Celebrate Groton, Connecticut's Submarine Heritage in Year-Long Celebration

October 2015 through October 2016 was designated Connecticut’s Submarine Century by Governor Dannel P. Malloy.

The year-long observance celebrates 100 years of submarine activity in Connecticut, including the Town of Groton’s distinction as the “Submarine Capital of the World.” The commemoration coincides with the centennial anniversary of the Naval Submarine Base New London and the Naval Submarine School.

“Connecticut was the perfect location for our nation’s first submarine base in 1916, and since that time our state has become the professional birthplace of every officer and crewmembers in the Navy’s undersea profession,” Malloy said. “The storied history of the Navy’s submarine force is directly connected to the State of Connecticut, and we are proud of the critical asset this state has been able to provide for our nation over the last century.”

While 86 acres of land along the eastern shore of the Thames River in Connecticut was conveyed to the U.S. Navy in 1868, it was not until 1915 that the installation, then a Navy Yard, took on historic prominence.

October 18, 1915 marked the arrival of submarines G-1, G-2, and G-4 under the care of the tender USS OZARK. On June 21, 1916, the Navy Yard changed forever as Commander Yeates Stirling assumed command of the newly designated Submarine Base, the newly established Submarine School, and the New London Submarine Flotilla.

In a letter to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, Malloy explained that community leaders and stakeholders in Southeastern Connecticut are working to create and expand opportunities for Navy leadership and citizens alike to commemorate this historic milestone for the Navy and the nation.

The state’s commemoration will be coordinated through the Connecticut Office of Military Affairs and its Executive Director, Bob Ross.

For more information, visit the Connecticut’s Submarine Century website.

Photo Credit: The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine PCU New Hampshire (SSN 778) makes her way down the Thames River for the first times as she embarks on Alpha Sea Trails. New Hampshire is the fifth Virginia-class submarine built and is scheduled to be commissioned this fall. U.S. Navy photo by John Narewski, provided by Marion Doss via flickr creative commons