Older class subs question

[bigdave]

Who does not like older class subs.
Something about subs with wires, and cables.
I just finished watching the 1933 movie Hell Below.
Worth a watch for some of the S class footage.
I have a question for you sub historians.
Did they use the S class boats in WW2 as well?
My dad was on subs in WW2 and he would always call them Pigboats.
I am fairly sure he may have been on the earlier boats at first.
Just curious. BD

[JWLaRue]

BD,

I'm with you. I have a 'fondness' for the look of the inter-war boats.

The U.S. had a number of S-boats deployed at the beginning of hostilities with Japan. As I recall they were based out of Australia. There was also some deployed out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Once the production of Gato-class submarines was ramped up they were withdrawn from frontline service.

I've also seen reference to S-boats being deployed in the Atlantic theater, but haven't seen a lot of details.

-Jeff

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

A snippet from Wikipedia.
-----------------------------
S-boats......
These boats saw service in World War II in both the Atlantic and the Pacific. Smaller and slower than the later fleet submarines produced for war service, and lacking the range for Pacific Ocean patrols (as well as being 20 years old), they were used in reconnaissance and supply roles, as well as for coastal defense. S-boats operated in the Alaska theater during the aftermath of the Battle of the Aleutian Islands, based out of Dutch Harbor. Some also operated out of Australia in the Southwest Pacific Area. They were withdrawn from front-line service by late 1943 as more Gato-class fleet submarines became available, and were relegated to ASW training. Most of the surviving boats were scrapped in 1946.

In World War II, S-class boats did not use the newer Mark 14 torpedo, standard in fleet submarines, due to shorter torpedo tubes, relying on the World War I-vintage Mark 10 instead. (Due to production shortages, many fleet boats used Mark 10s, also. Since the Mark 14 suffered from a high failure rate early in the war, this was not necessarily a disadvantage.)

Some S-class boats were transferred to other navies, such as the six transferred to the British Royal Navy. These were mostly used for training in anti-submarine warfare and removed from service by mid-1944.

[bigdave]

In the Hell Below movie they had an interesting gizmo which must have been a primitive form of sonar.
The operator was listening to a surface ship with what looked like a big stethoscope connected to a tube with arms on it so he could turn it. I can only assume there was some kind of transducer mounted to the tube outside the sub on the sail.
So I guess as he would turn the tube he would listen for the loudest sound to see in which direction it was coming from.
Simple but interesting none the less.
They had one scene where the sub was depth charged and it almost blew the head phones off the operators head.
He had to be relieved of his post holding his hands over his ears in pain.
No CGI in this movie. Thanks Jeff and Ralph for your info. BD

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

There were several versions of the Deck listening tube.
Here is the bow mounted three eared bow devise.
First used on the H-boats and continued on through the S-boat and maybe even the Later boats.


This is the listening tube that I think you are referring to.


These tubes where located in several locations on various boats.
Some were mounted near to the edge on the starboard side when deck guns where mounted.
Some had pipe protection over them.


Here the tube is mounted forward on the deck.


The three finger unit on the bow, is one I have looked for more information but hae yet to find anything othere than it was three listening units covered in vulcanized rubber.

[bigdave]

Great S11 photo.
Who said cables on subs were not useful. Lol BD

[PaulC]

They even used R-class boats on U-boat interdiction patrols between New London and Bermuda during 1942.