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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

O-8 (SS-69)

Radio Call Sign: November - Alpha - November - Delta
O Class Submarine: Laid down, 27 February 1917, at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA.; Launched, 31 December 1917; Commissioned, USS O-8, 11 July 1918; Designated (SS-69), 17 July 1920; Decommissioned, 27 May 1931, at Philadelphia, PA.; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet; Recommissioned, 12 February 1941, at Philadelphia; Decommissioned, 11 September 1945, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, NH; Struck from the Naval Register, 11 October 1945; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 4 September 1946, to John J. Duane Co. of Quincy, MA.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 521 t., Submerged: 629 t.; Length 172' 4"; Beam 18' 0"; Draft 14' 5"; Speed, Surfaced 14 kts, Submerged 10.5 kts; Operational Depth Limit 200 ft; Complement 2 Officers 27 Enlisted; Armament, four 18", torpedo tubes, 8 torpedoes, one 3"/23 deck gun; Propulsion, diesel-electric, New England Ship and Engine Co, diesels, 880 hp, Fuel Capacity, 21,897 gal.; Electro Dynamic Co. electric motors, 740 hp, Battery Cells 120, single propeller.
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O-8 48k O-8 (SS-69) with the "Victory Fleet" off New York City in 1919.
US Naval Historical Center photo # NH 61818.
O-8 67k Crew members standing in and by the O-8's (SS-69) fairwater, while she was with the "Victory Fleet" off New York City in 1919.
US Naval Historical Center photo # NH 44553.
O-8 47k O-8 (SS-69) in a harbor, circa 1919.
 US Naval Historical Center photo # NH 44554.
Savannah 56k Savannah (ID-3015) with O-boats alongside, circa 1919. O-6 (SS-67), is outboard at Savannah's bow, and O-8 (SS-69) is outboard at her stern. US Navy photo # 98630 courtesy of Jim Kazalis, 1981. From the collections of the US Naval Historical Center
O-8 59k O-8 (SS-69) underway with her crew at quarters on deck, circa the early 1920s.
 US Naval Historical Center photo # NH 61819. Courtesy of the San Francisco Maritime Museum, San Francisco, California.
O-8 101k O-8 (SS-69) underway and about to submerge. "It was from O-8 that a radio program was broadcast from under water. Two NBC announcers, one located in the main control room of the submarine, and another situated in the torpedo room, described their sensations as the sub made its descent to the bottom of the sea." (quoted from the original mid-1920s vintage caption).
US Naval Historical Center photo # NH 69038.
O-8 69k Chief Gunner's Mate David J. Lohr (right) and Chief Machinist's Mate Hadley pose by the breech of O-8's (SS-69) retractable 3"/23 gun, circa 1920. Lohr's original caption reads: "Ever see a real tough looking hombre? If I look like this I'd better start wearing a mask."
US Naval Historical Center photo # NH 101000. Copied from the collection of David J. Lohr, by courtesy of Radioman 1st Class Pamela J. Boyer, USN, 1986.
O-8 59k Chief Gunner's Mate David J. Lohr (right) and a friend posing on deck, by the O-8's (SS-69) retractable 3"/23 gun, circa 1920. Lohr's original caption reads: "I like this one best. The pose is so natural. The other lad is 'Jimmie O-8' also from Chicago."
US Naval Historical Center photo # NH 101001. Copied from the collection of David J. Lohr, by courtesy of Radioman 1st Class Pamela J. Boyer, USN, 1986.
O-8 58k Submarine Base, New London, at Groton, Connecticut. Seen from on board an approaching submarine, probably O-8 (SS-69), in October 1920. Note the submarine's open forward hatch cover.
US Naval Historical Center photo # NH 101002. Copied from the collection of David J. Lohr, by courtesy of Radioman 1st Class Pamela J. Boyer, USN, 1986.
O-boats 85k Submarine Division 8, Commander Guy E. Davis commanding. Nine of the Division's ten O-boats at the Boston Navy Yard, Charlestown, Massachusetts, 16 August 1921. Panoramic photograph by Crosby, "Naval Photographer", 11 Portland Street, Boston. Submarines in the front row are (from left to right): O-3 (SS-64), O-6 (SS-67), O-9 (SS-70) and O-1 (SS-62). Those in the second row are (from left to right): O-7 (SS-68), unidentified (either O-2 or O-8), O-5 (SS-66), O-10 (SS-71) and O-4 (SS-65). Large four-stacked ship in the left center distance is the U.S. Army Transport Mount Vernon.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 103193.
O-8 113k Broadside view of the O-8 (SS-69), probably off Coco Solo, C.Z. in 1924.
US Navy photo courtesy of CTM Russel Rau, former COB of SS-238 Wahoo, submitted by Bill Rau & Paul Crozier.
O-8 242k The O-boats (SS-62/77) were the oldest U.S. submarines retained for use during WW II. O-8 (SS-69) is shown here. The most obvious modification was the addition of a small platform for a light anti-aircraft gun abaft the bridge.
Like other E.B. ("Holland")O-boats , R-boats (SS-78/104) & S-boats (SS-105/46 - 153/162), O-8 was modified for greater safety: It's skeg superstructure was cut down aft to clear a new escape hatch in her motor room. The object right aft is a messenger buoy. Note the JK passive sonar transducer forward.
Text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press. US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
O-8 47k The object on the deck of the O-8 (SS-69) that the men are standing around is the 3"/23 deck gun retracted into its below deck housing in a vertical position as shown here.
 US Navy photo courtesy of Ric Hedman / rddesign@rddesigns.com
O-8 58k Skippers Birthday Party held at Peggy's Inn, Norwhich CT in 1945.
US Navy photo courtesy of Clem O'Brien & submitted by Sean O'Brien. Photo added 11/10/07.
View the O-8 (SS-69)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Not Applicable to this Vessel
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Through the Looking Glass, a Historic Look at Submarines
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