South Carolina Department of Archives and History
National Register Properties in South Carolina

U.S.S. Clamagore, Charleston County (Patriot’s Point, Mount Pleasant vicinity)
S1081771015201 S1081771015202 S1081771015203 S1081771015204 S1081771015205
Conning Tower Port Bow Starboard Bow Starboard Side Stern

The 1945-built Balao class submarine U.S.S. Clamagore (SS-343) is one of 132 Gato, Balao, and Tench class submarines built during World War II. Clamagore was a typical World War II fleet boat built as part of a major submarine construction program that followed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The submarine warfare pursued by the United States and supported by this construction program was instrumental in securing an American victory in the Pacific. Of the hundreds of “fleet boats” built during the war, only 15, which include two subsequent GUPPY II conversions, Torsk and Becuna, remain preserved in the United States. Subsequently modified in 1947 and 1962 into a FRAM II/GUPPY III submarine by the U.S. Navy, Clamagore, one of only nine submarines converted to a GUPPY III, is now the only surviving GUPPY type III submarine in the United States. She represents the continued adaptation and use of war-built diesel submarines by the Navy for the first two decades after the war. The GUPPY (Greater Underwater Propulsion Project) or “fleet snorkel” submarines comprised the bulk of the nation’s submarine forces through the mid-1960s. Listed in the National Register June 29, 1989; Designated a National Historic Landmark June 29, 1989.

View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property.

Most National Register properties are privately owned and are not open to the public. The privacy of owners should be respected. Not all properties retain the same integrity as when originally documented and listed in the National Register due to changes and modifications over time.

Images and texts on these pages are intended for research or educational use. Please read our statement on use and reproduction for further information on how to obtain a photocopy or how to cite an item.


Images provided by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.