The following is the Official US Navy History of the USS Augusta SSN-710. This account was furnished by LT James Stockman representing Submarine Group TWO as the Public Affairs Officer at the time of USS Augusta's Decommissioning. The Alumni Association is grateful for the support we received from Group TWO and Mr. Stockman in particular (thank you Sir !!).

USS Augusta (SSN-710), a Los Angeles-class submarine, is the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for Augusta, Maine. (There were 4 other ships named USS Augusta that were named for Augusta, Georgia). The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 31 October 1973 and her keel was laid down on 1 April 1982. She was launched on 21 January 1984 sponsored by Mrs. Diana D. Cohen, and commissioned on 19 January 1985, with Commander Thomas W. Turner in command.

The Soviet Navy claims that on 3 October 1986, Augusta, commanded by James von Suskil, collided with the 667AU Nalim (Yankee-I) class ballistic missile submarine K-219, commanded by Igor Britanov, off the coast of Bermuda. The United States Navy states that K-219 was disabled by an internal explosion.

On 20 October 1986, shortly after K-219 sank and Augusta had returned to patrol, she collided with something, and was forced to return to Groton for about US$3 million in repairs to her bow and sonar sphere. What she collided with is officially unknown. If not the K-219, it is suggested that she had been trailing a Delta-I ballistic missile submarine, and, unknown to Augusta, being trailed in turn by a Victor class submarine. If abrupt maneuvers were made, Augusta could have collided with the Delta. Photographs exist of a Delta submarine with a large dent in its starboard bow, which the Soviet Navy identified as K-279.

Beginning in July 1987, shortly after that repair work completed, Augusta began service as trials boat for the BQG-5D Wide Aperture Array(WAA) passive sonar system and carrying the prototype BQQ-10 ARCI sonars, which incorporate off-the-shelf computer components, allowing easy introduction of modular upgrades.

In 2003, the USS Augusta was one of a handful of submarines participating in Tomahawk Strikes against Iraq in the opening of the war. The boat successfully launched missiles against all assigned missions leaving the theater with 100% completion.

---

Five ships of the United States Navy have been named Augusta, the first four after the city of Augusta, Georgia, and the fifth after Augusta, Maine.

1. The USS Augusta (1799), was a 14-gun brig in use from 1799 to 1801.


2. The USS Augusta (1853), was built in 1853, purchased by the Navy in 1861 and sold in 1868.


3. The USS Augusta (SP-946), was a wooden-hulled steam yacht, acquired by the Navy in 1917 and returned to her original owner in 1918.


4. The USS Augusta (CA-31), was in service from 1931 to 1946.


5. The USS Augusta (SSN-710), is a Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine, commissioned in 1985 and currently in active service.

---

USS Augusta (SSN 710)
Commanding Officer - Cmdr. James Childs
Executive Officer - Lt. Cmdr. Michael Boone
Chief of the Boat - ETCM(SS) Patrick Agnew

Statistics

Length: 360 feet Breadth: 33 feet Displacement: 6,900 tons
Speed: Greater than 25 knots
Depth: Greater than 800 feet
Keel Laid: April 1, 1981
Launched: Jan. 24, 1984
Commissioned: Jan. 19, 1995
Complement: 13 officers and 121 enlisted crew

History

USS Augusta (SSN 710) is the fifth ship of the fleet to bear the name Augusta, and the first to be named for the capital of the great state of Maine. Others include a 14-gun brigantine commissioned in 1799, which saw action in the turn of the century "Quasi-War" with France; a side wheel steamer which participated in the Union forces capture of Port Royal, N.C. in 1861; a motor patrol boat used for maritime patrol of the U.S. coast in World War I; and a heavy cruiser, CA-31, commissioned in 1931 and built specifically as a command ship.

USS Augusta (CA 31) served as the flagship of the Asiatic Fleet in the 1930s, at one time commanded by then Capt. (and future Fleet Admiral) Chester Nimitz. It also served as Gen. Omar Bradley's flagship as he commanded the joint forces of the Normandy invasion in 1944, and its famous Admiral's Cabin was the meeting place for the Atlantic Charter conferences while embarking President Truman to Potsdam in 1945.

The present day USS Augusta (SSN 710) continues its historic tradition. In single digit temperatures and with a stiff wind off the Thames River, it was launched on January 21, 1984. It was 30 years to the day after another famous launching from Electric Boat Shipyard, that of the first nuclear powered submarine, USS Nautilus (SSN 571). USS Augusta apparently thrives on cold weather, as the boat was commissioned a year later during a driving snowstorm on Jan. 19, 1985 in its "home" state at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. It returned to Kittery in 1992 for its first Depot Modernization Period (DMP), which was completed in October 1993.

USS Augusta is homeported in Groton, Conn.

---

http://www.history.navy.mil/shiphist/a/ssn-710/2003.pdf
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
USS AUGUSTA (SSN 710)
FPO AE 09564-2390
IN REPLY REFER TO:
5750
Ser 710/038
16 Mar 04
From: Commanding Officer, USS AUGUSTA (SSN-710)
To: Director of Naval History (N09BH)
Subj: USS AUGUSTA (SSN-710) COMMAND HISTORY FOR 2003
Ref: (a) OPNAVINST 5750.12H
1. Command Composition and Organization
a. USS AUGUSTA (SSN-710) is the fifth ship to bear the name
AUGUSTA, and the first to be named for the capital of Maine.
b. USS AUGUSTA is a Los Angeles (SSN-688) class nuclear
powered attack submarine assigned to Submarine Development
Squadron TWELVE, and homeported in Groton, Connecticut.
Commanded by CDR Mike Haumer, her principal mission is to operate
against enemy submarines and surface ships and to provide sea to
land attack strike capability. Surpassing the underwater
capabilities of any ship before. her, USS AUGUSTA carries
detection, communication, navigation and weapons systems of the
most advanced design.
2. Chronology for 2003
01 Jan - 14 Jan
14 Jan - 17 Jan
17 Jan - 04 Feb
04 Feb - 07 Feb
07 Feb - 10 Feb
10 Feb - 24 Feb
24 Feb - 25 Feb
25 Feb - 14 Apr
14 Apr - 23 Apr
23 Apr - 30 Apr
30 Apr - 02 May
02 May - 04 May
04 May - 06 May
06 May - 11 Jun
11 Jun - 25 Jun
25 Jun - 04 Jul
04 Jul - 07 Jul
07 Jul - 24 Jul
24 Jul - 28 Jul
Inport, Groton, CT
Underway, Pre Overseas Movement work up
Inport, Groton, CT
Underway, Pre Overseas Movement Certification
Inport, Groton, CT
Underway, Deployed Overseas
Inport, Souda Bay, Greece
Underway, Deployed Overseas
Inport, Souda Bay, Greece
Underway, Deployed Overseas
Inport, La Maddelena, Sardegna
Underway, Deployed Overseas
Inport, La Maddelena, Sardegna
Underway, Deployed Overseas
Inport, Plymouth, England
Underway, D.eployed Overseas
Inport, Faslane, Scotland
Underway, Deployed Overseas
Inport, Haakonsvern, Norway
28 Jul - 11 Aug Underway, Deployed Overseas
11 Aug - 22 Sep Inport, Groton, CT
22 Sep - 17 Oct Underway, Tactical Readiness Evaluation
17 Oct - 04 Nov Inport, Groton, CT
04 Nov - 04 Nov Underway, Transit to Electric Boat Shipyard
04 Nov - 31 Dec Inport, Electric Boat, Groton, CT
3. Narrative
a. 2003 was an active year for the AUGUSTA. She
successfully completed numerous missions vital to national
security during a surge Mediterranean deployment supporting the
war on terrorism. During the Mediterranean deployment the USS
AUGUSTA took part in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation
Iraqi Freedom, conducting strike operations in the Red Sea.
AUGUSTA completed her 2003 deployment with operations in the
North Atlantic as well an end 0.f deployment Operational Reactor
Safeguards Examination. The USS AUGUSTA later completed a
Tactical Readiness evaluation prior to entering an interim
drydock shipyard availability at Electric Boat shipyard in
Groton, CT. Inport periods were busy with an aggressive training
schedule, rigorous maintenance periods, and an extended drydock
period. The ship and her crew were away from homeport for 213
days.
b. The ship was able to support all assigned missions due to
the extensive preparations and the outstanding technical and
tactical abilities of the crew. The ship and crew were awarded
the Navy Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism
Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal,
Sea Service ribbon, and Arctic Service ribbon for the deployment.
The ship was awarded the COMSUBDEVRON-12 Battle Efficiency award
for the performance of the ship and crew for 2003 calendar year.
c. The ship completed the year in the midst of a shipyard
availability.
Command Philosophy
USS AUGUSTA is a highly capable warship. Our entire reason for being is to win
America's wars. The American people have entrusted us with the stewardship of this warship
and preparing her to fight and win. Consequently, our entire focus is to make AUGUSTA the
best warship it can be. To this end, we abide by the following principles:
We accomplish the mission. Our primary focus is to accomplish our assigned mission.
Our training is geared toward being ready to complete any mission at any time.
We take care of our people. People are our most valuable resource. We treat each other
with respect and dignity. We weigh the needs of our people with the requirements to accomplish
our mission.
We are a team. This ship is too complex and our missions are too varied for any one
person or small group to succeed alone. We value the opinions and contributions of all of our
shipmates. If the "Emperor has no clothes," it is everyone's duty to tell him.
We are alwavs improving. Our shipwide training is focused on continuously improving
our ability to fight and win. As individuals, we never stop studying and working to improve our
own personal level of knowledge and professional competence.
Our integrity is paramount. We admit our mistakes and learn from them. We do not
lie to hide our problems. We seek out problems and fix them.
AUGUSTA is an amazing warship with unique capabilities. We can perform missions
that cannot be done by anyone else. WE ARE ALWAYS READY!
M. A. HAUMER