The United States Navy built permanent and temporary submarine bases around the world to maintain its fleet of submarines and serve the needs of the crews. Submarine bases are military bases that offer good fleet anchorage and are designed to refuel and resupply submarines. The peak number of US submarine bases was during World War II, as the submarine was well suited for fighting in the vast Pacific War, often in enemy waters. Many of the United States submarine bases were closed after the war.
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Camden County, Georgia in April 2001
Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut, looking north in a 1968 aerial view
Plaque stating New Suffolk, New York's claim to be the first submarine base.
USS Canopus with all six members of Submarine Division 17 in Apra Harbor, Guam, October 1924
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is a base of the United States Navy located adjacent to the city of St. Marys in Camden County, Georgia, on the East River in southeastern Georgia, and 38 miles (61 km) from Jacksonville, Florida. The Submarine Base is the U.S. Atlantic Fleet's home port for U.S. Navy Fleet ballistic missile nuclear submarines capable of being armed with Trident missile nuclear weapons. This submarine base covers about 16,000 acres of land, of which 4,000 acres are protected wetlands.
Display of submarine-launched missiles on board the base, including the Polaris, Poseidon, and Trident.
Sail of USS George Bancroft on display at main gate, dedicated 7 April 2000, as part of Kings Bay's celebration of the submarine forces' 100th anniversary.
USS Maryland (SSBN-738), an Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine berthed at Kings Bay during 2016