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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

R-17 (SS-94)

R-1 Class Submarine: Laid down, 5 May 1917, at Union Iron Works, San Francisco, CA.; Launched, 24 December 1917; Commissioned, USS R-17, 18 August 1918; Re-designated USS R-17 (SS-94), 17 July 1920; Decommissioned, 15 May 1931, at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA.; Laid up at League Island; Recommissioned, 25 March 1941. at New London, CT.; Decommissioned, 9 March 1942, and transferred to Great Britain, renamed HMS P512; Returned to US Naval custody, 6 September 1944; Struck from the Naval Register, 22 June 1945; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 16 November 1945, to North American Smelting Co., Philadelphia, PA.

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-18 583k The hull of R-17 (SS-94) at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp, San Francisco, CA., 5 July 1918. She would be launched in 5 weeks.
US Navy photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
R-18 483k R-17 (SS-94) emblazoned with her triangle. US Navy photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
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-12 324k Tic Tac Toe in the Pacific with the X marked R-12 (SS-89), R-16 (SS-93) [with the circle] & R-17 (SS-94) [with the triangle]. US Navy photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
R-16 & 17 38k R-17 (SS-94) receiving a civilian dignitary. This could possibly be Secretary of the Navy Denby who visited Pearl Harbor in 1922. R-16 (SS-93) is moored outboard.
US Navy photo courtesy of National Archives via Ric Hedman.
Denby 800k JULES VERNE, MODERNIZED.
In the air and under the water, Secretary of Navy Denby making a quick change from sea-plane to submarine at sea on recent trip to Hawaii.		 Image and text provided by Penn State University Libraries; University Park, PA.
Photo & text by Evening Public Ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 24 October 1922, Night Extra, Image 36, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
PDF added 04/27/11.
R-17 99k Kahului, Maui, Hawaii Territory. U.S. Navy ships and aircraft at Kahului, circa 1922-1924. The ships are (from left to right): Burns (DM-11, ex-DD-171), commanded by Lieutenant Commander Olaf M. Hustvedt; Seagull (AM-30), with R-17 (SS-94) alongside; and Two "Eagle" boats, with Eagle (PE-40) furthest to the right, wearing an aviation star insignia. Two HS-2L flying boats are moored astern of the "Eagle" boats.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 104548. Photographed by Tai Sing Loo. Photo from the 1909-1924 album of Vice Admiral Olaf M. Hustvedt, USN (Retired). Courtesy of Rick Hauck, 2006.
R-14 32k R-17 (SS-94) underway in a tinted colored photo, circa 1923.
US Navy photo courtesy of National Archives via Ric Hedman.
R-14 75k R-17 (SS-94) diving off Hawaii. Circa 1925.
US Navy photo by Tai Sing Loo, courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
R-14 220k R-17 (SS-94) underway with an Admiral aboard. His flag is flying from the bridge.
US Navy photo by Tai Sing Loo, 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.
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.
HMS P 512
R-17 & 19 39k R-17 (SS-94) outboard & R-18 (SS-95) moored at Trinidad, Spring 1943.
US Navy photo courtesy of National Archives via Ric Hedman, Mike Green, & uscg.mil.
R-17 28k Commemorative issue & photo inset of the R-17 (SS-94) as the HMS P512, following the Lend - Lease Act in 1941.
Photo courtesy of Jack Treutle.
View the R-17 (SS-94)
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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