S-31 is shown here off the China coast, in the company of a local fishing junk. Date is approximately 1927.
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. Date of the photo is circa 1927. 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.
