S-27

S-27 and one sister boat underway near Lahaina, Maui in the spring of 1925. The Navy maintained a substantial fleet anchorage right off Lahaina, in the sheltered waters of the Auau Channel. Fleet units would frequently anchor here while taking a break from exercises. This saved time by not requiring the transit up the channel into Pearl Harbor on Oahu.

This photo shows S-27 in her as-built configuration. She would be modified in the late 1920's in the wake of the S-4 disaster. The aft superstructure skeg tapering down to the rudder would be removed, and escape trunks would be added to the motor room and torpedo room. In addition, the deck and ventilator on the aft end of the fairwater would be raised to keep that area drier in heavy seas.

Original photo print in the private collection of Ric Hedman.

S-27 in drydock, likely at the Mare Island Navy Yard in Vallejo, California, approximately 1925. This was a busy refit period, with a lot of work going on topside.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.

A wider view of the photo above, showing that S-27 (right) was in drydock with at least four other S-boats. None of the other boats can be identified, but the two on the left in the foreground were 20 series boats built at the same Bethlehem Quincy yard as the S-27. It was not uncommon to see multiple submarines in drydock at the same time. The Navy was desirous of making the maximum efficiency of the drydocking process, and the large drydocks at Mare Island could accommodate several submarines.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.

S-27 making her way in a rough sea. Location is unknown for sure, but is likely the Pacific Ocean off California. She is running in a long swell at full speed causing the water to wash over the decks. The S-boats and classes before them had vertical superstructure sides with no flare to direct the water away from the decks, making them "wet boats".

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman. NOT a U.S. Navy photo.

This is a great overhead photo of the submarine tender USS Holland (AS-3) moored to a buoy off Naval Station San Diego, fall of 1939. Moored to Holland's starboard side is the S-27. The submarine had just returned from Hawaii and would spend the next two years operating on the west coast. In November 1941 S-27 would enter an overhaul period at Mare Island and would still be there when hostilities began the next month.

Moored in a nest on Holland's port side are Porpoise-class fleet boats Pollack (SS-180), Perch (SS-176), Pickerel (SS-177), and Plunger (SS-179). Also moored in the nest are the Salmon/Sargo-class boats Stingray (SS-186), Seal (SS-183), Salmon (SS-182), and all the way inboard is Sturgeon (SS-187).

Moored aft of S-27 are the Holland's four liberty launches, used to ferry the crew's of all of the boats back and forth to shore. Holland provided office and berthing space for the officers of the submarines, along with extensive repair and resupply capabilities. Holland was a fixture of the Pacific Fleet and at one time or another she could be found in any area of operation.

This photo likely was originally published in The National Geographic magazine, but a print is in the private collection of webmaster David Johnston.

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