Conning tower from the USS Roncador (SS-301)

USS Roncador (SS/AGSS/IXSS-301), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the roncador, a fish, of the family Sciaenidae, found on the west coast of North America.

Roncador (SS-301) was laid down 21 April 1943 by the Cramp Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia, Pa.; launched 14 May 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Thomas B. Klakring; and commissioned 27 March 1945, Comdr. Earl R. Crawford in command.

Following commissioning, Roncador conducted shakedown exercises into late May and on 26 May arrived at Port Everglades, Fla. Based there for 2 months, she assisted in the development of antisubmarine warfare techniques. On 29 July she got underway for Panama and from 3 August through the end of the war conducted advanced training exercises off the Canal Zone. In late August, she proceeded to Guantanamo Bay, then, in mid-September, headed for the Pacific. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 3 October and remained in Hawaiian waters into the new year, 1946. On 3 January she got underway for San Francisco and inactivation.

Roncador was decommissioned 1 June 1946 and through the 1950s remained in the inactive fleet. In February 1960 she was taken out of mothballs, placed in reserve, and assigned to Naval Reserve training duty in the 11th Naval District. Redesignated AGSS-301 1 December 1962, she continued that duty, at San Pedro, Calif., until 1 December 1971, at which time she was stricken from the Naval Register, and redesignated Miscellaneous Unclassified Submarine IXSS-301. Was to be used as a Museum at Ports 'O Call in San Pedro, Calif., but she was sold in September 1976 to Nicolai Joffe of Beverly Hills, Calif., and her conning tower was placed in the Navy Museum, Washington, DC prior to Roncador being scrapped. Her conning tower now resides at the Sub Base Point Loma, San Diego Calif. On 01 October 1982 she was listed on the NVR as being disposed of by sale.