New London Naval Submarine Base, Connecticut
Naval Submarine Base New London is the Navy's first Submarine Base and the "Home of the Submarine Force."
In 1868, the State of Connecticut gave the Navy 112 acres of land along the Thames River to build a Naval Station. Due to a lack of federal funding, it was not until 1872 that two brick buildings and a "T" shaped pier were constructed and officially declared a Navy Yard. This new yard was primarily used as a coaling station by Atlantic Fleet small craft.
On Oct. 13, 1915, the monitor Ozark, a submarine tender, and four submarines arrived in Groton, Conn. With the war effort in Europe and the Atlantic in full swing, additional submarines and support craft arrived the following year and the facility was named as the Navy's first Submarine Base. Although physically located in Groton, the base had their main offices and housing in the larger city of New London, so it was christened as Naval Submarine Base New London. Following World War I, the Navy established schools and training facilities at the base. Today, Naval Submarine Base New London, located on the east side of Thames River in Groton, Conn., proudly claims its motto to be "The First and Finest."
As homeport to 17 attack submarines and neighbor to a major submarine construction yard, all officers and most enlisted submariners will be stationed here for training, a tour aboard an attack submarine, or with a pre-commissioning crew while their new submarine is under construction. The main base occupies more than 687 acres. It is also home to more than 530 acres of family housing, 17 attack submarines, and the Navy's nuclear research deep submersible NR-1. The base supports more than 70 tenant commands including, Commander Submarine Group 2, Naval Submarine School, Naval Submarine Support Facility, three submarine squadron staffs, and the housing and support facilities for more than 21,000 civilian workers, active-duty service members and their families.