History of the USS James K. Polk SSBN/SSN 645

The keel for the Navy’s 35th Fleet Ballistic Missile submarine and the first ship of the fleet to be named in honor of James K. Polk was laid at General Dynamics Corporation’s Electric Boat Division at Groton, CT, on November 23, 1963. A year and a half later, this submarine began her water borne career after being christened USS JAMES K. POLK (SSBN-645) by Mrs. Horation Rivero, Jr. on May 22, 1965. For the next 10 months, she underwent fitting-out and on March 13, 1966, she conducted her first sea trials. USS JAMES K. POLK was commissioned as a ship of the U.S. Navy on April 16, 1966.USS JAMES K. POLK combined the almost unlimited endurance of nuclear power with the deterrent might of 16 thermonuclear missiles capable of wreaking more havoc than all the bombs of World War II. These missiles had a range of 2500 nautical miles and were housed in 16 launching tubes located aft of the sail.

USS JAMES K. POLK sailed to Charleston, SC in September 1966 to load-out Polaris missiles for her initial deterrent patrol. After completion of the shakedown period, she operated in the Atlantic Ocean and completed 19 strategic deterrent patrols from September 1966 until May 1971.

USS JAMES K. POLK conducted her first overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Virginia for nuclear refueling and conversion of the weapons system to the Poseidon missile system in July 1971. She completed her conversion in late 1972 and commenced a rigorous schedule of sea trials and exercises. These events culminated in the Demonstration and Shakedown Operation (DASO) of the Poseidon missile system. The DASO afforded the opportunity to test the ship’s system, train the crew and launch a Poseidon C-3 missile from the submarine.

USS JAMES K. POLK commenced Poseidon deterrent patrols in the Atlantic Ocean in May 1973. She conducted her second overhaul at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard after completing her 50th deterrent patrol in September 1981. The ship completed overhaul in 1983 and conducted 7 more successful patrols.

USS JAMES K. POLK returned to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in January 1986 for a third overhaul after completing her 58th deterrent patrol. She departed Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in November 1988 and sailed south for commencement of her Demonstration and Shakedown Operations (DASO). May 1989 marked the beginning of her final series of Poseidon strategic deterrent patrols.

USS JAMES K. POLK celebrated her 25th year of commissioned service in April 1991 and completed her 66th and final strategic deterrent patrol in August of that year. She completed a nineteen month shipyard conversion which removed her 16 Poseidon missiles in March 1994 and converted her designation from SSBN-645 to SSN-645. Since conversion, she has completed two extended deployments to the Mediterranean with Dry Deck shelters and has participated in numerous SPECWAR and NATO exercises.

• The construction of the USS James K. Polk SSBN 645 is authorized
• Keel laid on November 23, 1963 at General Dynamics Electric Boat Division Groton, CT
• Third ship of the United States fleet to be named in Honor of James K. Polk, and the 35th Polaris Submarine

1965

• May 22 : The USS James K. Polk is launched and is christened by Mrs. Horacio Rivera, Jr.

1966

• March 13: First Sea Trials begin
• April 16: The Polk is commisioned
• First Commanding Officer (Blue Crew) Commander Frank D. Mullen, Jr.
• First Executive Officer (Blue Crew) Lieutenant Commander R.L. Thompson
• First Engineer (Blue Crew) Lieutenant Keith P. Garland
• First Commanding Officer (Gold Crew) Commander Robert M. Douglass
• First Executive Officer (Gold Crew) Lieutenant Commander George Henson
• September 1966: The Polk begins load-out of tactical missile (Polaris) at Charleston, S.C.
• The Polk completes 19 patrols from September 1966 to May 1971

1970

• Around Thanksgiving, 1970: Fire breaks out in a baggage storeroom in the stern of the submarine tender USS Canopus (AS-34) while it is in the Holy Loch, Scotland. The Daily Telegraph reports that it was carrying nuclear-armed missiles and that two U.S.nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, the Francis Scott Key (SSBN-657) and James K. Polk (SSBN-645), were moored alongside. The Francis Scott Key cast off, but the Polk remained alongside. U.S. naval authorties in Holy Loch and London dismiss any suggestion that a nuclear explosion aboard the Canopus could have occurred or that “even a remote danger” from missiles or other materials existed. “We have drills and precautions which rule out any danger whatsoever,” the Londonspokesman says. There are precautions against every eventuality in Holy Loch.” The fire was brought under control after four hours. Three men were killed and the cause of the fire was unknown.U.S. Navy documents record that “damage was extensive in the small area in which the fire was contained,” but “repairs were effected on site and Canopus was never ‘off the line'”.
  Remarks from Ron Anstey about this fire: Ron states that the fire was either the night before Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving night 1970….he was called to the CO’s stateroom to be informed about his son’s birth on December 3…..and that was the Polk’s first night at sea on way to patrol station….so the Polk was not alongside the tender, therefore the fire must have been earlier….
  Ron remembers: JKP topside watch called below decks on the 1MC to call Canopus Quarterdeck and report of smoke pouring off the main deck amidships. The fire was fought and suppressed by the Lewis & Clark on-coming crew. Canopus had a skeleton crew because of the Thanksgiving Holiday, none were apparently qualified for DC work. The CO of the Polk refused to allow tugs tie to her….Ron was in Liberty section, but stayed aboard and took the midwatch to help. Ron was the JA in Maneuvering and heard the CO yelling obscenities in the background for the phonetalker to pass on through the Conn to the tug skipper…something about ‘get that “&#%*@!%” thing away from my boat !!’. The fire burned up several decks and burned through the main power cable…..the Polk lost shore power just as Ron paralleled the deisel to the bus. JKP pumped seawater against the hotspot on the Canopus using the submersible pump from AMR2 to keep the fire from burning through. The Engineer, on his way back from liberty, said he heard explosions and saw fires popping up in corridors on Canopus as he worked his way to the brow. A Canopus crewman fell down the brow to the JKP missile deck with OBA on but had no air (he had the canister in UPSIDEDOWN and TIGHTENED !). JKP supplied power to a red devil blower on Canopus for a few days to remove smoke from below decks. The three deaths, he believes, were 2 Brig prisoners and the Marine guard. The JKP corpsman reported to Canopus Sick Bay to support the medical staff during the fire and recovery.

1971

• July: Under the command of CDR J.E. Jones, the Polk sails to Newport News shipyards for conversion from Polaris to Poseidon Weapons system and undergoes a refueling of the reactor plant

1972

• The Polk performs a flawless DASO after leaving the shipyards

1973

• May: The Polk resumes patrol operations in the Atlantic

1978

• On Patrol 38 or 40 (most likely 40) the Blue Crew under the command of Cdr Frank M. Conway performed a 4 shot OT. One of the birds never lit off. It fell back into the water and broke up; however, the other three birds were on target. The launch was from somewhere off the west coast of Africa with the target being the Eastern Test Range in the Bahamas.The purpose of that OT was to test the reliability of the Posiedon Missile after a flaw was discovered and a SPALT was performed to correct it. The SPALT performed was installation of the Digital Alarm Monitoring Panel (DAMP) and installation of second stage motor dome heaters on the missiles with second stage motor seals manufactured by a certain company. The results of the SPALT kept the rubber seals at a constant higher temperature (more flexible), so when the second stage lit off the seals would not break and the second stage motor would not burn through the motor dome with a resulting explosion (tragically similar to the cause of the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster) of the second stage motor and subsequent destruction of the equipment section and its payload of W68 warheads.From the recollections of MT2(SS) Ricky Copeland: “I personally installed the heaters on six(?) missiles on the starboard side. We started all of this as soon as the Gold crew tied up alongside the Tender and the entire SPALT was completed during turnover. After upkeep we departed on patrol and after about two days received notification to return to the tender for prep for OT. This took about four days. We again departed on patrol and after about a month or so underway we received the command “Man Battle Stations Missile For Operational Test. Spin up Missiles 2?, 5?, 7?, and 10?” (I’m not sure exactly which four they were). The SPALT was a success. The Jimmy K was the second boat to undergo this SPALT. The first was a boat out of Holy Loch.”
• February 19: Under the command of CDR Richard N. Johannes (Gold Crew), on Patrol 41, the Polk performs the 36th successful OT (Operational Test) with a launch of 4 Poseidon Missiles. From shipmate Ken Thomas: “One of the birds initially never lit off. Repairs were made and it was launched 13 minutes later. All re-entry vehicles were later reported to have hit their targets.”  The patch at right was commissioned to commemorate this event.

1979

• Polk was the second boat to refit out of Kings Bay Georgia.

1980

• Awarded the Battle ‘E’ from Submarine Squadron 16

1981

• June 27: The USS James K. Polk completes the US Navy’s 2000th FBM patrol and the Polk’s 49th patrol
  
• September 1981 – April 1983: The Polk undergoes an extensive overhaul at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME.

1992

• March 1992: The Polk is reclassified as an SSN, assigned to Submarine Squadron Six homeported in Norfolk, VA.

1999

• January 9,1999: USS James K. Polk SSN 645 is deactivated at Norfolk, VA
• July 8,1999: USS James K. Polk SSN 645 (formerly SSBN 645) is decommissioned at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

SSN 645 – New Mission, SPEC OPS