S-24

S-24 underway in Southeast Loch in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, just off the Submarine Base, June, 1925. A small portion of the shipyard is in the background, approximately in the vicinity of moorings B24 and B25. S-24 had completed a deployment to Pearl Harbor and was headed home in the company of several other S-boats and the tender USS Savannah (AS-8). Portions of her crew are still topside, stowing mooring lines and getting topside squared away for the long voyage back to the west coast. She would make a stop in Portland, OR. before resuming her normal fleet duties.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.

This photo was taken at nearly the same time as the one above and shows S-24 departing Submarine Base Pearl Harbor, June 1, 1925 enroute to Portland, OR. and eventually her homeport of San Diego. The submarine base is in the background on the right, with an R-boat and a submarine rescue vessel moored to the piers. Magazine Loch and the small islet of Kuahua (now a peninsula) are in the near background. In the distant background is the aircraft carrier USS Langley (CV-1), moored very close to the position currently occupied by the Arizona (BB-39).

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.

Submarine Base Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, Oct 15, 1938. These are the finger piers at the tip of the triangular shaped sub base. The S-24 (right front), S-26 (SS-131) (right rear), and S-21 (SS-126) (left rear) are preparing to get underway and proceed to the U.S. west coast, Panama, and finally Philadelphia for overhaul. They would then move to New London, CT. after spending the last 8 years in the Pacific, San Diego and Hawaii.

In the left front is S-35 (SS-140) with an unknown sub outboard. The land in the background is known as the Destroyer Piers. Three or four of them can be seen nested at the right edge of the image.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.

S-24's Commanding Officer, LT Arthur Howard Taylor, on the gun deck forward of the conning tower fairwater, laden with many parting flower lei's. Photo date is Oct 15, 1938. Taylors' tenure as CO was from 1936 to 1939. The location is Pearl Harbor. He seems to be watching the crew on the sub's bow saying their Goodbyes to their families and friends. A Chief Petty Officer is walking past him heading aft.

On the front of the fairwater is the emblem for Submarine Squadron 8, a large brass/bronze plate is affixed to the fairwater. A flower lei hangs from the ship's whistle. This will evolve at later times to a giant crape paper lei to drape over the whole front of the fairwater.

Old cellophane tape from a scrapbook is seen at the top of the picture.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman. Many thanks to Wolfgang Hechler for providing LT Taylor's name.

A close up of the photo above. The signage says "Air Salvage Comp. Blow" to tell divers where to find the proper air connection in a salvage or rescue operation.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.

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