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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

R-6 (SS-83)

Radio Call Sign: November - India - Lima - Kilo
R-1 Class Submarine: Laid down, 17 December 1917, at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA.; Launched, 1 March 1919; Commissioned, USS R-6, 1 May 1919, at Boston, MA.; Redesignated USS R-6 (SS-83), 17 July 1920; Decommissioned, 4 May 1931, at Philadelphia, PA; Laid up in the Reserve Fleet; Recommissioned, 15 November 1940, at New London, CT.; Decommissioned, 27 September 1945, at Key West FL.; Struck from the Naval Register, 11 October 1945; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in March 1946, to Macey O. Scott, Miami FL.

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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SS-83 53k R-6 (SS-83), aground at the entrance to New London harbor, Connecticut, circa early December 1919. While anchored alongside Camden (AS-6) with five other submarines, R-6 was swept away by a gale and grounded on "Black Rock" at the entrance to the harbor at New London. Once aground, the submarine radioed for help and two minesweepers tried to pull her off the rocks, but to no avail. She was later freed and returned to service. The original photograph was dated 4 December 1919. US Navy photo # NH 69167, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center, courtesy of the San Francisco Maritime Museum, 1969.
SS-83 58k R-6 (SS-83), being refloated in San Pedro Harbor, California, 13 October 1921. She had sunk there on 26 September of that year. In the background, assisting with the salvage work, is R-10 (SS-87). US Navy photo # NH 93419, from the collection of Delmar Ketch, photographed by A.E. Wells, Washington, D.C.
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 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-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-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). 		Collection of Joseph A. Hendricks. US Navy photo # NH 92002, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS-85 66k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) in San Diego Harbor, California, during the early 1920s, with four R-boats alongside. The outboard submarine is R-8 (SS-85). The inboard "boat" is R-6 (SS-83).
 		Courtesy of H.R. ("Ed") Coffer, 1986. US Navy photo # NH 101183, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS-83 156k R-6 (SS-83), underway, probably in the Thames River near New London CT., possibly circa 1920. 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. Photo added 04/15/07.
SS-83 229k Port side view of the R-6 (SS-83) underway, served as a test platform for the first U.S. experimental snorkel in 1945.
From 1943 to mid-1945 she was employed primarily in training destroyers and destroyer escorts in antisubmarine warfare. 		US Navy photo courtesy of chinfo.navy.mil. Partial text courtesy of DANFS.
View the R-6 (SS-83)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Through the Looking Glass A Historic Look at Submarines
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