USS Becuna, Museum ship at Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, US.
Description
The USS Becuna is a Balao-class submarine that stretches over 300 feet and contains several specialized compartments including the torpedo room, control center, and crew quarters. The tight arrangement of equipment and systems demonstrates how efficiently every inch of space was used.
History
The submarine was commissioned in 1944 and served in the Pacific during World War II, completing multiple combat patrols. In the 1950s it was modernized with advanced equipment before eventually being retired and preserved as a museum ship.
Culture
The vessel bears the name of a fallen submarine commander and serves today as a place where visitors can learn about undersea naval warfare firsthand. Walking through the narrow passages gives visitors a real sense of how cramped life aboard was.
Practical
The submarine is open daily and visitors can explore the narrow compartments and control center on their own or join guided tours. Wear comfortable shoes since climbing through hatches involves steep ladders and the interior spaces are very tight.
Did you know?
This submarine is the last of its kind with GUPPY-1A modifications from the 1950s, making it the only surviving example of this specific modernization version. These changes fundamentally altered how submarines operated during the Cold War era.
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These preserved submarines open their hatches to visitors who want to see where sailors lived and fought beneath the ocean surface. From World War II patrol boats that hunted across the Pacific to the first nuclear-powered vessel that changed naval history forever, each submarine reveals the cramped...
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