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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

R-15 (SS-92)

Radio Call Sign: November - Alpha - Sierra - Victor
R-1 Class Submarine: Laid down, 30 April 1917, at Union Iron Works, San Francisco, CA.; Launched, 10 December 1917; Commissioned, USS R-15, 27 July 1918; Redesignated USS R-15 (SS-92), 17 July 1920; Decommissioned, 7 May 1931, at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA.; Recommissioned, 1 April 1941, at Sub Base New London, CT.; Decommissioned, 17 September 1945, at Key West FL.; Struck from the Naval Register, 11 October 1945; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in October 1945, 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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R-15738kA collage of photos showing R-15 (SS-92) being launched at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. Lt'd, Union Plant, San Francisco on Dec 10, 1917.
The left insert is a picture of the ship's sponsor, Mrs. Thales S. Boyd.
The right insert shows the R-15 sliding down the building ways. 		U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
R-15, 16 & 1917kR-15 (SS-92),
R-16 (SS-93) &
R-19 (SS-96) in Hawaii, circa 1918.
Courtesy of Mike Baust.
SS 92-9787k Beaver (AS-5) at anchor off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, with six submarines alongside, circa late 1918.
R-17 (SS-94),
R-20 (SS-97),
R-15 (SS-92),
R-16 (SS-93),
R-18 (SS-95) &
R-19 (SS-96).
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 56366.
R-15148kR-15 (SS-92) in dry dock, probably at Mare Island for overhaul prior to her transfer to Pearl Harbor, circa June 1919. Text courtesy of DANFS. U.S. Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
R-12, 13 & 15 76k Tied up along the dock from right to left:
R-12 (SS-89),
R-15 (SS-92) and
R-13 (SS-90), probably in Pearl Harbor, circa 1920's.
 		US Navy photo # 19-N-10261, from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), courtesy of Daniel Dunham.
R-12, 13, 15 & 9 40k Tied up along the dock from right to left:
R-12 (SS-89),
R-15 (SS-92),
R-13 (SS-90)
, with R-9 (SS-86) and an unidentifed R-boat, probably in Pearl Harbor, circa mid 1920's.
 		US Navy photo # 19-N-10257, from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), courtesy of Daniel Dunham.
R-boats 117k Circa early 1920's at Pearl Harbor. What looks to be the R-15 (SS-92) on the left, R-12 (SS-89) in the middle and R-19 (SS-96). The mast of what might be the former cruiser Chicago, now a barracks ship under the classification IX-5, lies to the right of the R-19.
US Navy photo, courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.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.
Navy Yard 91k These World War submarines, [R-boats] tied up in the Navy Yard in Philadelphia for a dozen years, are being reconditioned and some are already in active service again, it was announced 10 Jan. 1941. This picture shows them as they appeared before the repair program began. Photo & text courtesy of A.P. Wire courtesy of philly.com. Photo added 06/09/09.
View the R-15 (SS-92)
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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