S-37 sitting high and dry in the Dewey Drydock at Naval Station Subic Bay, Philippines, circa 1925. A Marine guard is on duty on the brow to the dock. Another S-boat is in the dock behind the S-37.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.
S-37 conducting a fueling at sea, probably in China waters, approximately 1925. This is the astern fueling method in favor by the USN at the time. It involved the sending ship to float a line back from its fantail. The line was picked up by the receiving boat and used to pull a heavier suspension line and heaving line over which the receiving boat would secure to a forward mast. The heaving line was then used to pull over the fuel hose, which slid along the suspension line on a series of small roller blocks. The hose was then connected to the fuel manifold in the submarine's superstructure and the fueling itself could then begin. The process was somewhat inefficient, causing the Navy to later adopt the alongside method still in use today. Fueling at sea was a significant tactical advantage which the USN used to great effect in WWII.
