USS S-39 (SS-144)

USS "S-39" (SS-144) was a S-class submarine in the United States Navy.

Her keel was laid on 14 January 1919 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco, California. She was launched on 2 July 1919 sponsored by Miss Clara M. Huber, and commissioned on 14 September 1923 with Lieutenant John A. Scott (Class of 1928) [Blair, Clay, Jr. "Silent Victory" (Lippincott, 1975), p.931.] in command.

After commissioning and fitting out, "S-39" joined Submarine Force, Battle Fleet; and, from October through December 1923, conducted maneuvers off southern California. With the next year, 1924, she moved south to the Panama Canal, thence proceeded into the Caribbean Sea for final trials, further exercises, and training dives. By April, she was back at Mare Island for her first overhaul.

On 17 September, "S-39" departed San Francisco for the Philippines. Steaming "via" Pearl Harbor and Guam, she reached Manila on 5 November; joined the Asiatic Fleet as a member of Submarine Division 17 (SubDiv 17); and commenced local operations and drills in the Luzon area. In mid-May 1925, she sailed for the Asiatic mainland with her division; and, after brief stops at Amoy and Hong Kong, arrived at Tsingtao, whence she operated until early September. She then returned to Manila and for the next 16 years maintained, with few interruptions, a similar schedule: summers at Tsingtao, with patrols along the China coast; winters in the Philippines, for overhauls, engineering trials, joint Army-Navy maneuvers, type training exercises, and short patrols.

Just prior to the entry of the United States into World War II, "S-39" (under the command of James W. Coe, Class of 1930 [Blair, p.902.] ) patrolled off southern Luzon. After 8 December, she moved into San Bernardino Strait to impede Japanese mining activities. The escorts screening the minelayers, however, kept the American submarine at bay with persistent depth charging. On 11 December, "S-39" endured a day-long pounding. She then turned to a more hopeful mission, cutting into the Japanese supply line. On 13 December, she contacted and attacked an enemy freighter, but, again escorts interfered and her crew was prevented from verifying a sinking. She continued her patrol, unsuccessfully chasing other targets, until 21 December when she returned to Manila.

Increased enemy air activity soon rendered naval installations in the area untenable, and "S-39" was ordered to Java to join what would become, in mid-January 1942, the ABDA command. Conducting her second war patrol "en route", she arrived at Soerabaja on 24 January; underwent an abbreviated availability; and departed for her third patrol.

Higher command expecting Japanese landings at Timor, "S-39" was detailed to the Karimata Strait. [Blair, p.176-8 "passim".] The main Japanese force transited the strait and landed at Java without "S-39" seeing it. [Blair, p.183.] Operating in the South China Sea and Java Sea, she reconnoitered Chebia Island, in the former sea, in search of a British admiral and air marshal [Blair, p.186.] who had supposedly escaped Singapore. "S-39" landed a search party, [Blair, p.187.] but was unsuccessful in locating any refugees. She set out for Australia "via" the Sunda Strait, where on 4 March she found 6500-ton tanker (credited as 5000 tons during the war) [Blair, p.905.] "Erimo", firing four Mark X torpedoes, scoring three contact hits. [Blair, p.187.] This made "S-39", like her "Sugar" boat sisters, "S-37" and "S-38", rather famous at the time. [Blair, p.187.] Two weeks later, she arrived at Fremantle, Australia; and, by the end of April, had moved on to Brisbane, whence she departed on her fourth patrol on 10 May. During the next four weeks, she reconnoitered designated areas of the Louisiade Archipelago, then operated in the Solomon Islands.

"S-39"’s fifth patrol (now under Francis E. Brown), [Blair, p.300.] delayed twice by mechanical failures and once by the necessity of hospitalizing her executive officer, began on 10 August. Assigned station off New Ireland, she made her way across the Coral Sea to the Louisiades. On the night of 13 August-14 August, she grounded on submerged rocks off Rossel Island and took on a 35 [Blair, p.300.] degree port list. "S-39" immediately blew ballast tanks dry and jettisoned fuel to lighten ship, then backed emergency, to no avail. [Blair, p.300.] Heavy seas pounded her and pushed her farther up on the rocks. Throughout 14 August, 15-to-20-foot (5-6m) breakers crashed over the submarine but the crew maintained their fight to refloat the ship, including jettisoning more fuel and firing four deactivated torpedoes. [Blair, p.300.] By 15 August, the list had increased to 60 degrees. The heavy seas had not abated; "S-39" continued to be pounded against the rocks, and a call for help brought word minesweeper HMAS "Katoomba" was coming. [Blair, p.300.] Efforts to take the crew off were begun. Lieutenant C.N.G. Hendrix and Chief Petty Officer W. L. Schoenrock swam ashore; secured mooring lines to a torpedo which had lodged in the reef [Blair, p.300.] for use as riding lines; then assisted other crew members to safety. By noon, 32 men had reached shore. Shortly thereafter, "Katoomba" arrived and by the same time on 16 August had taken the entire crew of "S-39" on board. "S-39" was left on the rocks, rather than destroyed by gunfire, as her commanding officer was satisfied she would continue breaking up. Her crew were taken to Townsville and reassigned to other submarines. The commanding officer almost faced court martial (grounding in peacetime is considered negligence), but was saved by Admiral Christie. [This was Christie's finest moment. Brown got "S-43" and later "S-44", in command of which he was KIA 26 September 1943 of Alaska. Blair, p.301 & 420.]

"S-39" earned two battle stars for her World War II service.

Notes

References

*Blair, Clay, Jr. "Silent Victory". Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1975.
*Lenton, H.T. "American Submarines". New York: Doubleday & Co., 1973.

External links

* [http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-s-39-144.htm On Eternal Patrol: USS "S-39"]