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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

K-8 (SS-39)

Radio Call Sign: November - Yankee - Mike
K Class Submarine: Laid down, 10 May 1912, at Union Iron Works, San Francisco, CA.; Launched, 11 July 1914; Commissioned, USS K-8, 1 December 1914, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.; Designated (SS-39), 17 July 1920; Decommissioned, 24 February 1923, at Norfolk, VA.; Towed to Philadelphia, 2 September 1924; Struck from the Navy Register, (date unknown); Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 25 June 1931.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 392 t., Submerged: 521 t.; Length 153' 7"; Beam 16' 8"; Draft 13' 1"; Speed, Surfaced 14 kts, Submerged 10.5 kts; Operating Depth, 200'; Complement, 2 Officers, 26 Enlisted; Armament, four 18" torpedo tubes, 8 torpedoes, one 3"/23 deck gun; Propulsion, diesel-electric, New London Ship & Engine Co., diesel engine, HP 960, Fuel Capacity, 18,126, Electro Dynamic Co., electric motor, HP 960, Battery Cells, 120, single propeller.
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SS-38 & 391.40kK-7 (SS-38) and K-8 (SS-39) are seen at Union Iron Works San Francisco on 23 July 1914.USN photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
SS-391.50kK-8 (SS-39) arrives at Mare Island on her commissioning day of 1 December 1914. The first ship off her port bow is Manila. I can't i.d. the other two but one could be Mars (AC-6). USN photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
SS-39432kK-8 (SS-39) at rest off San Francisco, 1 December 1914.USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
SS-3990kK-8 (SS-39) underway circa late 1914, probably in San Francisco Bay, California.USNHC photograph # 65149.
K's895kSubmarines K-3 (SS-34), K-4 (SS-35), K-7 (SS-38) and K-8 (SS-39) were in Mare Island's dry dock #1 from 17 June to 18 August 1915 preparing for their trip to Hawaii. In this photo the stern of K-7 (left) and K-4 (right) are seen in the foreground while the sterns of K-8 (left) and K-3 (right) are seen in the background. This photo was taken from near the end of the dry dock.USN photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
K's803kSubmarines K-3 (SS-34), K-4 (SS-35), K-7 (SS-38) and K-8 (SS-39) were in Mare Island's dry dock #1 from 17 June to 18 August 1915 preparing for their trip to Hawaii. In this photo the bow of K-3 (left) and K-8 (right) are seen in the foreground while the bow of K-4 (left) and K-7 (right) are seen in the background. This photo was taken from head of the dry dock.USN photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
SS-3956kK-8 (SS-39) recovering a torpedo, circa 1915, while serving on the Pacific Coast. USNHC photograph # NH 100767, courtesy of Paul H. Silverstone, 1986.
SS-391.13kK-8 (SS-39) in center with two other submarines, at San Diego, California, circa 1915. Two destroyers and two cruisers are visible in the distance.Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov.
K NR Sea Wasps to Guard Harbor Here
K-7 (SS-38) Comes In With New Broom Tied To Masthead
Is First of New Flotilla to Dock at Honolulu. K-3 (SS-34) Second to Enter Harbor		 Image and text provided by University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu, HI.
Photo from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii) 1912-current, 14 October 1915, 3:30 Edition, Image 2, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
SS-34848kK-3 (SS-34), K-4 (SS-35), K-7 (SS-38) and K-8 (SS-39) in Hawaii. Photo courtesy of Ric Hedman.
SS-34387kFrom outboard to inboard, what looks to be K-8 (SS-39), K-4 (SS-35), K-3 (SS-34) & K-7 (SS-38), at Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii on the 14 of October, 1915.USN photo from NARA, courtesy of Daniel Dunham.
K 1.06k One Mashed Finger Only Accident of Submarine Voyage
K submarine ploughing through open sea; showing deck structure of K class boats.		 Image and text provided by University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu, HI.
Photo from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii) 1912-current, 15 October 1915, 2:30 Edition, SHIPPING SECTION, Image 7, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
K 1.00k Commanders and Submarines in Record Breaking Voyage Over Pacific, And Sample of Warm Welcome They Found Waiting Here
Below are shown the K type submarines moored at the naval wharf. 		IImage and text provided by University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu, HI.
Photo from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii) 1912-current, 15 October 1915, 3:30 Edition, Image 1, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
K 1.09k K Submarines in Port After Long Voyage
This is the way the K submarines looked as they glided to their dock in the navy slip Thursday afternoon, completing their run of 2,180 miles from San Francisco to this port under their own power-a big feat performed in a big way, and adding fresh laurels to the American navy.
In the upper picture is shown the K-8 (SS-39) slowing down as she entered the slip, the last of the four submersible to complete the voyage. The lower view shows the K-3 (SS-34) in the foreground, another K boat and the F-1 (SS-20), F-2 (SS-21), & F-3 (SS-22) in the background.		 Image and text provided by University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu, HI.
Photo from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii) 1912-current, 16 October 1915, 3:30 Edition, Image 17, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
K boats 817k EFFICIENT AMERICAN SUBMARINE CREW
This is the crew of the United States submarine K-8 (SS-39) which won the efficiency pennant in the recent maneuvers off the Pacific coast.		 Image and text provided by University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.
Photo from the The Public Ledger. (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 30 October 1915, Image 4, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
SS-3956kExterior conning station and periscopes of the K-8 (SS-39). These long and short 2½ to 5-inch diameter Kollmorgen Type C periscopes were obtained under a contract dated 23 October 1916 and subsequently installed at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard. The photograph may have been taken there in late 1916 or in 1917. The evaluation of both of these non-housing periscopes (which had Submarine Periscope Registry Numbers 167 for the shorter unit, and 168 for the longer) was "A fairly good instrument". Note the submarine's radio antenna mast at the after end of the fairwater. USNHC photograph # NH NH 52200.
SS-3958kExterior conning station and periscopes of the K-8 (SS-39). These long and short 2½ to 5-inch diameter Kollmorgen Type C periscopes were obtained under a contract dated 23 October 1916 and subsequently installed at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard. The photograph may have been taken there in late 1916 or in 1917. The evaluation of both of these non-housing periscopes (which had Submarine Periscope Registry Numbers 167 for the shorter unit, and 168 for the longer) was "A fairly good instrument".USNHC photograph # NH 52201.
SS-39692kDry docked in Honolulu about 1916, K-8 (SS-39) displays the typical E.B. bow cap, which rotated to expose the torpedo tube muzzles (the holes in the cap were on the centerline, at top and bottom, when the cap was closed). Her periscope was fixed, with large heads. The temporary bridge structure has been removed, leaving only a streamlined fairwater. Text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press.
USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
K-5143k K-8 (SS-39) tied up alongside K-5 (SS-36), prior to World War I. Fine-screen halftone reproduction, published in "Sea Power" magazine, May 1917. USNHC photograph # NH 76058.
SS-35243k Alert (AS-4) (1875-1922) tied up at Kuahua Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, while serving as a submarine tender, 22 August 1917. Submarines alongside Alert include, from inboard to outboard, K-4 (SS-35), K-3 (SS-34) and either K-7 (SS-38) or K-8 (SS-39). Text & photo i.d. courtesy of USNHC photo # NH 42542.
USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
WYOMING259kOriginal Caption: Mother submarine and her children Cheyenne (M-10) with a submarine alongside, 28 Feb. 1918. The submarine is probably one of the Division 3 boats tended by Cheyenne: K-3 (SS-34), K-4 (SS-35), K-7 (SS-38) or K-8 (SS-39). Location may be Key West, Florida. Text i.d. via NH 45436.
Photo by Lt. H.P. Kingsmore.
National Archives Identifier: 55174326
Local Identifier: 111-SC-006745.
Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov
SS-39275kK-8 (SS-39) underway at Key West Naval Station on 5 March 1918.Photographer: Lt. H.P. Kingsmore.
National Archives Identifier: 55174004
Local Identifier: 111-SC-6595.
Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov
SS-35414kK-4 (SS-35) underway with a sister submarine, trimming down "ready for nose dive", 5 March 1918 at Key West Naval Station, Florida. The second submarine is probably K-3 (SS-34), K-7 (SS-38), or K-8 (SS-39).Text i.d. via photo # NH 41968.
Photo by Lt. H.P. Kingsmore.
National Archives Identifier: 55174020
Local Identifier: 111-SC-006603A.
Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov
SS-35108kK-4 (SS-35) underway with a sister submarine, trimming down "ready for nose dive", circa 1918. The second submarine is probably K-3 (SS-34), K-7 (SS-38), or K-8 (SS-39). USNHC photo # NH 41967, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS-3970kK-8 (SS-39) underway with crewmen standing in formation topsides, during the early 1920s. The flying boat overhead appears to have # A-2344 on the side of its hull. It may be a modification of the Curtiss F-type. USN photo from NARA # 19-N-7080, courtesy of Daniel Dunham. Text courtesy of USNHC.
K class 146k Busy unknown and undated dockyard scene. From left to right: K-8 (SS-39), K-2 (SS-33), unknown K class boat, K-3 (SS-34) & K-1 (SS-32). USN photo courtesy of STSCS(SS) Robert Carlin.
K 117k K-boats in harbor with a four funnel destroyer in the background;
K-1 (SS-32), K-2 (SS-33), K-6 (SS-37), K-4 (SS-35), K-7 (SS-38), K-3 (SS-34), K-5 (SS-36) & K-8 (SS-39) appear in this undated photo. K-5 is being repainted. 		Text i.d. courtesy of Ric Hedman.
Photo courtesy of Rick Larson (of blessed memory) via the unique hand of Ric Hedman.
SS-3882kArticle stating that the engine from a K Class Sub scrapped in Philadelphia [that would be either K-7 (SS-38) or K-8 (SS-39)} was being repaired to be used on YG-16 being built at Mare Island.Article courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
K 378k Wash day for the K-8 (SS-39) off the island of Lanai in the background; this was shot at Lahaina roads on Maui. Photo i.d. courtesy of Tracy White @ Researcher @ Large.
Photo from the privare collection of Ric Hedman.
K boats 748k UNITED STATES submarines in drydock at the Navy Yard. The wonders of League Island will be open to the public today for the navy relief-day celebration. Visitors will have an opportunity to see the great changes that have taken place in the Navy Yard.
K-5 (SS-36), K-7 (SS-38), K-8 underwent overhaul here during this period.
K-5 departed Key West for Philadelphia 12 June 1920, arriving the 17th for overhaul.		 Image and text provided by Penn State University Libraries; University Park, PA & DANFS.
Photo from the Evening Public Ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 28 June 1919, Sports Extra, Image 24, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Photo i.d. courtesy of Ric Hedman.
K 843k One of the mother ships of Uncle Sam's navy the Camden (AS-6), and her nine undersea kittens, a formidable fotilla of Yankee submarines that have been a source of great interest the last two weeks to visitors to the Atlantic Fleet at anchor in the Hudson. The Camden and her family have been at anchor off the Seventies. Above. How the K-5 (SS-36) looks when traveling at full speed on the surface. Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Photo from the New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 16 May 1920, Image 59, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
K 696k There are fewer busier places in Philadelphia than the large drydock at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where repairs are being made on eleven of Uncle Sam's submarine craft.
Among the boats visible is the K-1 (SS-32), which appears in the front left corner, and K-5 (SS-36), behind her. The remainder of the K-boats are likely here as well.		 Image and text provided by Penn State University Libraries; University Park, PA.
Photo from the Evening Public Ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 14 October 1920, NIGHT EXTRA, Image 26, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov
K
0803714		674kThe Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition of 1926 was a world's fair in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its purpose was to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, and the 50th anniversary of the 1876 Centennial Exposition. The fair opened on 31 May 1926.
Text of photo reads Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition, Philadelphia, PA. Docking 11 submarines, League Island Navy Yard.
It would be my guess that these boats are K-boats submarines. The date is most likely late 1924 after they had been towed to Philadelphia. K-6 (SS-37) and K-8 (SS-39) are the only two identifiable on the right. They had been decommissioned in Norfolk on 24 February 1923 and sat there for a while. They were all towed to Philadelphia in September 1924 until finally sold for scrap in 1931.
Photo courtesy of digitalcommonwealth.org
Sub related text via David Johnston.
Unknown Photos 412k Submarine being overhauled, Philadelphia Navy Yard drydock, 19 March 1929.
The boats might be K-boats, with one Lake design N-class.		 Photo i.d. courtesy of David Johnston & Ric Hednan.
Photo 08_06_006682 courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection via Sean Hert & flickr.com.
O-16
0807700		674kPhiladelphia in the late 1920’s.
From left to right: Two K-class: (No definite i.d. which ones of the following 8 ): K-1 (SS-32), K-2 (SS-33), K-3 (SS-34), K-4 (SS-35), K-5 (SS-36), K-6 (SS-37), K-7 (SS-38), K-8 (SS-39).
Four EB design L-class (No definite i.d. which ones of the following 4 ): L-2 (SS-41), L-3 (SS-42), L-9 (SS-49) & L-11 (SS-51).
Two Lake design O-class (No definite i.d. which ones of the first 4): O-11 (SS-72), O-13 (SS-74), O-14 (SS-75), O-15 (SS-76 ), with the last boat being O-16 (SS-77) on far right.
All boats are in various states of disrepair, and all would be disposed of by scrapping by the summer of 1930 in accordance with the London Naval Treaty. 		Photo courtesy of David Wright.
Text i.d. via David Johnston.
View the K-8 (SS 39)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
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