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[[1] (http://homepage.eircom.net/~steven/images/ss-125_s-20.gif)]
The United State's S-class submarines, often simply called the S-boats, were the first class of submarines built to a United States Navy design. (Note that many other navies had an "S class submarine;" see that disambiguation page for more information.)
The first S-boat, S-1 (SS-105), was commissioned in 1918 and the last, S-51 (SS-162), in 1925. The S class is subdivided into four groups of slightly different designs:
- Group I, (the S-1 or "Holland" class): S-1 and S-18 through S-41, built by Bethlehem Steel at Quincy, Massachusetts, and San Francisco, California.
- Group II, (the S-2 or "Lake" class): S-2 through S-17, built at the Portsmouth Navy Yard and Lake Torpedo Boat at Bridgeport, Connecticut.
- Group III, (the S-42 class): S-42 through S-47, built by Bethlehem Steel at Quincy, Massachusetts.
- Group IV, (the S-48 class): S-48 through S-51, built by Bethlehem Steel at Quincy, Massachusetts.
The United States Navy commissioned 48 S-Class submarines between 1920 and 1922. The first of the S-boats, S-1 was launched on 26 September 1918 at the Fore River Shipbuilding Company, which was acting as subcontractor for Electric Boat, but not commissioned until 5 June 1920.
These boats saw service in World War II in both the Atlantic and the Pacific. Smaller and slower than many of the submarines produced for war service, these boats were used in reconnaisance and supply roles. The majority of the boats that survived war service were scrapped in 1946.
General Characteristics
Group I - Displacement: 854 tons surfaced; 1062 tons submerged
- Length: 219 feet 3 inches
- Propulsion: two New London Ship and Engine diesels, two Electro Dynamic, Ridgeway, or General Electric motors
- Horsepower: 1200hp surfaced; 1500hp submerged
- Speed: 14.5 knots surfaced; 11 knots submerged
- Range: 5000 miles at 10 knots surfaced
- Depth: 200 feet
- Armament: four forward 21-inch tubes, 12 torpedoes; one four-inch/50-caliber gun, one .50-caliber (12.7mm) machine gun
- Crew: 42 officers and men
- Boats in Group: S-1 and S-18 through S-41
Group II - Displacement: 876 tons surfaced; 1092 tons submerged
- Length: 231 feet
- Propulsion: two M.A.N or Bush Selzer diesels, two Westinghouse motors
- Horsepower: 2000hp surfaced; 1200hp submerged
- Speed: 15 knots surfaced; 11 knots submerged
- Range: 5000 miles at 10 knots surfaced
- Depth: 200 feet
- Armament: four forward 21-inch tubes, 12 torpedoes; one four-inch/50-caliber gun, one .50-caliber (12.7mm) machine gun
- Crew: 42 officers and men
- Boats in Group: S-2 through S-17
Group III - Displacement: 906 tons surfaced; 1126 tons submerged
- Length: 225 feet
- Propulsion: two New London Ship & Engine diesels, two Electro Dynamic motors
- Horsepower: 1200hp surfaced; 1500hp submerged
- Speed: 14.5 knots surfaced; 11 knots submerged
- Range: 5000 miles at 10 knots surfaced
- Depth: 200 feet
- Armament: four 21-inch forward tubes, 12 torpedoes; one four-inch/50-caliber gun, one .50-caliber (12.7mm) machine gun
- Crew: 42 officers and men
- Boats in Group: S-42 through S-47
Group IV - Displacement: 903 tons surfaced; 1230 tons submerged
- Length: 265 feet
- Propulsion: two Bush Selzer diesels, two Ridgeway motors
- Horsepower: 1800hp surfaced; 1500hp submerged
- Speed: 14.5 knots surfaced; 11 knots submerged
- Range: 8000 miles at 10 knots surfaced
- Depth: 200 feet
- Armament: four forward 21-inch tubes, one aft, 14 torpedoes;
one four-inch/50-caliber gun, one .50-caliber (12.7mm) machine gun - Crew: 42 officers and men
- Boats in Group: S-48 through S-51
S-Boat Fates All S-boats were scrapped after World War II except those listed below.
Lost at Sea Between Wars - S-4 (SS-109)
- S-5 (SS-110)
- S-51 (SS-162)
- S-2 (SS-106)
- S-3 (SS-107)
- S-6 (SS-111)
- S-10 (SS-115)
- S-19 (SS-124)
- S-50 (SS-161)
- S-1 (SS-105)
- S-21 (SS-126)
- S-22 (SS-127)
- S-24 (SS-129)
- S-25 (SS-130)
- S-29 (SS-134)
- S-26 (SS-131) was destroyed in a collision
- S-27 (SS-132), S-36 (SS-141), and S-39 (SS-144) were wrecked when they ran aground
- S-28 (SS-133) was wrecked by a flooding casualty
- S-44 (SS-155) was lost to enemy action
- S-49 (SS-160) foundered and sank in the Patuxent River
| S-class submarine | | Prototypes | | S-1 (Holland design) | S-2 (Lake design) | S-3 (Government design) | | Government (S-3) Group | | S-4 | S-5 | S-6 | S-7 | S-8 | S-9 | S-10 | S-11 | S-12 | S-13 | S-14 | S-15 | S-16 | | Holland (S-1) Group | | S-17 | S-18 | S-19 | S-20 | S-21 | S-22 | S-23 | S-24 | S-25 | S-26 | S-27 | S-28 | S-29 | S-30 | S-31 | S-32 | S-33 | S-34 | S-35 | S-36 | S-37 | S-38 | S-39 | S-40 | S-41 | | Third (S-42) Group | | S-42 | S-43 | S-44 | S-45 | S-46 | S-47 | | Fourth (S-48) Group | | S-48 | S-49 | S-50 | S-51 | List of submarines of the United States Navy
List of submarine classes of the United States Navy | |
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