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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

S-42 (SS-153)

Radio Call Sign: November - India - Papa - November
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Defense Service Medal (with Sea Clasp)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
S-42 Class Submarine: Laid down, 16 December 1920, at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, MA.; Launched, 30 April 1923; Commissioned, USS S-42 (SS-153), 20 November 1924; Decommissioned, 25 October 1945, at San Francisco, CA.; Struck from the Naval Register, 13 November 1945; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in November 1946. S-42 earned one battle star during World War II.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 903 t., Submerged: 1126 t..; Length 225' 3"; Beam 20' 8"; Draft 13' 1"; Speed, surfaced 14.5 kts, submerged 11 kts; Depth Limit 200'; Complement 4 Officers, 34 Enlisted; Armament, four 21" torpedo tubes, 12 torpedoes, one 4"/50 deck gun; Propulsion, diesel electric engines, New London Ship and Engine Co., diesel engines, 1,200 hp, Fuel Capacity, 46,363 gal.; Electro Dynamic Co., electric motors, 1,200 hp, Battery Cells, 120, twin propellers.
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SS 153 91k S-42 (SS-153), a Quincy built S-boat, was the first of E.B.'s second production series (S-42-47). These boats could be recognized by the prominent gun access trunks at the forward ends of their conning tower fairwaters ( the S-18 (SS-123) had much smaller ammunition scuttles there).
Other modifications, such as revisied ballast arrangements, were more subtle. The dashed line indicates the way the skeg was cut away for the submarine safety improvement program: the boats of this series were modified during the early 1930's. All were modernized during WW II.
Drawing by Jim Christley. Text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press.
SS 153 270k Typical of the last E.B.'s S-boats S-42-47 (SS-153-58) is shown as in 1924-25 (the date of final changes to the original plans is illegible). These boats were part of a second, redesigned series. They were lengthened enough to accomodate both the new 4in/50 gun & the gun access hatch shown (arrowed) forward of the conning tower fairwater (it is the main visual difference between these and earlier E.B. units)
Drawing & Text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press.
S-18, 22, & 42 89k From left to right: S-18 (SS-123), S-22 (SS-127), S-42 (SS-153) & tied up along the dock at Groton, CT., 2 January 1924.
US Navy photo # 19-N-10279, from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), courtesy of Daniel Dunham.
SS 153 184k S-42 (SS-153) had a shower head installed in the port side aft of the conning tower. This photo was taken in 1926 off shore of Pearl Harbor. Private Collection of Ric Hedman.
SS 153 117k S-42 (SS-153) at San Diego, CA., during the 1920s or 1930s. S-44 (SS-155) is in the background.
 		US Navy photo # NH 42154, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center
SS 153 116k S-42 (SS-153) in port during the 1920s or 1930s. Note Langley (CV-1) in the background.
 		US Navy photo # NH 42155, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS 153 100k Submarines at Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone, 1926
These boats are:
S-44 (SS-155);
V-3 (SF-6), later Bonita (SS-165); and
S-42 (SS-153).

 		US Navy photo # NH 80598, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center. Photo courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Collection of Lieutenant O.E. Wightman.
SS 153 128k 19th Submarine Division at San Diego, California, 28 July 1928, with officers and crewmen paraded on deck. Panoramic photograph, taken by O.A. Tunnell, 521 A St., San Diego. The first three submarines are (from inboard): S-46 (SS-157); S-42 (SS-153) and S-47 (SS-158). The other three are (in no order): S-43 (SS-154); S-44 (SS-155) and S-45 (SS-156).
US Navy photo # NH 96624, now in the collections of the US National Archives. Courtesy of Captain Gordon Peterson, USN.
Holland 86k Holland (AS-3) moored off San Diego, California, circa 1930.
Submarines alongside, to starboard, are (from inboard): S-25 (SS-130); S-28 (SS-133); S-24 (SS-129); S-27 (SS-132); S-26 (SS-131); and S-48 (SS-159) or S-46 (SS-157). Submarines moored to Holland's port side are (from inboard): V-3 (SF-6), later Bonita (SS-165); V-2 (SF-5), later Bass (SS-164); S-45 (SS-156); S-43 (SS-154); S-44 (SS-155); and S-42 (SS-153);
US Navy photo # NH 63094, now in the collections of the US National Archives.
Holland 102k Holland (AS-3) moored at San Diego, CA., circa 1930. Submarines alongside, apparently holding inspection, are (from inboard):
V-3 (SF-6), later Bonita (SS-165);
V-2 (SF-5), later Bass (SS-164);
S-45 (SS-156);
S-43 (SS-154);
S-44 (SS-155); and
S-42 (SS-153);
 		US Navy photo # NH 53437, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS 153 184k Port side view of the S-42 (SS-153) entering Pearl Harbor, circa 1930.
 		US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
SS 153 184k From left to right:
S-47 (SS-158), S-42 (SS-153), S-43 (SS-154) & Barracuda (SS-163);
at the sub base in Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone, probably circa early 1936. 		US Navy photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
S-boats 327k Submarine Division 11 is shown moored together here in this photograph, probably taken in 1936 at the Submarine Base in Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone. Shown are the S-46 (SS-157), S-43 (SS-154), S-47 (SS-158), S-42 (SS-153), S-44 (SS-155), and S-45 (SS-156). Photo i.d. & text courtesy of Dave Johnston, USNR.
US Navy photo, courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. Photo added 06/22/10.
S-23 73k An 1942 oil painting on board, by the artist William F. Draper entitled "Sub and Yippy Tie Up."
In a quiet inlet of the Bering Sea in 1942, a YP boat gets a coat of paint and an S-boat ties up for fuel and provisions. The short Alaskan day is ending and lights may be seen in the barracks until total darkness requires a blackout.
The S-boats that served in the Aleutians theater were:
S-18 (SS-123),
S-23 (SS-128),
S-27 (SS-132),
S-28 (SS-133),
S-30 (SS-135),
S-31 (SS-136),
S-32 (SS-137),
S-33 (SS-138),
S-34 (SS-139),
S-35 (SS-140),
S-36 (SS-141),
S-40 (SS-145),
S-41 (SS-146),
S-42 (SS-153),
S-44 (SS-155),
S-45 (SS-156),
S-46 (SS-157), &
S-47 (SS-158).

Sub and Yippy Tie Up by William F. Draper.
Painting #13 / 88-189-N. Courtesy of the USNHC.
SS 153 121k S-42 (SS-153) crew members posed on the submarine's foredeck, while she was at Norfolk, VA., 18 June 1943. Note anti-submarine net in the left background.
 		NARA photo # 80-G-73340, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.
SS 153 332k Sailors loading torpedos on unknown S-boat before leaving for patrol duty in Japanese waters.
On 2 September 1943, S-42 (SS-153) departed Dutch Harbor for the Kurils and her only North Pacific war patrol. Stopping en route at Attu, the forty-day patrol was spent primarily in the Paramushiro-Onekotan area. She returned to Dutch Harbor on 12 October. 		Partial text courtesy of DANFS. Photographer: Dimitri Kessel, courtesy of time.com. via images.google.com & Life.
View the S-42 (SS-153)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
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