R-6

On September 26, 1921 R-6 sank at her mooring in San Pedro Harbor, California, due to a "malfunction" in one of her torpedo tubes. USN submarine torpedo tubes have an interlock system that prevents both the breech and the muzzle end of the tube from being opened at the same time. Either this system did not operate like it should have (very unlikely), or the interlock system had been deliberately disengaged for some reason and both ends of the tube were mistakenly opened (likely). This would have flooded the boat very quickly. As far as we can determine no one was killed or injured in this accident. This photo shows R-6 alongside the R-10 with her bow sticking up above the water and with her stern sunk to the bottom. The minesweeper USS Cardinal (AM-6) is standing by in the background.

USN photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman

The combined efforts of the crews of the R-10 and the Cardinal sealed up the R-6 and pumped out the water. She was fully raised on October 13, 1921 and towed to the Mare Island Navy Yard for reconditioning. Surprisingly she had suffered little damage and after a thorough drying out and cleaning was put back into full service.

U.S. Navy photo NH 93419 via NHHC.

R-6 seen from the air, port side, somewhere in the Atlantic, 1940-1941. For the R-class it was normal to have the deck gun stowed in an aft pointing position. There was a bracket on the forward end of the fairwater that the barrel could be clamped to. The R-class was unusual in this respect. R-6 had sat in reserve with the mothball fleet in Philadelphia from 1931 to 1940, when the war conditions in Europe prompted the Navy to put the reserve O and R-class boats back into full service.

USN photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman

R-6 crew, 1944. Michael Raymond Gargano, Signalman 2nd Class, is fifth man from the right in the back row. This is the crew that did the early work on developing the first USN submarine snorkel. The fifth man from the left in front row is Ensign W. Bernard Carlson, Jr. He had served aboard the USS Crevalle (SS-291) before reporting to the R-6. As a side note it is interesting that Ensign Carlson's wife was also a commissioned Navy Officer who ran the Medical Technology Laboratory at Submarine Base New London during the war.

The crew photo was most likely taken at Christmas 1944 in or around New London/Groton at a place called "Polly's" that burned down in the late 40's or early 50's. There were numerous crew parties and photos taken there. When asked, locals can no longer tell you exactly where it was located.

This photo is the private property of the Gargano family and MAY NOT BE USED WITHOUT THEIR EXPRESSED PERMISSION.

R-6 topside watch. The view is looking forward. Photo taken August 1945 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida during snorkel testing operations. The bow of the USS R-10 is seen to the left. If you compare the R-6 forward hatch with images of older hatches from the 20's and 30's you can see how the technology changed. This is a modern submarine hatch very similar to those used today.

This photo is the private property of the Gargano family and MAY NOT BE USED WITHOUT THEIR EXPRESSED PERMISSION.

R-6 topside watch, left, and a crewman from either the R-6 or the R-10 moored to the right. Photo taken August 1945 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida During snorkel testing operations. We don't know what the sailor is doing, though he may be taking a sounding using a lead line or just fishing.

This photo is the private property of the Gargano family and MAY NOT BE USED WITHOUT THEIR EXPRESSED PERMISSION.

R-6's experimental snorkel mast. Photo taken August 1945 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida during snorkel testing operations. The mast is permanently fixed to the starboard side of the telescoping radio mast. The strange "hook" is the engine exhaust, the induction is at the top. The R-6 was the test platform for perfecting the U.S. version of the Dutch invention of the snorkel. When the Germans invaded Holland they took the technology and incorporated it into some of their U-Boats. It came too late in the war to make a difference for the Germans, but the promise of the snorkel was too good to pass up and the USN immediately began experiments with it. Note the engine room hatch and compare it with the torpedo room hatch from an earlier photo in this sequence.

This photo is the private property of the Gargano family and MAY NOT BE USED WITHOUT THEIR EXPRESSED PERMISSION.