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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
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Photo # NH 42190:  USS S-47 off San Diego, California, circa the later 1920s

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

USS S-47 (SS-158), 1925-1946

USS S-47, a 1126-ton S-42 class submarine, was built at Quincy, Massachusetts. The last of the more than fifty "S-Boats" of the World War I era, she was commissioned in September 1925 and operated out of Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone from early 1926. In mid-1927, S-47 moved to San Diego, California, her base until 1936, when she returned to the Panama area for the rest of the 1930s and into the next decade.

In mid-1941, S-47 was sent north for service off the East Coast, ranging from Argentia, Newfoundland to Bermuda. After the United States formally entered World War II in December 1941, the submarine went back to Panama, but in March 1942 she crossed the Pacific to begin combat operations out of Brisbane, Australia. During the next eight months, S-47 had three war patrols into the New Britain and Solomon Islands areas, making some attacks, attempting more and generally suffering the mechanical and electrical difficulties that troubled all the U.S. Navy's older submarines in those tropical waters.

S-47 returned to Panama late in 1942 and, after training operations and shipyard work, was assigned to the North Pacific theater, where she made two war patrols between October 1943 and the beginning of 1944. Sent back to the South Pacific, she was mainly employed in anti-submarine training, but conducted a final war patrol in June and July 1944 in support of the Allied offensive across the northern shore of New Guinea.

Returning to the U.S. West Coast in April 1945, S-47 served out of San Diego until the end of the Pacific War five months later. She was decommissioned in October 1945 and sold for scrapping in 1946.

This page features all the views we have related to USS S-47.


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 42191

USS S-47 (SS-158)


Leaving Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, en route to the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, in April 1927.
Two other "S-Boats" and a larger "V" class submarine are in the foreground. Ship in the middle distance is either USS Aroostook (CM-3) or USS Shawmut (CM-4).

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 119KB; 740 x 510 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 42190

USS S-47 (SS-158)


Off San Diego, California, circa the later 1920s.
A fuel barge marked "Star & Crescent Oil Co. // Associated Gasoline" is beyond S-47's bow. A San Diego Consolidated Gas & Electric Company powerplant is in the center distance.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 103KB; 740 x 590 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 96623

USS Holland (AS-3)


In Balboa harbor, Panama Canal Zone, 7 May 1927, with seven "S"-type submarines alongside.
Panoramic photograph, taken for the National Photo Service, San Antonio, Texas. Note that firm's logo in the right-center.
Submarines in the center group are (from outboard): S-46 (SS-157); S-47 (SS-158); S-44 (SS-155); and an unidentifed boat. Outboard submarine in the group astern is S-45 (SS-156).

Courtesy of Captain Gordon Peterson, USN.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 97KB; 1200 x 345 pixels

 
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

 
Photo #: NH 42192

USS S-47 (SS-158)


Off San Francisco, California, 7 September 1943, following overhaul.
A New Mexico class battleship is in the left distance.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 60KB; 740 x 610 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 23 July 2002
New images added 18 July 2003