- USS S-47 (SS-158)
USS "S-47" (SS-158) was a third-group ("S-42") "S"-class submarine of the
United States Navy . Her keel was laid down on26 February 1921 by theBethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation inQuincy, Massachusetts . She was launched on5 January 1924 sponsored by Mrs. Morris D. Gilmore, and
commissioned on16 September 1925 with Lieutenant John Wilkes in command.History
Following commissioning and fitting out, "S-47" conducted engineering and torpedo tests off the southern
New England coast. However, with the new year, 1926, she departed New England and moved south to join Submarine Division (SubDiv) 19 in thePanama Canal Zone.She arrived at
Coco Solo on19 January and, for the next year and one-half, conducted local operations in thePacific Ocean andCaribbean Sea . During this period, her routine was broken by jointUnited States Army -United States Navy exercises testing the defenses of the canal; byFleet Problem VI (February 1926) and VII (March 1927); and by extended training cruises in the Caribbean (June 1926 and April 1927). Transferred toSan Diego, California , with her division in June 1927, she continued to participate in individual, division, fleet, and joint Army-Navy exercises into 1932. At that time, a period of inactivity in rotating reserve status was added toS-boat employment schedules.In 1936, "S-47", now in SubDiv 11, was transferred back to Coco Solo, where she was based through the end of the decade. In the summer of 1941, she returned to
New London, Connecticut , and commenced operations off the southern New England coast. During September, she patrolled in theBermuda area; and, in October, she returned to New London. The following month, she moved north to NS Argentia to participate in exercises to test S-boat capabilities in arctic and sub-arctic waters. By mid-December, she was back at New London, and, by January 1942, she was back in the Panama Canal Zone.Defensive operations in the approaches to the canal took "S-47" into March. On
5 March , she moved west with SubDiv 53 to join TF 42 atBrisbane ,Queensland . She arrived in mid-April, and, on22 April , she got underway to conduct her first offensive war patrol in theNew Britain -New Ireland area.First War Patrol
On
27 April , she commenced submerged operations during daylight hours. On the morning of29 April , she passed Bougainville, and on the night of30 April , she arrived offNew Britain . The next evening, she attempted to close an enemy submarine but lost contact with the target. That night, she transitedSt. George Channel ; and, on the morning of2 May , she closedBlanche Bay . Despite numerous enemy patrol craft both surface and air, off theCrater Peninsula , she moved towardSimpson Harbor in an attempt to score on an oiler accompanied by adestroyer . Her quarry, however, reached safety before "S-47" could close the range."S-47" waited outside the harbor. Four hours later, two
destroyer s entered the harbor, and, a short while after that, acruiser was sighted on the same course. "S-47" increased her speed and maneuvered to attack. But, before she was ready, a short in the electrical firing circuit fired number-four tube. The cruiser continued into the harbor. The electrical firing circuit in "S-47" was disconnected.Still in the area on
3 May , "S-47" became the target of a three-hour submarine hunt conducted by twodestroyer s and two minesweepers and punctuated by frequentdepth charge attacks. That night, she cleared the area. By5 May , she was off New Hanover; and, on8 May , she fired on a cargoman which reversed course and headed for the submarine at high speed. "S-47" went deep and readied two tubes for firing. The target, however, passed overhead; resumed its original course; and soon outdistanced the submarine."S-47" remained on patrol in that area for another four days. On
12 May , she shifted to the Buka area and patrolled offQueen Carola Harbor until15 May . She then turned for Brisbane.Second War Patrol
In port for repairs from
20 May until early June, "S-47" clearedMoreton Bay on6 June to return toNew Britain . Again, she hunted off theCrater Peninsula and between there and theDuke of York Islands ; then moved into theShortland Island area before heading forAustralia on22 June .Third War Patrol
She departed the Australian coast again on
28 July , but fuel tank leaks forced her to turn back on1 August . From5 August to24 August , she was back in Brisbane. On25 August , she was again underway for St. George Channel and the area to the northwest ofRabaul . On2 September , her patrol was shifted to include the eastern and southeastern coasts of New Ireland, where, on12 September , she damaged an enemy warship. On22 September , she returned to Brisbane.Fourth War Patrol
Twenty-eight days later, "S-47" departed Moreton Bay for her last war patrol as a unit of TF 42. Moving across the
Coral Sea and into theSolomon Islands , she sightedShortland Island on28 October , and, on the night of30 October –31 October , commenced hunting on the Buin-Rabaul line. On2 November , east of Bougainville, she damaged a second Japanese warship. Two days later, she began moving southeast. On8 November , she passedSan Cristobal Island and departed the Solomons, en route to theFiji Islands and thePanama Canal .Refit
On
17 November , "S-47" joined other units of SubDiv 53 andsubmarine tender
"Griffin" (AS-13)inSuva Harbor , whence the group proceeded to Coco Solo. There, during the first quarter of 1943, "S-47" underwent overhaul and received a surface search radar. In March, she was ordered toTrinidad, British West Indies , to furnish training services for antisubmarine vessels stationed there. But she was soon recalled to the Canal Zone, then ordered toSan Francisco, California , for further yard work at theBethlehem Steel Company. Arriving early in May, she remained in the shipyard through the summer; and, after training off the southern California coast in September, she headed north to theAleutian Islands .Fifth and Sixth War Patrols
In October, "S-47" arrived at
Dutch Harbor ,Unalaska , whence she conducted two war patrols to impede Japanese traffic in theParamushiro area. On3 January 1944 , she completed the second of her two North Pacific patrols, and, a month later, she departed the Aleutians to return to the southwestern Pacific.Seventh War Patrol
Arriving at
Milne Bay on17 March , "S-47" joined TF 72; and, for the next two months, conducted ASW training operations for Seventh Fleet minesweepers. In June, however, she shifted toSeeadler Harbor in theAdmiralty Islands , whence she departed on another war patrol on17 June . The patrol, conducted to support the Allied thrust along theNew Guinea coast, was completed on5 July . Availability at Brisbane followed and, at the end of August, she returned to Seeadler Harbor to resume ASW training operations. In November, she shifted toMios Woendi ; and, in February 1945, she headed for Brisbane, whence, on8 March , she sailed for theUnited States .Retirement
"S-47" arrived at San Diego in mid-April and remained there until after the cessation of hostilities in the Pacific. In mid-September, she moved up to San Francisco; and, on
25 October 1945 , she was decommissioned. Her name was struck from theNaval Vessel Register on13 November 1945 , and she was sold for scrapping in May 1946."S-47" earned three
battle star s duringWorld War II .References
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