early August and returned to San Diego on 7 August 1952. Spinax operated out of that port until 1 November 1954 when she sailed for an extended tour in the Far East. The submarine operated with the Seventh Fleet and then visited the Philippines, Hong Kong, Formosa, and Japan before returning to San Diego on 7 May 1955. Overhaul at Mare Island from June through October 1956 was followed by refresher training in the San Diego area. She was deployed to the western Pacific from 4 January to 1 July 1957 and again from 3 July to 16 December 1958. Emphasis in antisubmarine warfare resulted in Spinax’s being converted to a Fleet Snorkel submarine. This was accomplished at Mare Island from 13 April to 11 September 1959. All radar except search and fire control were removed, the communication facility was reduced to that of a regular submarine; and the combat information center was converted into living quarters. The ship received improved sonar and fire control equipment, and modifications were made to her hull. On 15 August, she resumed the hull classification symbol SS-489. When the conversion was completed, the submarine conducted refresher training and local operations until early 1960. A brief shot of the ship was used in the 1953 sci-fi movie "Phantom from Space" where she is seen on radar picket duty. 1960s and fate Spinax departed San Diego on 3 May 1960 for a tour in the western Pacific with the Seventh Fleet which lasted until 3 November when she returned to her home port. Thereafter, except for four deployments in the Far East, her west coast operations were interrupted only by yard overhauls. Spinax was deployed from 27 June to 17 December 1962; from 18 August 1965 to 15 March 1966; from 6 January to 25 June 1967; and from February to 13 August 1969 when she last returned to Mare Island. In September 1969, Spinax was declared unfit for further service. She was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 11 October 1969. Her hulk was sold to Zidell Explorations, Incorporated, on 13 June 1972 and scrapped. References External links Photo gallery at navsource.org Tench-class submarines Cold War submarines of the United States Ships built in Kittery, Maine 1945 ships