View source for USS George Bancroft

{{short description|Submarine of the United States}}
{{for|ships with similar name|USS Bancroft}}

{{Use American English|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox ship
|section1={{Infobox ship/image
 |image= USS George Bancroft (SSBN-643) underway.jpg
 |image_caption=USS ''George Bancroft'' (SSBN-643), probably during her [[sea trial]]s off the coast of [[New England]] in late 1965.
 }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career
 |hide_header=
 |country=United States
 |flag={{USN flag|1965}}
 |name=USS ''George Bancroft''
 |namesake=[[George Bancroft]] (1800&ndash;1891), U.S. [[Secretary of the Navy]] (1845-1846)
 |ordered=1 November 1962
 |builder=[[General Dynamics Electric Boat]]
 |laid_down=24 August 1963
 |launched=20 March 1965
 |sponsor=Mrs. Anita Irvine
 |acquired=
 |commissioned=22 January 1966
 |decommissioned=21 September 1993
 |in_service=
 |out_of_service=
 |struck=21 September 1993
 |reinstated=
 |fate=Scrapping via [[Ship and Submarine Recycling Program]] completed 30 March 1998
 }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics
 |hide_header=
 |header_caption=
 |class={{sclass|Benjamin Franklin|submarine}}
 |displacement=*{{convert|7300|LT|t|0|lk=in|abbr=on}} surfaced
               *{{convert|8250|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} submerged
 |length={{convert|425|ft|m|abbr=on}}
 |beam={{convert|33|ft|m|abbr=on}}
 |draught=
 |draft={{convert|31|ft|m|abbr=on}}
 |power={{convert|15000|shp|0|abbr=on}}
 |propulsion=One [[S5W reactor|S5W pressurized-water nuclear reactor]], two geared [[steam turbine]]s, one shaft
 |speed=Over 20 [[Knot (unit)|knots]]
 |range=
 |endurance=
 |test_depth={{convert|1300|ft|m}}
 |complement=Two crews (Blue Crew and Gold Crew) of 120 men each
 |sensors=
 |EW=
 |armament=*16 × [[ballistic missile]] tubes
           *4 × {{convert|21|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} [[torpedo tube]]s (all forward)
 |notes=
 }}
}}

'''USS ''George Bancroft'' (SSBN-643)''', a {{sclass|Benjamin Franklin|submarine|4}} (or "640-class") [[fleet ballistic missile submarine]], was the fourth ship{{ref|1|a}} of the [[United States Navy]] to be named in honor of [[George Bancroft]] (1800-1891), United States [[Secretary of the Navy]] (1845–1846) and the founder of the [[United States Naval Academy]].

==Construction and commissioning==
{{stack|[[File:USS George Bancroft;0864301.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|''George Bancroft'' is [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] at [[Groton, Connecticut|Groton]], [[Connecticut]], on 20 March 1965.]]}}
The contract to build ''George Bancroft'' was awarded to the [[Electric Boat]] Division of [[General Dynamics]] Corporation in [[Groton, Connecticut|Groton]], [[Connecticut]], on 1 November 1962 and her [[keel]] was laid down there on 24 August 1963.  She was [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 20 March 1965, sponsored by Mrs. Jean B. Langdon, great, great-granddaughter of Secretary Bancroft, and Mrs. Anita C. Irvine, his great, great, great-granddaughter,<ref>{{cite web |title=George Bancroft (SSBN-643) |url=http://www.navsource.net/archives/08/08643.htm |website=NavSource History |access-date=10 November 2022 |quote=George Bancroft (SSBN-643) is sponsored by Mrs. Jean B. Langdon, great, great granddaughter of Secretary Bancroft, and Mrs. Anita C. Irvine, great, great, great granddaughter.}}</ref> and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 22 January 1966, with  [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] Joseph Williams in command of the Blue Crew and [[Commander (United States)|Commander]] Walter M. Douglass in command of the Gold Crew.

==Service history==
''George Bancroft'' was assigned to [[Submarine Squadron 14]] of Submarine Flotilla 6 with [[New London, Connecticut|New London]], Connecticut, as her [[home port]]. Her first deployment began with her departure from New London on her first deterrent patrol on 26 July 1966, manned by the Blue Crew. Soon after she successfully completed the patrol with her arrival at [[Holy Loch]], [[Scotland]], the Gold Crew relieved the Blue Crew. A few weeks later, ''George Bancroft'' got underway for her second deterrent patrol, manned by the Gold Crew, which ended toward the close of the year. Early in 1967, ''George Bancroft'' began her third deterrent patrol, manned by the Blue Crew.

:''History needed for 1967-1993.''

==Decommissioning and disposal==
{{stack|[[File:USS George Bancroft, SSBN-643, on display.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|[[Sail (submarine)|Sail]] of USS ''George Bancroft'' (SSBN-643) on display at [[Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].]]}}
''George Bancroft'' was [[Ship decommissioning|decommissioned]] on 21 September 1993 and stricken from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] the same day. Her scrapping via the Nuclear-Powered [[Ship and Submarine Recycling Program]] at [[Bremerton, Washington|Bremerton]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], was completed on 30 March 1998.

==Commemoration==
''George Bancroft''{{'}}s [[Sail (submarine)|sail]] is on display at [[Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=USS Bancroft |url=http://cnrse.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/SUBASE-Kings-Bay/About/USS-Bancroft |website=U.S. Navy |access-date=23 November 2025}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{note|1|a|The previous three all were named {{USS|Bancroft}}.}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

*{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/g4/george_bancroft.htm}}
*{{Naval Vessel Register|hull=SSBN-643}}
*{{Citation
|url=http://www.navsource.net/archives/08/08643.htm
|title=NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive George Bancroft (SSBN-643)
|access-date=2011-09-26
}}

==External links==
*Map: {{Coord|30|46|55|N|81|34|33|W|format=dms|display=inline,title|type:landmark_region:US-GA}}

{{Benjamin Franklin class submarine}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:George Bancroft (SSBN-643)}}
[[Category:Ships built in Groton, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Benjamin Franklin-class submarines]]
[[Category:Cold War submarines of the United States]]
[[Category:Nuclear submarines of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:1965 ships]]