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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

R-4 (SS-81)

Radio Call Sign: November - India - Lima - Golf
R-1 Class Submarine: Laid down, 16 October 1917, at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA.; Launched, 26 October 1918; Commissioned, USS R-4, 28 March 1919; Redesignated USS R-4 (SS-81), 17 July 1920; Decommissioned, 18 June 1945, at Philadelphia, PA.; Struck from the Naval Register, 11 July 1945; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in January 1946 to North American Smelting Co.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 569 t., Submerged: 680 t.; Length 186' 2" ; Beam 18'; Draft 14' 6"; Speed, Surfaced 13.5 kts, Submerged 10.5 kts; Depth Limit, 200'; Complement 2 Officers, 27 Enlisted; Armament, four 21" torpedo tubes forward, 8 torpedoes, one 3"/50 deck gun; Propulsion, diesel electric engines, New England Ship and Engine Co., diesel engines, 1200hp, Fuel Capacity, 18,880 gals., Electro Dynamic Co., electric motors, twin propellers.
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R-3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, S-3 & 4 191k R & S boats nested together, May 1920, alongside Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6). From inboard to outboard:
R-4 (SS-81),
R-5 (SS-82),
R-6 (SS-83),
R-10 (SS-87),
R-9 (SS-86),
R-8 (SS-85),
R-7 (SS-84),
R-3 (SS-80),
S-4 (SS-109)
and S-3 (SS-107).
Note that all the R-boats have gun platforms, but that guns are fitted only on R-10,
and R-3.
S-4 has a platform for a 4"/50 gun (but no gun is installed), while S-3 still has no gun platform.
US Navy photo # 19-N-9936, from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), courtesy of Daniel Dunham. Text i.d. courtesy of USNHC photo # NH 41855.
SS-84 & friends 79k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) off New York City with twelve submarines alongside, circa 1920. Submarines are, from inboard to outboard (left to right):
R-1 (SS-78),
R-2 (SS-79),
R-4 (SS-81),
R-5 (SS-82),
R-6 (SS-83),
R-10 (SS-87),
R-9 (SS-86),
R-8 (SS-85),
R-7 (SS-84),
R-3 (SS-80),
S-4 (SS-109)
and S-3 (SS-107). 		Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 99892, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
SS-84 & friends 100k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) off New York City with twelve submarines alongside, circa 1920. Submarines are, from inboard to outboard (left to right):
R-1 (SS-78),
R-2 (SS-79),
R-4 (SS-81),
R-5 (SS-82),
R-6 (SS-83),
R-10 (SS-87),
R-9 (SS-86),
R-8 (SS-85),
R-7 (SS-84),
R-3 (SS-80),
S-4 (SS-109)
and S-3 (SS-107). 		Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 59972, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
SS-84 & friends 87k R-boats off New York City, circa 1920. from inboard to outboard (left to right):
R-7 (SS-84),
R-8 (SS-85),
R-9 (SS-86),
R-10 (SS-87),
R-6 (SS-83),
R-5 (SS-82),
R-4 (SS-81).
 		Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 41746, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
SS-85 78k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) in San Pedro Harbor, California, 1921. Submarines alongside are (from outboard to inboard):
R-1 (SS-78)
R-3 (SS-80)
R-8 (SS-85),
R-4 (SS-81),
R-2 (SS-79) &
R-10 (SS-87). 		US Navy photo # NH 55044, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
R-3 77k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) in San Pedro Harbor, California, 1921. Submarines alongside are (from outboard to inboard):
R-1 (SS-78)
R-3 (SS-80)
R-8 (SS-85),
R-4 (SS-81),
R-2 (SS-79) &
R-10 (SS-87).
US Navy photo # NH 55045, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
BB-51 Montana132 This photo shows the submarines R-1 (SS-78), R-2 (SS-79), R-3(SS-80), R-4 (SS-81), R-5 (SS-82), R-7 (SS-84), R-8 (SS-85) & R-10 (SS-87) with Mud Scow #8 in Mare Island's Dry Dock #2 between 8 May and 10 June 1922. Note: The scaffold for the construction of the Montana (BB-51) can be seen above and to the right of the head of the dry dock. Seattle NARA photo # USN photo 60-30 Record Group 181, 13th Naval District, Records of the Naval District & Shore Establishments, courtesy of Tracy White, submitted by Darryl Baker.
SS-83, 81 & 79 84k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) photographed circa the early 1920s, with four R-boats alongside, including (from left to right):
R-6 (SS-83),
R-4 (SS-81),
unidentified R-boat and
R-2 (SS-79). 		US Navy photo # NH 92002, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center. Collection of Joseph A. Hendricks.
R-4 & 5 117k R-4 (SS-81) & R-5 (SS-82) appear here probably before they were transferred 16 July 1923 with Division 9 and Canopus (AS-9) to Pearl Harbor where they remained for the next 8 years engaged in training and operations with fleet units. US Navy photo courtesy of Jerry Crow. Partial text courtesy of DANFS. Photo added 03/17/08.
R-4 80k R-4 (SS-81) in drydock during the early 1920s.
US Navy photo # NH 77282, courtesy of the U.S. Naval Historical. Courtesy of Mrs. C.R. DeSpain, 1973. From the scrapbooks of Fred M. Butler.
R-4 48k R-4 (SS-81) submerging, circa the early 1920s.
US Navy photo # NH 92004, courtesy of the U.S. Naval Historical. Collection of Joseph A. Hendricks.
R-4 162k R-4 (SS-81) underway in October 1923.
US Navy photo NH 41740, courtesy of the U.S. Naval Historical.
R-4 162k R-4 (SS-81), crew in dress whites preparing to go ashore, circa 1920's.
 US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Sub Base Pearl Harbor152kThe crews of Submarine Divisions 9 & 14 line the decks of their boats (20 in all) at the Submarine base at Pearl Harbor on 12 December 1930.
R-1 (SS-78),
R-2 (SS-79),
R-3 (SS-80),
R-4 (SS-81),
R-5 (SS-82),
R-6 (SS-83),
R-7 (SS-84),
R-8 (SS-85),
R-9 (SS-86),
R-10 (SS-87),
R-11 (SS-88),
R-12 (SS-89),
R-13 (SS-90),
R-14 (SS-91),
R-15 (SS-92),
R-16 (SS-93),
R-17 (SS-94),
R-18 (SS-95),
R-19 (SS-96) &
R-20 (SS-97).
All the R-boats were to leave the base where they had been serving for upwards of 8 years and transfer to the East coast to be decommissioned over the next 3 years.
The only identifiable boat is the R-16. 		US Navy photo by Tai Sing Loo, courtesy of E. Little.
SS 127 66k From left to right R-1 (SS-78), R-13 (SS-90), R-4 (SS-81), and S-22 (SS-127), at New York City, circa 1930s.
US Navy photo # NH 68899, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS 127 95k Submarines at New York City, circa the 1930s: These "boats" are, from left-to-right:
R-11 (SS-88),
R-13 (SS-90),
R-4 (SS-81) and
S-22 (SS-127).
US Navy photo # NH 68898, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
R-4 14k R-4 (SS-81), arriving at the Battery, in New York City, for the World's Fair, April 29, 1939. The mercantile tug Dalzellico is immediatley behind the boat.
 US Navy photo & text courtesy of Warship Int. Edition # 3, 1986.
View the R-4 (SS-81)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
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