USS Greeneville (SSN-772)

	Career
USS Greeneville off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaii
Awarded:	14 December 1988
Laid down:	28 February 1992
Launched:	17 September 1994
Commissioned:	16 February 1996
Fate:	Active, in commission
Homeport:	Pearl Harbor
General Characteristics
Displacement:	6000 tons light, 6927 tons full, 927 tons dead
Length:	110.3 m (362 ft)
Beam:	10 m (33 ft)
Draft:	9.4 m (31 ft)
Propulsion:	one S6G reactor
Complement:	12 officers, 98 men

USS Greeneville (SSN-772), a Los Angeles-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Greeneville, Tennessee. The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 14 December 1988 and her keel was laid down on 28 February 1992. She was launched on 17 September 1994 sponsored by Tipper Gore, and commissioned on 16 February 1996, with Commander Duane B. Hatch in command.

five years of history go here

On 9 February, 2001, while hosting a "Distinguished Visitor" cruise for several civilian guests, Greeneville conducted an Emergency Main Ballast Tank Blow, a dramatic maneuver that brings the boat to the surface so rapidly her bow rises high out of the water.

At about 1350 HST, Greeneville’s rapidly-rising stern struck the aft port quarter of Ehime Maru, a Japanese fishing and high school training vessel, operated by the Ehime Prefectural Uwajima Fishery High School. The upper blade of Greeneville’s rudder sliced through Ehime Maru’s engine room. Ehime Marusank in less than ten minutes. Nine crewmembers of Ehime Maru drowned including four high-school students.

USS Greeneville in dry dock following collision

Eight days after the sinking, 17 February, the Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV) and Submarine Development Squadron 5 (SUBDEVRON 5) located Ehime Maru in 2000 ft (610 m) of water.

The wreck of Ehime Maru was lifted and carried, still submerged, closer to Oahu. On 14 October 2001, the wreck was set down in 115 ft (35 m) of water. This operation was the first time such a massive object was recovered intact from such a depth. On 15 October, the first team of divers from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 (MDSU 1) began assessing the sunken vessel. Working in low-to-zero visibility conditions, divers from MDSU 1, aided by Japanese divers, conducted 534 dives over 29 days, searching the wreck. The divers recovered the bodies of eight of the nine missing crewmembers, many personal effects, and several items unique to the ship, such as its nameplate, bell, and helm.

On 25 November, Ehime Maru was again lifted, towed back out to sea, and scuttled in 8,500 ft (2,600 m) of water south of Barbers Point, witnessed by three of the crewmembers' families. The total cost of salvage operations was about US$60 million. Construction of a memorial in Hawaii to Ehime Maru and her dead has been proposed.

Commander Scott Waddle, who commanded Greeneville during the collision, accepted full responsibility and retired from the Navy following the investigation.

On January 27, 2002, Greeneville collided with USS Ogden (LPD-5) during a personnel transfer off the coast of Oman, opening a 5-by-18-inch hole in one of Ogden’s fuel tanks and spilling several thousand gallons (several m³) of fuel. After the collision, both vessels left the area under their own power.

References

The article includes information from the Naval Vessel Register and various press releases.