USS S-4 (SS-109)

USS "S-4" (SS-109) was an S-class submarine of the United States Navy. In 1927, she was sunk by being accidentally rammed by a Coast Guard destroyer with the loss of all hands but was raised and restored to service until stricken in 1936.

Building

Her keel was laid down on 4 December 1917 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine. She was launched on 27 August 1919 sponsored by Mrs. Herbert S. Howard, and commissioned on 19 November 1919 with Lieutenant Commander Percy K. Robottom in command.

ervice

Following acceptance trials and a visit to Havana, Cuba, from 14 January to on 19 January 1920, and subsequent operations along the Gulf of Mexico and New England coasts, "S-4" departed New London, Connecticut, on 18 November 1920 to rendezvous off New Hampshire with her assigned division, SubDiv 12, and SubDiv 18. The two divisions were about to embark on a historic voyage which, at that time, was to be the longest cruise undertaken by American submarines. Assigned to Submarine Flotilla 3 of the Asiatic Fleet at Cavite in the Philippine Islands, they sailed via the Panama Canal and Pearl Harbor and arrived at Cavite on 1 December 1921.

"S-4" operated out of the Cavite Naval Station, with occasional visits to Chinese ports, until late in 1924 when the two divisions were reassigned to the West Coast. Departing Cavite on 29 October, they arrived at Mare Island, California, on 30 December.

Remaining at Mare Island in 1925, she operated along the West Coast through 1926, mainly at San Francisco, California, San Pedro, California, and San Diego, California. She departed Mare Island on 10 February 1927 and sailed to the Panama Canal Zone, where she operated through March and April, then proceeded to New London, Connecticut, arriving on 3 May. For the remainder of the year, she operated off the New England

inking

see also "S-4 court of inquiry"

On 17 December, while surfacing from a submerged run over the measured-mile off Cape Cod, near Provincetown, Massachusetts, she was accidentally rammed and sunk by the United States Coast Guard
destroyer "Paulding".

"Paulding" stopped and lowered life boats, but found only a small amount of oil and air bubbles. Rescue and salvage operations were commenced, only to be thwarted by severe weather setting in. Heroic efforts were made to rescue six known survivors trapped in the forward torpedo room, who had exchanged a series of signals with divers, by tapping on the hull. The six men who were trapped were:
*Lieutenant Graham N. Fitch
*Torpedoman's Mate Russell A. Crabb
*Seaman Joseph L. Stevens
*Seaman George Pelham
*Torpedoman's Mate Roger L. Short
*Torpedoman's Mate Frank SnizekDespite the efforts, the men were lost. "S-4" was finally raised on 17 March 1928, by a salvage effort commanded by Captain Ernest J. King,and towed to the Boston Navy Yard for dry-docking. She was decommissioned on 19 March.

Return

"S-4" was recommissioned on 16 October, after repairs. She served at Key West, Florida, early in 1929 and 1930, and in the northeast during the remainder of those years. In 1931, she operated again at New London until departing there on 3 January 1932 for Pearl Harbor. Sailing via the Panama Canal, she arrived at Pearl Harbor on 29 August. On 7 April 1933, "S-4" was decommissioned and laid up. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 January 1936 and destroyed on 15 May by sinking.

References

External links

* [http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-s-4-109.htm On Eternal Patrol: USS "S-4"]