tradition of firsts for U.S. Navy submarines, the SS-179 was at sea making preparations to enter Pearl Harbor the same day as the Japanese attack. After entering port the next day, she was provisioned and went back to sea in the company of the USS Gudgeon and USS Pollack as the first 3 submaines to go on war patrol in World War II.

The most modern USS Plunger was SSN-595. She was commissioned at Mare Island Naval Shipyard on November 21, 1962. Initially homeported in Pearl Harbor, in 1973 Plunger was transferred to San Diego to become part of Submarine Squadron Three. Among notable firsts for SSN-595 included was the simultaneous award of the Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy (as the ship exhibiting the most improvement in battle efficiency) and the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Award (as the most combat ready warship in the Pacific). This was in 1986 and gave the Plunger the prestigious distinction of being the only US submarine to win both of these awards.

Click each of the images below to learn more about the historic past of the USS Plunger.