USS S-42, first of a class of six 1126-ton submarines built at Quincy, Massachusetts, was commissioned in November 1924. She mainly served in the Panama area for the next few years and after 1927 operated along the West Coast and in Hawaiian waters, with occasional moves back to Panama and the Caribbean to participate in U.S. Fleet exercises. From 1936 into 1941, S-42 was again based at Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone.
Following modernization work and brief service out of Bermuda, S-42 returned to the Panama area, where she remained until early 1942. After transfer to Australian waters, she began combat operations in late April 1942. Patrolling off New Ireland, on 11 May S-42 sank the Japanese minelayer Okinoshima and was damaged when the enemy counter-attacked with depth charges. During the submarine's second war patrol, in July 1942, she landed an Australian intelligence officer on New Britain. Her next two patrols were made in the Solomon Islands area during August-November, in support of the ongoing Guadalcanal campaign.
S-42 came back to the the United States later in 1942 and spent the next several months in overhaul and training. She served in the Aleutians from August 1943 until February 1944, but mechanical problems ensured that she completed only one war patrol. The elderly submarine was then sent to the southwest Pacific, where she operated in the New Guinea and Admiralties areas. Though primarily assigned to support anti-submarine warfare training, S-42 was employed to land an intelligence party on Halmahera Island in August 1944. Thereafter, she continued her ASW training service in the Admiralties until February 1945, when she moved to San Diego, California, to take up similar duties. USS S-42 was decommissioned in October 1945, several weeks after the end of the Pacific War, and was sold for scrapping in November 1946.
This page features all the views we have related to USS S-42.
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 42154 USS S-42 (SS-153) Off San Diego, California, during the 1920s or 1930s. USS S-44 (SS-155) is in the background. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 108KB; 740 x 610 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 42155 USS S-42 (SS-153) In port during the 1920s or 1930s. USS Langley (CV-1) is in the background. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 110KB; 740 x 545 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 53437 USS Holland (AS-3) Moored off San Diego, California, circa 1930. Submarines alongside, apparently holding inspection, are (from inboard): U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 95KB; 740 x 590 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 63094 USS Holland (AS-3) Moored off San Diego, California, circa 1930. Submarines alongside, to starboard, are (from inboard): Submarines moored to Holland's port side are (from inboard): U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 86KB; 740 x 600 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 80598 Submarines at Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone, 1926 These boats are: Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Collection of Lieutenant O.E. Wightman. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 94KB; 740 x 550 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 96624 19th Submarine Division At San Diego, California, 28 July 1928, with officers and crewmen paraded on deck. Panoramic photograph, taken by O.A. Tunnell, 521 A St., San Diego. The first three submarines are (from inboard): S-46 (SS-157); S-42 (SS-152) and S-47 (SS-158). The other three are (in no order): S-43 (SS-154); S-44 (SS-155) and S-45 (SS-156). Courtesy of Captain Gordon Peterson, USN. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 128KB; 1200 x 420 pixels |
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Photo #: 80-G-73340 USS S-42 (SS-153) Enlisted crewmen posed on the submarine's foredeck, while she was at Norfolk, Virginia, 18 June 1943. Note anti-submarine net in the left background. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 117KB; 740 x 605 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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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. |
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In addition to the images presented above, the National
Archives appears to hold at least one other view
of USS S-42 (SS-153). The following list features this
image:
The image listed below is NOT in the
Naval Historical Center's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain it using the procedures described in our
page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".
Starboard bow view of USS S-42 (SS-153) in the harbor at Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone, 30 November 1926. Reproductions of this image should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center. The image listed in this box is NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain it using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions". |
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 30 June 2002
New image added 18 July 2003