US Submarines ~ Pre WWI Submarines ~ WWI Submarines ~ Post WWI Submarines ~ 1920's Submarines ~ 1930's Submarines ~ Submarines in 1940
A - F Boats G - O Boats R - V Boats Fleet Boats More Sub Stuff Contact Donate PigBoats.COM©  

USS S-4 Salvage Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

USS S-4 hanging from pontoons after being lifted from the sea floor off Provencetown, Mass on March 17, 1928 and towed to the Boston Navy Yard for dry-docking.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

USS S-4 hanging from pontoons after being lifted from the sea floor off Provencetown, Mass on March 17, 1928 and towed to the Boston Navy Yard for dry-docking. Note the Flags on the tugs are flying at half mast. There is also a half mast flag placed on the conning tower of the S-4 carrying her lost crew to the dry dock.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

USS S-4 on March 17, 1928 a half mast flag placed on the conning tower of the S-4 carrying her lost crew to the dry dock.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

March 17, 1928, the USS S-4 is eased into the dry dock at the Boston Navy Yard. A flag at half mast is on the conning tower of the S-4 for her lost crew still inside.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

March 17, 1928, the USS S-4 is eased into the dry dock at the Boston Navy Yard. Workmen are postioning large braces to either side of the S-4 conning tower. A half mast flag is on the conning tower of the S-4 for her lost crew still inside.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

On the USS S-4 workmen beging the process of pumping out the submarine. On the raft in the background a diver is emerging from the water after inspecting the placement of the keel on the keel blocks. His helmet rest at the feet of the man with his hands in his pockets. A manual pump for delivering air to the diver is at the other end of the raft with the men to turn it clustered around it.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

The USS S-4 finally resting on her keel blocks and the dry dock is still is being pumped down. Deck hatches have been opened. Some sort of pumping using the subs systems is going on as seen by the bubbling water on the port quarter. Maybe using the subs high pressure air system to blow ballast tanks and trim tanks dry.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

The hole made by the USCGC Paulding in the starboard side of the USS S-4 is being inspected by a couple of yard workers. The man on the left looking in the hole is standing on a piece of hull plate bent out from the collision. Up on deck the damage caused by the collision and recovery efforts can be seen. To the far right up on deck water can be seen fountaining up behind the man in the topcoat and fedora hat.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

The hole made by the USCGC Paulding in the starboard side of the USS S-4 is being inspected by officials on a small raft. On the larger raft a diver is over the side doing some work or inspection and the men are tending the pump and turning the handle to deliver air to the diver.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

The hole in the USS S-4 made by the USCGC Paulding can be clearly seen in this photo. Also seen are the crop marks made by a newspaper editor, in white paint, to show what part of the photo they wanted to use in the paper. Water from the pumping process can be seen shooting over the side under the gangway.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

The hole in the USS S-4 made by the USCGC Paulding can be clearly seen in this photo. The dry dock is finally almost pumped free of water. Yard and Navy personnel can be seen on and under the submarine.

The long sausage looking object on the hull below the waterline beneath the bow planes is a MV sonar, a replacement for the earlier Y-tube mounted on the main deck forward. It was a line array of 12 microphones and was electronically steered. A duplicate array was on the port side.
(Thanks to Dave Johnston DCC (SS/SW) for the identifacation of this.)

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

Come to inspect the USS S-4 are Secretary of the Navy Curtis D. Wilbur and Captain Ernest King center in the photo. Rear Admiral Philip Andrews, Commandant of the Boston Navy Yard is on the far left and Lieutenant Henry Hartley on the far right.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

Inspecting the USS S-4, Secretary of the Navy Curtis D. Wilbur boards the submarine. Rear Admiral Philip Andrews, Commandant of the Boston Navy Yard is on the far left followed by Captain Ernest King boarding behind the Secretary. The Captain at the foot of the gangplank, awaiting Secretary Wilbur, is probably James D. Willson, Commander of the Receiving Ship at Boston.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

Inspecting the USS S-4, Secretary of the Navy Curtis D. Wilbur stands on the pressure hull of the submarine talking with Rear Admiral Philip Andrews, Commandant of the Boston Navy Yard. Captain Ernest King, Captain James D. Willson Commander of the Receiving Ship at Boston and Lieutenant Henry Hartley talk at the left. The size of the hole can be seen below Secretary Wilbur.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

Inspecting the USS S-4, Secretary of the Navy Curtis D. Wilbur stands on the pressure hull of the submarine talking with Rear Admiral Philip Andrews, Commandant of the Boston Navy Yard. Admiral Andrews appears to be holding something in his hand and showing it to Secretary Wilbur.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

In dry dock at the Boston Navy Yard, Charlestown, Massachusetts, circa 19-20 March 1928, after salvage. The original caption reads: "In memory of the historic crew. A huge cross of roses, the gift of workers at the Boston Navy Yard, is tied to the periscope of the ill-fated submarine S-4, after the eight bodies were removed from the undersea craft which is now in drydock at the Boston Navy Yard." Two men are seen attaching the roses to the periscope. Note the depth marking stick placed just forward of the submarine's fairwater during salvage operations.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

"Miss Fennell, sister of Machinist's Mate 1st Class John Joseph Fennell, who lost his life when S-4 was sunk, watches as the submarine rests in dry dock at the Boston Navy Yard, Charlestown, Massachusetts, 20 March 1928."

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

"Miss Fennell, sister of Machinist's Mate 1st Class John Joseph Fennell, who lost his life when S-4 was sunk, watches as the submarine rests in dry dock at the Boston Navy Yard, Charlestown, Massachusetts, 20 March 1928." Other family members or members of other crew families can be seen in this photo also. Note the arm bands.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

Removing the first torpedo from her Torpedo Room, while she was in dry dock at the Boston Navy Yard, Charlestown, Massachusetts, on 20 March 1928. The S-4 was capable of carrying 14 of these 21 inch X 16.25 foot MK10 steam torpedoes.

The long sausage looking object on the hull below the waterline beneath the bow planes is a MV sonar, a replacement for the earlier Y-tube mounted on the main deck forward. It was a line array of 12 microphones and was electronically steered. A duplicate array was on the port side.
(Thanks to Dave Johnston DCC (SS/SW) for the identifacation of this.)

US Navy Photos


Inside Photos


Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

Interior of the Battery Room, looking aft and to port, 23 March 1928. Taken while she was in dry dock at the Boston Navy Yard, Charlestown, Massachusetts, after being salvaged off Provincetown, Massachusetts, where she had been sunk in collision with USCGC Paulding on 17 December 1927.

The irregular object running the length of the compartment, just above the lockers on the right (port) side, is the collapsed ventilator duct through which water entered the Control Room. Into this duct water forced the curtain and flag, which clogged the valve on the after side of the bulkhead, preventing it from closing. It was this water which forced the abandonment of the Control Room.

S-4 flooded through a hole, made by Paulding's bow, in the forward starboard side of the Battery Room.

The white object running at an angle down and to the left is the support for the center two rows of bunks.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

Interior view of the hole in the starboard side of her Battery Room, made when she collided with USCGC Paulding off Provincetown, Massachusetts, on 17 December 1927. Photographed at the Boston Navy Yard, Charlestown, Massachusetts, 23 March 1928.

A portion of Paulding's bow can be seen protruding through the hole, which is 2 1/2 feet in length and one foot in height. The hole appears to have been packed with clothing to stem the flooding.

US Navy Photos

Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

View in the Torpedo Room, where six men died a lingering death after the submarine was sunk in collision with USCGC Paulding off Provincetown, Massachusetts, on 17 December 1927. This view looks aft at the door into the Battery Room, showing the door tightly dogged. The door itself was tight, but the glass deadlight leaked, as is shown by the rubber sheet held in place by a pinch bar and wooden wedges, placed there by the trapped men. Photographed while S-4 was drydocked at the Boston Navy Yard, Charlestown, Massachusetts, 20 March 1928.

As a result of these first sinkings the doors used in submarines were redesigned smaller and heavier and hulls were retrofitted with these over time. New submarines were designed with the smaller doors.

US Navy Photos

Read / Sign our Deck Log

Holland | A-Boats | B-Boats | C-Boats | D-Boats | E-Boats | F-Boats |
| G-Boats | H-Boats | K-Boats | L-Boats | M-Boats | N-Boats | O-Boats |
| R-Boats | S-Boats | T-Boats | V-Boats | Simon Lake Subs | The Fleet Boats |
| Home |

Page created by:
Ric Hedman 1999 - 2011©
PigBoats.COM
Mountlake Terrace,WA
webmaster@pigboats.com
The author is a Member of The HTML Writers Guild
The HTMLWriters Guild