USS Houston (SSN-713)

Career
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Awarded:	1 August 1975
Laid down:	29 January 1979
Launched:	21 March 1981
Commissioned:	25 September 1982
Homeport:	Bremerton, Washington
General Characteristics
Displacement:	5744 tons light, 6103 tons full, 359 tons dead
Length:	110.3 meters (362 feet)
Beam:	10 meters (33 feet)
Draft:	9.7 meters (32 feet)
Complement:	12 officers, 98 men

USS Houston (SSN-713), a Los Angeles-class submarine, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Houston, Texas. The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 1 August 1975 and her keel was laid down on 29 January 1979. She was launched on 21 March 1981 sponsored by Barbara Bush, First Lady of the United States and wife of George H. W. Bush, and commissioned on 25 September 1982, with Captain J.H. Mench in command.

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Houston is an experienced movie actor, initially starring in a Navy recruiting film and then getting her "big break" in June 1989 with a part in "The Hunt for Red October". Her stunt work included a dramatic emergency surface maneuver at the movie's climax. However, that summer and autumn were plagued with mishaps. In May, before getting involved with the movie, a broken valve caused a depth excursion. Then on 14 June, during the movie shoot, Houston snagged a tow cable, sinking the tugboat Barcona in the San Pedro Channel near Santa Catalina Island, and drowning a tugboat crewmember. Then, two days later, after filming wrapped, Houston was en route to San Diego, California when she was caught in the net of the fishing boat Fortuna. The nets were destroyed, but no injuries were reported.

On 1 July, Houston left port for a training run. As soon as she submerged, though, seawater began flooding from the main air vents. The boat took a sharp up-angle and began driving toward the surface, but lost headway to the weight of the water she had taken on and began to slide backward. Seawater reached the battery and chlorine began to rise from the battery well.

The full power of the Houston’s engines restored headway and drove her to the surface. As soon as she broached, however, she lost her up-angle, and the thousands of pounds of water in her bilges rushed forward. The boat pitched forward, taking on a steep down-angle. Pulled by the weight of the water and pushed by the full power of her engines, Houston dove precipitously.

The engines were reversed in a crash-back maneuver and an emergency ballast tank blow was performed. Houston’s plunge slowed, reversed, and she shot up again, this time remaining on the surface.

Houston returned to port just over six hours after having left. The main snorkel valve had failed to close properly. An audible signal that would indicate the valve's opening and closing had been disabled. Eight crewmen were psychologically disabled by this experience and were dismissed from the Submarine Service.

Houston’s troubles were not over. On 1 August, an electrical fire ignited in the engineering spaces. In September, because of a navigation error, the boat had a close call with a torpedo launched from a helicopter in a training exercise. In November, a navigation error caused the loss of the boat's towed sonar array.

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Houston has earned two Navy Unit Commendations and a Meritorious Unit Commendation.

See USS Houston for other ships of the same name.

References

This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register and http://www.houston.navy.mil/.