=== <big>S-30 through S-41 (EB design built at Bethlehem San Francisco)</big> ===
=== <big>S-30 through S-41 (EB design built at Bethlehem San Francisco)</big> ===
[[File:L1-ussl11-01.jpg|thumb|frame|308x308px|left|Photo from the Library of Congress Collection.]]
[[File:1div17.jpg|left|thumb|308x308px|Photo courtesy of the Naval History & Heritage Command.]]<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#00008B">Elements of Submarine Division 17 moored in a nest at Tsingtao, China, early 1930's. Left to right: S-36, S-39, S-32, S-37, and S-41. Tsingtao (now Qingdao), on the Yellow Sea, was a frequent port of call for Asiatic Fleet submarines in the pre-war years. The boats have only recently arrived from what is likely a division level exercise at sea, and the much anticipated liberty call had not yet been announced. The sailors are milling about topside, chatting with each other, trying to beat the oppressive heat below. This photo gives a good view of the 4"/50 caliber Mk 9 gun that these boats were equipped with, and unusually all of the guns are elevated skyward.</span>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#00008B">L-1 riding at anchor while on sea trials, March or April 1916, probably off Provincetown, Mass. A low-lying shore line with houses can be seen in the background, reminiscent of Cape Cod. The L-class were the first US submarines designed to carry a deck gun of any sort, in this case a 3"/23 caliber Mk 9 gun. But it wasn't until the L-9 that guns were installed during construction. The L-1 through L-8 were retrofitted later with the gun. As you can see the L-1 has no gun in this early photo.</span>
The S-class submarines were built to five distinctly different designs with several variations at four different shipyards. The designs were from the Electric Boat Company (EB) of New York City (later Groton, CT.), the Lake Torpedo Boat Company (LTB) of Bridgeport, CT., and the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, ME. While similar in military and operational capability, the various designs were vastly different in installed equipment, interior arrangement, and external appearance. For further information, see the Visual Guide articles here.
The class is broken down by groups below.
S-1 and S-18 through S-29 (EB design built at Bethlehem Quincy)
Photo from the private collection of Ric Hedman.
Elements of Submarine Division 4 alongside the pier at Coco Solo, Panama, March or April 1927. Not all of the boats can be positively identified. Left to right: S-19, possibly S-18, S-27, S-1, S-22, and unknown. All of the boats have their T-shaped radio mast raised, with aerial wires running from the mast down to the bow and stern. These long wires provided long range communication.
S-2 (Lake design built at Lake Torpedo Boat Company)
Photo NH 41993 courtesy of the Naval History & Heritage Command.
S-2 while on sea trials in 1919, prior to commissioning. S-2's bow planes retracted into the superstructure horizontally, the EB design had the bow planes retracting at an angle. Trials showed that she had the tendency to burrow into the waves due to a lack of buoyancy forward. S-2's bow would be soon modified with an additional bow buoyancy tank, giving her a distinctive humped appearance. Her chariot style bridge fairwater has not yet been added. S-2 does not have a deck gun installed in this photo. She would later have a 4"/50 caliber Mk 9 gun installed forward, requiring the installation of a large deck sponson around the gun.
S-3 through S-9 (Government design built at Portsmouth Navy Yard)
Photo from the private collection of Ric Hedman
A portion of Submarine Division 12, consisting of S-4, S-8, S-6, and S-9 alongside the pier at Coco Solo, Panama, March or April, 1927. S-4 would be lost in a tragic accident off Provincetown, MA. just eight months later.
S-10 through S-13 (Modified Government design built at Portsmouth Navy Yard)
Photo courtesy of the Naval History & Heritage Command.
S-13, S-10, and S-12 moored alongside the Balboa Docks, Panama, approximately 1935. Temporary canvas awnings have been erected forward of the conning tower fairwaters in an attempt to ward off the tropical heat. These boats did not have air conditioning. They all have received the safety modifications enacted after the S-4 sinking. The forward rescue buoys can be seen on the starboard side, just forward of the boat's name. They are painted black, a force wide effort that began in 1934. Previously all USN submarines were the standard battleship gray.
S-14 through S-17 (Government design built by Lake Torpedo Boat Company)
USN photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
A fine bow view of S-14 and S-17 alongside at the Mare Island Navy Yard in Vallejo, CA., September 23, 1927. Very noticeable in this photo is the starboard side mounted anchor, the retracted bow diving planes, and the flared out deck sponson for the 4"/50 caliber Mk 9 deck gun.
S-30 through S-41 (EB design built at Bethlehem San Francisco)
Photo courtesy of the Naval History & Heritage Command.
Elements of Submarine Division 17 moored in a nest at Tsingtao, China, early 1930's. Left to right: S-36, S-39, S-32, S-37, and S-41. Tsingtao (now Qingdao), on the Yellow Sea, was a frequent port of call for Asiatic Fleet submarines in the pre-war years. The boats have only recently arrived from what is likely a division level exercise at sea, and the much anticipated liberty call had not yet been announced. The sailors are milling about topside, chatting with each other, trying to beat the oppressive heat below. This photo gives a good view of the 4"/50 caliber Mk 9 gun that these boats were equipped with, and unusually all of the guns are elevated skyward.
S-42 through S-47 (Modified EB design built at Bethlehem Quincy)
Photo from the Library of Congress Collection.
L-1 riding at anchor while on sea trials, March or April 1916, probably off Provincetown, Mass. A low-lying shore line with houses can be seen in the background, reminiscent of Cape Cod. The L-class were the first US submarines designed to carry a deck gun of any sort, in this case a 3"/23 caliber Mk 9 gun. But it wasn't until the L-9 that guns were installed during construction. The L-1 through L-8 were retrofitted later with the gun. As you can see the L-1 has no gun in this early photo.
S-48 through S-51 (Modified Government design built by Lake Torpedo Boat Company)
Photo from the Library of Congress Collection.
L-1 riding at anchor while on sea trials, March or April 1916, probably off Provincetown, Mass. A low-lying shore line with houses can be seen in the background, reminiscent of Cape Cod. The L-class were the first US submarines designed to carry a deck gun of any sort, in this case a 3"/23 caliber Mk 9 gun. But it wasn't until the L-9 that guns were installed during construction. The L-1 through L-8 were retrofitted later with the gun. As you can see the L-1 has no gun in this early photo.
