USS S-51 (SS-162)

USS "S-51" (SS-162) was a fourth-group ("S-48") "S"-class submarine of the United States Navy.

Her keel was laid down on 22 December 1919 by the Lake Torpedo Boat Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut. She was launched on 20 August 1921 sponsored by Mrs. R.J. Mills, and commissioned on 24 June 1922 with Lieutenant W. S. Haas in command.

Operations

The new submarine was based at New London, Connecticut, on 1 July 1922 as a unit of Submarine Division 4 and followed a normal peacetime training cycle, operating out of her home port with visits to Newport, Rhode Island, and Providence, Rhode Island. She departed from New York City on 4 January 1924 for the Panama Canal Zone to participate in winter fleet maneuvers off Panama and in the Caribbean Sea. During this cruise, she visited Trinidad, Guantanamo Bay, Culebra, and St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. After returning to New York City on 30 April, she resumed type training off Block Island and in New England coastal waters.

inking

On the night of 25 September 1925, "S-51" was operating on the surface near Block Island, with her running lights on. The merchant steamer "City of Rome" spotted a single white masthead light but were unable to determine its course, speed, or intentions. The ship altered her course away from the unknown light to give whatever it might be greater leeway. Meanwhile, "S-51" spotted the ship's masthead and green sidelights, and held her course as she was required to do by the Rules of the Road then in effect. Shortly after altering course, "City of Rome" spotted the submarine's red sidelight and realized that they were on collision courses. She shifted her rudder and backed her engines, but it was too late. Twenty-two minutes after first spotting the submarine's masthead light, the steamer rammed her at the position coord|41|14|30|N|71|16|16|W. ["New York Times", September 27, 1925, Section 1, pages 5-8.]

Only three of the 36 men in the submarine were able to abandon ship before she sank. Those saved were:

*Alfred Geier, Electrician's mate, 2nd class,from New Bedford, Massachusetts
*Dewey G. Kile, Engineman, 1st class, from Peoria, Mississippi.
*Michael Lira. Fireman, 1st class from St. Louis, Missouri

Those lost were: ["New York Times", September 27, 1925, page 2]

Officers:
*Rodney H. Dobson, Lieutenant, Commanding officer. Brockport, Conn.
*Frederic David Foster, Lieutenant(jg) Nutley, N. J.
*T.A. Glasscock, Lieutenant(jg) San Antonio, Texas
*James Dudley Haselden, Lieutenant (jg) Dillon, SC
*Harlow Milton Pino, Lieutenant (jg) Long Beach, Cal.
*Edmund Webster Egbert, Ensign Mariner's Harbor, NYEnlisted:
*Paul Daniel Berk, Engineman, 2nd class. Shoemakersville, Pa.
*Ralph Edward Cassidy, Gunner's mate, 2nd class. Claremont, NH
*Henry Lee Crawford, Radio man, 1st class. Ardmore, Okla.
*Allan Clifford Earle, Engineman, 1st class. Gloucester, Mass.
*Harry Dick Elser, Coxswain. Columbus, Ohio
*Rudy Firm, Motor machinist's mate, 1st class. Klein, Mont.
*John Law Gibson, Engineman, 2nd class. Portland, Ore.
*Valentin Hiltbold, Chief torpedo man. Newport, RI
*Franklin Pierce James, Chief motor machinist's mate Stratford, Conn.
*Walter Edward. Lawton, Electrician's mate, 1st class. N. Weymouth, Mass.
*Brady Domono Lindsay, Engineman, 2nd class. Pensacola, Fla.
*George Henry Martin, Officers' Cook, 2nd class. Philadelphia, Pa.
*John Joseph McCarthy, Seaman, 1st class. New York, NY
*Oscar Joseph Milot, Fireman, 3rd class. Graniteville, Mass.
*Frank Lester Mims, Fireman, 3rd class. Augusta, Ga.
*Robert S. Noble, Motor machinist's mate, 3rd class. Merrimac, Mass.
*James Marland Schofield, Radio man, 1st class. Bridgeport, Conn.
*Frank Archibald Shea, Electrician's mate, 1st class. Gloucester, Mass.
*John Joseph Sheehan, Motor machinist's mate, 1st class Groton, Conn.
*Augustus Alexander Smith, Torpedo man, 2nd class. Milton, Fla.
*Herbert Eadleman Snyder, Chief signal man. Philadelphia, Pa.
*Frederick Peter Teschemacher, Seaman, 1st class. Bangor, Pa.
*William CharlesTeschemacher, Seaman, 1st class. Bangor, Pa.
*Charles Carrol Thomas, Fireman, 2nd class. El Paso, Texas
*Stephen Hartley Triffit, Torpedo man, 3rd class. Pawtucket, RI
*Robert Holland Wills, Torpedo man, 1st class. Norfolk, Va.
*Frank Collins Wiseman, Torpedo man, 3rd class. S. Boston, Mass.

The courts found "City of Rome" at fault for not reducing her speed when in doubt as to the movement of "S-51", and for not signaling her change of course. However, both the district court and the Circuit Court of Appeals found "S-51" at fault for having improper lights.

The United States Navy argued that it was not practicable to have submarines of this class comply with the literal provisions of the law, and that, as a special type of warship, "S-51" was not under legal compulsion to comply with the law. The court responded by saying if these statements were correct, then submarines "should confine their operation to waters not being traversed by other ships."

alvage

"S-51" was raised on 5 July 1926 by a team led by then-Lieutenant Commander (later Rear Admiral) Edward Ellsberg. The entire salvage operation was commanded by Captain (later Fleet Admiral) Ernest J. King. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 27 January 1930 and sold for scrap on 23 June 1930 to the Borough Metal Company of Brooklyn, New York.

References

ee also

* The S-51 Accident Web site: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7282/s-51.html
* Ellsberg, Edward. "Report on Salvage Operations: Submarine S-51". Navy Department: United States Government Printing Office, 1927.
* _____. "On the Bottom". New York: The Literary Guild of America, Inc, 1929. ISBN 0-9718303-0-4.

External links

* [http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-s-51-162.htm On Eternal Patrol: USS "S-51"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08162.htm NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive S-51 (SS-162)]