S-20: Difference between revisions
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=== | === Exterior Photos === | ||
[[File:S-20 locks.jpg|left|500px]] | [[File:S-20 locks.jpg|left|500px]] | ||
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#00008B">S-20 on one of her visits to the Panama Canal, locking through. There is just enough detail to show this is Panama. At the top left of the photo can be seen one of the "donkey" locomotives used to pull the vessels into and through the locks. | <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#00008B">S-20 on one of her visits to the Panama Canal, locking through. There is just enough detail to show this is Panama. At the top left of the photo can be seen one of the "donkey" locomotives used to pull the vessels into and through the locks. | ||
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<small>Photo provided by Stan Lintner, from the Lintner Family Collection. Used with permission.</small> | <small>Photo provided by Stan Lintner, from the Lintner Family Collection. Used with permission.</small> | ||
[[File:Red bar sub new.jpg]] | |||
[[File:S-20 snorkle trials.jpg|left|500px]] | |||
S-20 underway in the Atlantic, in 1945 near the end of the war. The S-20 had been engaged in engineering test work for over 10 years. She was chosen to test a prototype shape for snorkel technology then just being developed by the USN, based on a Dutch design. The prototype can be seen mounted on a thin mast just aft of the fairwater. This particular prototype was not connected to the engine room ventilation in any way. It was intended to test water flow around the snorkel head and test the operation of an early design of the head valve, which was intended to shut when the head dipped below the waves. The data gained from the S-20 tests was incorporated into a working design, which was installed for initial testing on the USS [[R-6|'''R-6''']] (SS-83) in August, 1945 in Florida waters. Much more work was needed to refine the design for fleet use, and the first operational model was installed on the USS Irex (SS-482) in 1947. The snorkel was a key piece of technology that came into heavy use during the post-war era, but was just a little too late for WWII. | |||
The S-20 is almost unrecognizable from her original configuration, having been heavily modified in the late 1920's when she became an engineering and concept development boat. | |||
<small>USN photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.</small> | |||
[[File:Red bar sub new.jpg]] | [[File:Red bar sub new.jpg]] |
Revision as of 20:09, 10 April 2024
Exterior Photos
![](/images/thumb/e/e6/S-20_locks.jpg/500px-S-20_locks.jpg)
A lock gate can be seen on the left and behind the submarine is another and the lock behind is higher than the shown lock which means the submarine is descending to sea level. She may be in a center lock or the last lock. It is unclear which direction she is proceeding.
The time frame is prior to her March 1924 to February 1925 conversion, when she became an engineering test platform, testing a variety of engine configurations. Her standard S-class bow was replaced with a radical new bow to test the sea keeping and submerged abilities of the new design. This type bow was to be used in the next class of submarines, the V-class and in a modified version was used in the later WWII boats and became known as a "fleet bow".
Photo from an original post card in the private collection of Ric Hedman
![](/images/thumb/9/9e/S-20_tarp.jpg/500px-S-20_tarp.jpg)
U.S. Navy photo
![](/images/thumb/a/a6/S-20_port_gray.jpg/500px-S-20_port_gray.jpg)
USN photo # NH 94167 via NHHC.
![](/images/thumb/4/44/S-20_anchored_1938.jpg/500px-S-20_anchored_1938.jpg)
Note that the submarine is anchored. The anchor chain can be seen running out the anchor housing fairing. There are crew in both whites and dungarees on deck. A guess would be that liberty has been granted and the men are waiting for a launch to take them to the shore. Those not in whites are probably the duty section. This is just a theory since the real story is not known nor does it explain why there are so many officers on the bridge. Maybe the crew is returning from liberty and the sub is about to get underway.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman
![](/images/thumb/c/c2/S-20_port_black.jpg/500px-S-20_port_black.jpg)
U.S. Navy photo
![](/images/f/f9/S-20_fairwater.jpg)
Photo provided by Stan Lintner, from the Lintner Family Collection. Used with permission.
![](/images/thumb/b/bd/S-20_surface_bow.jpg/500px-S-20_surface_bow.jpg)
Photo provided by Stan Lintner, from the Lintner Family Collection. Used with permission.
![](/images/thumb/0/01/S-20_snorkle_trials.jpg/500px-S-20_snorkle_trials.jpg)
S-20 underway in the Atlantic, in 1945 near the end of the war. The S-20 had been engaged in engineering test work for over 10 years. She was chosen to test a prototype shape for snorkel technology then just being developed by the USN, based on a Dutch design. The prototype can be seen mounted on a thin mast just aft of the fairwater. This particular prototype was not connected to the engine room ventilation in any way. It was intended to test water flow around the snorkel head and test the operation of an early design of the head valve, which was intended to shut when the head dipped below the waves. The data gained from the S-20 tests was incorporated into a working design, which was installed for initial testing on the USS R-6 (SS-83) in August, 1945 in Florida waters. Much more work was needed to refine the design for fleet use, and the first operational model was installed on the USS Irex (SS-482) in 1947. The snorkel was a key piece of technology that came into heavy use during the post-war era, but was just a little too late for WWII.
The S-20 is almost unrecognizable from her original configuration, having been heavily modified in the late 1920's when she became an engineering and concept development boat.
USN photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.
Internal Photos
![](/images/e/ea/S-20_int_1.jpg)
Photo provided by Stan Lintner, from the Lintner Family Collection. Used with permission.
![](/images/a/a1/S-20_int_2.jpg)
Photo provided by Stan Lintner, from the Lintner Family Collection. Used with permission.
![](/images/thumb/3/35/S-20_int_4.jpg/500px-S-20_int_4.jpg)
Photo provided by Stan Lintner, from the Lintner Family Collection. Used with permission.
![](/images/thumb/3/36/S-20_int_5.jpg/500px-S-20_int_5.jpg)
Photo provided by Stan Lintner, from the Lintner Family Collection. Used with permission.
![](/images/a/ae/S-20_int_3.jpg)
Photo provided by Stan Lintner, from the Lintner Family Collection. Used with permission.
![](/images/thumb/2/27/S-20_int_6.jpg/500px-S-20_int_6.jpg)
Photo provided by Stan Lintner, from the Lintner Family Collection. Used with permission.
![](/images/thumb/5/5a/S-20_int_9.jpg/500px-S-20_int_9.jpg)
Photo provided by Stan Lintner, from the Lintner Family Collection. Used with permission.
![](/images/thumb/2/2e/S-20_int_10.jpg/500px-S-20_int_10.jpg)
Photo provided by Stan Lintner, from the Lintner Family Collection. Used with permission.
![](/images/thumb/0/0e/S-20_int_7.jpg/500px-S-20_int_7.jpg)
Photo provided by Stan Lintner, from the Lintner Family Collection. Used with permission.
![](/images/thumb/2/23/S-20_int_8.jpg/500px-S-20_int_8.jpg)
Photo provided by Stan Lintner, from the Lintner Family Collection. Used with permission.
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