Salmon/Sargo Class: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Red bar sub new 2.jpg]] | [[File:Red bar sub new 2.jpg]] | ||
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=== <big>Sargo (SS-188)</big> === | === <big>Sargo (SS-188)</big> === | ||
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[[File:Sargo on trials.jpg|left|500px|Photo 19-N-19830 courtesy NARA via Navsource.org]] | |||
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#00008B">Sargo on sea trials in Cape Cod Bay near Provincetown, MA., November 1, 1938. The Salmon/Sargo class boats were the last fleet submarine class that had the superstructure run all the way to the tip of the stern. In all subsequent classes in ended short of the stern.</span> | |||
[[188|See more Sargo photos]] | [[188|See more Sargo photos]] | ||
[[File:Red bar sub new 2.jpg]] | [[File:Red bar sub new 2.jpg]] | ||
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=== <big>Saury (SS-189)</big> === | === <big>Saury (SS-189)</big> === | ||
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[[Photo]] | [[Photo]] | ||
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#00008B">Words</span> | <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#00008B">Words</span> |
Revision as of 19:09, 12 October 2023
Design and Construction Notes
The first six boats were authorized in Fiscal Year 1936 appropriations (the Salmon group), with construction of three going to EB, two to Portsmouth, and one to Mare Island. Six more boats of the class were authorized in FY-37 (the Sargo group) with the same spread of construction yards. Four more boats were authorized in FY-38 (the Seadragon group). They were split evenly between EB and Portsmouth. All 16 boats had the same performance specifications and armament, and were very similar in external appearance. They will all be considered to be one class here on PigBoats.COM.
The Navy had encountered some problems with the all-electric drive on the Porpoise class. Serious issues with flashover on the main motors while under load, and the loss of 360 horsepower in transmission through the electrical system temporarily soured the Navy on all-electric drive. Accordingly, the first 12 boats of the Salmon/Sargo class had a new "composite" drive arrangement where two engines were connected to the propeller shafts and two drove only generators. While successful, the composite drive arrangement was cramped, complicated, and difficult to maintain. The four Seadragons reverted to all-electric drive, the issues that the force had experienced with the Porpoises having been largely corrected by that time.
Due to a defect in the main induction valve operating system, Squalus (SS-192) sank while on trials near the Isle of Shoals off the coast of New Hampshire. The after part of the boat flooded during a test dive and 26 men lost their lives. The remaining 33 men were rescued in the very first operational use of the McCann Rescue Chamber. Squalus was salvaged, returned to Portsmouth, and repaired. Renamed Sailfish but retaining her original hull number, she went on to serve the Navy well, earning a fine war record in WWII.
These boats were in the thick of the fight against the Japanese from the first day of the war. Four of them (marked by a *) and their brave crews were lost in action and are considered to be "on eternal patrol".
Note... many early photos of these boats will show them with large "S" identifiers painted on their bows and fairwaters. These were used to identify the boats visually while on the surface. They were NOT their names or designations. The use of these identifiers was common on the fleet boats, but faded out in favor of hull numbers in 1938 because their use became confusing.
While generally very similar in external appearance, there were a lot of variations in these boats over the years, especially once WWII started. For a thorough explanation of these changes, please take a few minutes to read this article.Salmon (SS-182)
Seal (SS-183)
Skipjack (SS-184)
Snapper (SS-185)
Stingray (SS-186)
Sturgeon (SS-187)
In this photo she is still wearing her class identifier letter/number (S6) on her bow and fairwater. This somewhat confusing system of identifying the boat at a distance was discontinued in early 1939. After that all boats prominently displayed their hull number instead.
These boats had a folding accommodation ladder that retracted into the superstructure, similar to what the V-boats had. They were located on either side (just aft) of the fairwater. The starboard side ladder can be seen rigged out here. These ladders greatly aided in getting the crew into liberty launches so that they could go ashore. This is the first time that we have ever seen a boat other than the V's with this ladder rigged out. We actually didn't realize that the Porpoise and Salmon/Sargo classes even had them until we saw this photo. Photos of the ladders rigged out are very rare. The ladders would only have been used when the boat was anchored out and would not have been used alongside the pier or the tender. Opportunities to anchor out would have been limited as it was always preferable to pull alongside a pier. The fact that we see these ladders rigged out on the V-boats can be attributed to the fact that in the 20's and early 30's those boats made more "show the flag" visits to unprepared ports and thus used their liberty launches more.
You can see her anchor chain running out of the anchor housing just aft of the 10 limber holes in the bow just above the waterline. Also, hanging from the starboard yardarm on the radio mast is a black ball that is the international signal for a vessel that is at anchor. Anchoring out accounts for the lifting boom attached to the fore deck mast that would have lifted the ship's boat from its storage under the deck and place it into the water. This boat would have then utilized the accommodation ladder that is talked about above. The ladder would have also been used by any officials and dignitaries from the city that were visiting the submarine. This boom was also utilized for loading torpedoes.
A yacht with a yawl rig is sailing in the back off Sturgeons' bow. A Mexican flag is flying from the head of her mizzen mast. The presence of the bumkin (boomkin) on the vessel stern, for handling that masts boom sheets, lends strongly to this being a yawl rig.
Sargo (SS-188)
Saury (SS-189)
Spearfish (SS-190)
Sculpin (SS-191)*
Squalus (SS-192)
Sailfish (SS-192)
Swordfish (SS-193)*
Seadragon (SS-194)
Sealion (SS-195)*
Searaven (SS-196)
Seawolf (SS-197)*
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