R-14 was involved in one of the most unusual incidents in U.S. Submarine Force history. In May, 1921 R-14 and several of her sister boats were assigned to an emergency search and rescue operation to locate for the missing fleet tug USS Conestoga (AT-54), believed to be in the waters east of Hawaii. Towards the end of the 10 day operation, R-14 ran out of fuel while still 140 miles east of the big island of Hawaii. As luck would have it, her radio was out of commission as well so they couldn't call for help. The crew banded together, discussed the problem, and decided to raise sails! By sewing together canvas hammocks and blankets they were able to raise enough sail to move at about two knots. They eventually made it to Hilo where they rendezvoused with R-12 (SS-89) and took on enough fuel to get back to Pearl Harbor. It was a triumph of ingenuity, innovation, and perseverance. Webmasters Ric Hedman and David Johnston have written a book that thoroughly examines the incident. We would appreciate it if you would give it a read. You will enjoy it. Please see this link for more information.
Ric Hedman was gifted a set of photos from the family of Raymond Suess, a crewmember of the R-14 at the time of the sailing incident. Many of the photos below come from that collection, most of which can not be found anywhere else. They are an amazing look into the lives of the average submariner in 1921.
