Pike is seen moored to Berth No. 1 shortly after her launch at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME., September 12, 1935. Much work needs to be done before her construction is complete. Notably, her periscopes and supporting shears have not yet been installed. She is sitting high in the water, several feet above her normal waterline. The upper port side forward torpedo tube is visible, and the upward curve of her stern can be seen. Her fitting out process would last another 2½ months. She would be commissioned on December 2, 1935.
National Archives photo.
Pike underway in the Pacific, possibly off Hawaii, circa 1936-1937. Compared with the photo above, the now fully commissioned Pike has been equipped with her full topside kit - masts, radio aerials, lifelines and stanchions, and a 3"/50 caliber Mk 6 gun on the aft deck. Just visible forward of the conning tower fairwater is a circular LF loop antenna for radio communications, and a mount for a M2 .50 caliber water-cooled machine gun. She still is carrying the original 30 foot periscopes, as the longer 34 foot models were not yet ready. They would be retrofitted later. The longer periscopes kept the boat deeper in the water while at periscope depth, thus improving submerged control.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.
Pike with a "full head of steam" while on maneuvers. At first glance, not much appears in this photo to date it, or to come up with a location where it was taken. However, closer examination reveals numerous clues.
First, the presence of the class identifier "P2" on her conning tower fairwater indicates this picture was taken between her commissioning in December 1935 and September 1938, when the identifiers were replaced with the hull number.
Secondly, there is an aircraft carrier in the background. The overall size of the carrier, the configuration of her stern, and the overall date established above indicates that she is the USS Ranger (CV-4). The only time that the Ranger and Pike could have been photographed together would have been between March 1937 and September 1938, while both were operating with the Pacific Fleet. The place is more than likely Hawaiian waters, where most of the annual "Fleet Problem" exercises took place. The photo was actually taken on June 27, 1938, confirming what the clues are hinting at.
Also of note in the picture is the Pike's deck gun. It is a 3"/50 caliber Mark 6 weapon. The gun's mount is close to the deck, making this weapon incapable of elevating to fire against aircraft. This was the weapon of choice for the fleet boats until the Tambor class of 1940 when it was replaced by a 3"/50 caliber Mark 17 mount, which was now capable of anti-aircraft fire. In an interesting side note, the Mark 6 gun made a brief reappearance on a few of the Gato class boats early in WWII as supply shortages forced the use of the older gun. Also visible on the deck just forward of the conning tower fairwater is a pedestal mount for a water cooled M2 .50 caliber machine gun, the boat's primary anti-aircraft weapon. The gun was dismounted and taken below when the boat dived, leaving the pedestal topside.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.
Close up of the photo above, showing the bridge/conning tower area. The Officer of the Deck can be seen just above the "P" wearing dark clothing. Aft of the periscope shears a lookout is looking at the cameraman. Three crew are sitting on a bench mounted to the fairwater probably having a smoke and catching some air. The photo has come from a Newspaper archive so touch-up paint and ink are seen on the photo in places to make the photo copy more amenable to printing in a newspaper.
