S-36

S-36 under construction, December 30, 1921 at Bethlehem San Francisco, CA. Her commissioning would be greatly delayed while the Navy and Electric Boat sorted out the problems encountered with her NELSECO 8-EB-15 engines. An EB engineering team was sent out from Groton to do the engine overhaul, which involved replacing the original crankshaft with one of a larger diameter, along with the necessary changes to the piston rods and bearings. This extra work had her sitting alongside this fitting out pier for a total of 1401 days (3.84 years). She was finally commissioned on April 4, 1923.

USN Photo courtesy of Ray 'Oldgoat' Stone.

Here is another shot of S-36 alongside the fitting out pier at Bethlehem San Francisco on March 29, 1923, six days before her commissioning. She was essentially complete at this point, with the engine rework completed and the engines tested.

U.S. Navy photo.

S-36 at anchor of Tsingtao, China, circa 1928-1929. Her aft superstructure skeg has been cut away and removed, giving her this "stubby" look.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.

S-36 at gunnery practice off Tsingtao, China, circa 1928-1929. Another ship is off to her left, it is likely the submarine tender USS Canopus (AS-9). Off the submarine's bow are four square targets floating on a target raft. The smoke from the just fired gun can be seen.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.

In a photo taken possibly at the same time as the one above, S-36 is shown in gunnery practice, circa 1928-1929. At least 9-10 men were needed to operate the weapon, including the ammunition passing train necessary to get the 4" diameter, 65 lb. (29 kg) cased round up to the gun from the magazine below the control room.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.

S-36 in the process of receiving new Mk 10 torpedoes from the submarine tender Canopus (AS-9). Date and location is not known for sure, but it is probably on the China Station in 1926-1929 time frame.

Photo provided by MMCM(SS) Rick Larson, USN (Ret.)

A photograph of the bow of S-36 while in drydock. The location is likely the Dewey Drydock in Subic Bay, P.I. approximately 1926-1929. The outer doors of the torpedo tubes are open, the bow planes are rigged out, and the anchor has been let down to the base of the drydock.

Photo provided by MMCM(SS) Rick Larson, USN (Ret.)

S-36 is seen here off Tsingtao, China approximately 1939-1940. Mooring lines are faked out on deck and even over the radio antenna support wire. The maneuvering watch has been stationed and line handlers are ready. On the bridge, either the Captain or the Officer of the Deck is sitting on the top of the periscope shears.

The boat has been brought up to date by this photo, with the "new" black paint scheme and the post S-4 safety modifications. In 1938 the Navy standardized on using just the hull number for external visual identification, replacing numerous other confusing schemes that had prevailed since 1920.

S-36 would be in a very similar configuration on January 20, 1942 while on patrol in the southern end of the Makassar Strait off Celebes. At 0404 she ran hard aground on Taka Bakang Reef. The weather had been foul for many hours, preventing the Navigator from getting a good fix. At the time of the grounding she was operating off an hours old dead reckoning position plotted on faulty and incomplete charts. The crew labored for hours, trying every trick in the sailor's book to get her off the reef. Eventually they had to admit the boat was a total loss. Fearing nearby Japanese activity, the entire crew was evacuated to safety in Makassar City. The wreck was quickly broken up by sea action on the reef, scattering parts into both shallow and nearby deep water. Any parts remaining above water were most likely used by both Japanese and Allied forces as a convenient training target in the hotly contested waters of the Makassar Straight. Little if any parts of the wreck would remain today.

Photo from the private collection of Mike Kaup. Used with permission.

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