All of these photos below were part of a personal collection obtained by webmaster Ric Hedman. One of the S-31's crewmen took the photos, and his family gifted them to Ric. All of the photos were taken while the boat was on the China Station, and all were taken in the 1926-1928 time frame. Unfortunately, we regret that the family name has been lost to us.
S-31 is shown here off the China coast, in the company of a local fishing junk. The junks and fishing smacks were a constant companion to our submarines operating in the Asia theater. Sometimes they gathered in such numbers that they presented a hazard to safe navigation, especially at night.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman
S-31 approaching the submarine tender USS Beaver (AS-5), with the intention of mooring to her port side. It looks like the other two S-boats in the nest are being warped out from Beaver's side so that the S-31 can moor directly to her. This is likely due to some sort of work that needs to be performed that required crane services, and that requires that S-31 be directly alongside. The sailor on S-31's deck closest to the camera has a "heevie" (heaving line) coiled in his hand, ready to throw to the tender. The heevie is a small diameter line that is used to pull the larger diameter mooring lines to a pier or tender.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman
A nice view of S-31's bridge area, showing the ship control station. At the bottom of the photo is the hatch leading to the conning tower. Above that is a wooden seat that the helmsman would sit on, straddling it. Above that and to the left is a small lever. This is how the boat is steered. The lever is twisted to the left or right, and this sends an electrical signal to the rudder operating systems to move it in the appropriate direction. In the center between the two engine order telegraphs (used to send speed requests to the engine room) is the rudder angle indicator that will tell the helmsman what position the rudder is in. At the top of the binnacle is the compass repeater, which will tell the helmsman the course he is steering. The S-boats were unusual in that they did not have an actual helm wheel on the bridge.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman
S-31's torpedo tubes. The boat was capable of carrying up to twelve Mk 9 Mod 1B or Mk 10 torpedoes, although in peacetime she would probably carry only about 10. This would leave two of the loading skids in the room open so that tube loaded weapons could be retracted from the tube for maintenance.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman
A view of S-31's forward deck, looking aft. The deck flares outward around the gun to provide adequate operating area for the gun crew. The bridge fairwater flares outward so that while running surfaced in a heavy sea state spray and water is deflected outward and away from the bridge watchstanders.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman
In a view taken from the aft end of the bridge, the starboard side of S-31 is seen being doused in a heavy sea.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman
In a photo taken at the same time as the one above, S-31's stern is shown being overwhelmed by a following sea. The round hull of the submarine tended to make these boats roll and pitch a lot in a heavy sea, and with a low freeboard they tended to be wet boats while surfaced.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman
S-31's crew in a gunnery exercise. A gun action was a labor intensive exercise, with a four man crew supplemented by another five to six men in an ammunition passing train. The ammo had to be brought up from the magazine below the control room. Each complete round weighed nearly 65 lbs. (29 kg). Netting has been rigged around the deck stanchions and lifelines so that the expensive brass shell casings could be caught and brought back to port so that they could be reused. This was a peacetime practice brought on by the austerity of the Great Depression. In wartime the casings would be thrown over the side.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman
These are two unidentified S-31 crewmen. The man on the left has sustained some sort of arm injury. This photo was not taken aboard the S-31. It was likely taken on the tender USS Beaver (AS-5), where better medical treatment was available. On the right is a great photo of the boat's topside watch, standing on the port side forward of the conning tower fairwater.
Photos in the private collection of Ric Hedman
More of the S-31's crew. Submarine life was not all work and drudgery, there were times to relax and enjoy the camaraderie of submarine life.
