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Photo # NH 42151:  USS S-37 leaving Apra Harbor, Guam, 29 October 1924

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS S-37 (SS-142), 1923-1945

USS S-37, a 1062-ton S-1 class submarine built at San Francisco, California, was commissioned in July 1923. While in harbor at San Pedro on 10 October 1923 she suffered an internal explosion that killed three of her crewmen and injured others. The submarine rejoined the active fleet by the end of the year and in early 1924 took part in Fleet Problems along the Central American coast and in the Caribbean. She crossed the Pacific to the Philippines later in 1924 and remained in the Far East for the next seventeen years. During the peacetime decades of the '20s and '30s, S-37 and her sisters regularly operated along the coast of China, in the Philippines and in the Netherlands East Indies.

After the Pacific War began on 8 December 1941, S-37 patrolled in Philippine waters until early January 1942, when she was sent south to help with the defense of the East Indies. On 8 February she attacked a Japanese convoy in the Makassar Strait, torpedoing and sinking the destroyer Natsushiro. Though troubled with leaking oil tanks and the other mechanical problems typical of old submarines, she continued to patrol as the Japanese onslaught steadily advanced. At the end of February she assisted survivors of the Battle of the Java Sea.

Moving to Australia in March, S-37 began operations out of Brisbane. Her fifth war patrol, into the Bismarcks and New Britain area in June and July 1942, produced another successful attack, in which the cargo ship Tenzan Maru was sunk on 8 July. During the next several months, she made further patrols in support of the ongoing Guadalcanal Campaign. After a brief stay at Noumea, New Caledonia, in October 1942, S-37 left the south Pacific. She spent 1943 and 1944 on anti-submarine warfare training duty out of San Diego, California. Decommissioned in early February 1945, USS S-37 was sunk as a target off the California coast on the 20th of that month.

This page features all the views we have concerning USS S-37 (SS-142).


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 42151

USS S-37 (SS-142)


Leaving Apra Harbor, Guam, with Submarine Division 17, 29 October 1924.
Taken by a U.S. Marine Corps photographer.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 98KB; 740 x 595 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 69128

USS S-37 (SS-142)


Crew members bringing bodies up through the submarine's after hatch, following an explosion on board that killed three Sailors and injured five others on the night of 10 October 1923. At the time of the accident S-37 was moored alongside USS Beaver (AS-5) in Los Angeles Harbor, California.
Probably photographed from on board Beaver.

Courtesy of the San Francisco Maritime Museum, San Francisco, California, 1969.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 115KB; 740 x 595 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 104940

USS Canopus
(AS-9)

In Apra Harbor, Guam, 29 October 1924, with all six members of Submarine Division 17 alongside.
The division consisted of:
USS S-36 (SS-141);
USS S-37 (SS-142);
USS S-38 (SS-143);
USS S-39 (SS-144);
USS S-40 (SS-145); and
USS S-41 (SS-146).

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 76KB; 740 x 625 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 55048

USS Canopus
(AS-9)

In Apra Harbor, Guam, with Submarine Division 17 alongside, 29 October 1924.
Submarine Division 17's members were:
USS S-36 (SS-141);
USS S-37 (SS-142);
USS S-38 (SS-143);
USS S-39 (SS-144);
USS S-40 (SS-145); and
USS S-41 (SS-146).

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 85KB; 740 x 600 pixels

 
Photo #: 80-G-1014615

USS Canopus (AS-9)


With the Asiatic Fleet's Submarine Squadron Five alongside, during the 1930s.
The submarines present include (from left to right): S-37 (SS-142); S-40 (SS-145); S-36 (SS-141); S-38 (SS-143); S-41 (SS-146); S-39 (SS-144).

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 605 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: NH 51832

Submarine Division Seventeen (SubDiv 17)


Boats of SubDiv 17, Asiatic Fleet, moored alongside USS Canopus (AS-9) at Tsingtao, China, circa 1930.
Identifiable submarines present include S-39 (SS-144), S-37 (SS-142) and S-41 (SS-146). The boat closest to the camera is probably S-36 (SS-141).
Note Sailors on deck in various states of relaxation, several Chinese men on board the submarines, SubDiv 17 insignia painted on conning towers, and 4"/50 deck guns.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 83KB; 740 x 545 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 59968

Submarine Division Seventeen (SubDiv 17)


Boats of SubDiv 17, Asiatic Fleet, moored alongside USS Canopus (AS-9) at Tsingtao, China, circa 1930.
Identifiable submarines present include S-36 (SS-141), S-39 (SS-144), S-37 (SS-142) and S-41 (SS-146).
Note Sailors relaxing on deck, Chinese men on board the submarines, and 4"/50 deck guns.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 90KB; 740 x 455 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 80140

USS Canopus (AS-9)


At Tsingtao, China, circa 1933-1934, with "S-Boats" of Submarine Squadron Five alongside. Outboard submarine is USS S-37 (SS-142).

Courtesy of Captain G.K. Bishop, USAF, 1974.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 71KB; 450 x 765 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 80142

Submarine Squadron Five (SubRon 5)


Boats of SubRon 5 at Olongapo, Philippine Islands, circa 1933-1934.
Submarines present are S-37 (SS-142), S-38 (SS-143), S-39 (SS-144) and S-40 (SS-145).

Courtesy of Captain G.K. Bishop, USAF, 1974.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 64KB; 740 x 470 pixels

 
Photo #: 80-G-77065

Submarine Squadron FIVE (SubRon 5)


A Chief Torpedoman paints another "hashmark" on the Torpedo Shop scoreboard of Japanese ships claimed sunk by SubRon 5's "S-Boats", operating out of Brisbane, Australia, during April-November 1942.
Photographed on board USS Griffin (AS-13), tender to the squadron. Submarines listed on the scoreboard include S-37 (SS-142), S-38 (SS-143), S-39 (SS-144), S-40 (SS-145), S-41 (SS-146), S-42 (SS-153), S-43 (SS-154), S-44 (SS-155), S-45 (SS-156), S-46 (SS-157), and S-47 (SS-158).
The original caption dates the photo on 7 January 1943, but it may have been taken earlier, as Griffin left Australia in November 1942.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 104KB; 585 x 765 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


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Page made 17 May 2002
New images added 28 August 2007