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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

V-3 (SF-6)
Bonita (SS-165)
Keel Laying - 1931

Radio Call Sign: November - India - Charlie - Sierra,
To Additional Pages

1932 - 1945

Barracuda Class Submarine: Laid down, 16 November 1921, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.; Launched, 9 June 1925; Commissioned USS V-3 (SF-6), 22 May 1926; Renamed Bonita, 9 March 1931; Reclassified (SS-165), 1 July 1931; Decommissioned, 4 June 1937, at Philadelphia, Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA.; Recommissioned, 5 September 1940, at Submarine Base New London, CT.; Decommissioned, 3 March 1945, at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA.; Struck from the Naval Register, 10 March 1945; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 28 October 1945.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 2,000 t., Submerged: 2620 t.; Length 341' 6" ; Beam 27' 7"; Draft 14' 7"; Speed, surfaced 21 kts, Submerged 8 kts; Depth Limit 200'; Complement, 6 officers, 50 enlisted; Armament, six 21" torpedo tubes, four forward, two aft, 12 torpedoes; one 5"/51 deck gun; Propulsion, Busch-Sulzer Diesel Engine Co., diesel engines, hp 4100; Fuel Capacity, 90,935 gal., Elliot Motor Co., electric motors, hp 2400, Battery Cells 120, twin propellers.
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SS 165 97k Ship's Sponsor, Mrs. Louis R. DeSteiguer, with the Sponsor's bouquet. Photographed at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, at the time of V-3's (SS-165) launching, 9 June 1925. At left is the Navy Yard's Commandant, Captain Douglas E. Dismukes. US Navy photo # NH 56509, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS 165 94k Ship's Sponsor, Mrs. Louis R. DeSteiguer, at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, during V-3's (SS-165) launching ceremonies, 9 June 1925. The Navy Yard's Commandant, Captain Douglas E. Dismukes, is holding the christening bottle. US Navy photo # NH 56510, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS 165 90k Launching of the V-3 (SS-165) at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 9 June 1925. US Navy photo # NH 56505, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS 165 102k V-3 (SS-165) enters the water during her launching, at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 9 June 1925. US Navy photo # NH 56506, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS 165 92k V-3 (SS-165) being assisted by tugs, immediately after her launching, at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 9 June 1925. Tug at right is the M. Mitchell Davis. US Navy photo # NH 56507, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS 165 99k V-3 (SS-165) being assisted by tugs, immediately after her launching, at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 9 June 1925. Tug at right is the M. Mitchell Davis. US Navy photo # NH 56508, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS 165 150k V-3 (SS-165) being assisted by tugs, immediately after her launching, at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 9 June 1925. Tug at right is the M. Mitchell Davis. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
SS 165 67k V-3 (SS-165), circa 1925, place unknown. Courtesy of Scott McCoy.
SS 165 95k V-3 (SS-165), at Portsmouth, New Hampshire Navy Yard undergoing submergence tests, 12 June 1926. U.S. Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
SS 153 100k Submarines at Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone, 1926.
These boats are:
S-44 (SS-155);
V-3 (SS-165) and
S-42 (SS-153).
 		Photo courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Collection of Lieutenant O.E. Wightman.
US Navy photo # NH 80598, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
R-24 134k PDF entitled "How the Diesel engine came to America."
On 05/22/26 they were installed on the V-3 (SS-165). 		Photo courtesy of subvetpaul.com.
SS 165 87k V-3 (SS-165) entering Porto Bello Harbor, Panama, March 1927. Donation of Lieutenant Gustave Freret, USN (Retired), 1971. US Navy photo # NH 74639, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS 165 168k V-3 (SS-165) circa the later 1920s, with one of her boats labeled V-3 tied up to her starboard side. US Navy photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
SS 163-64 & 65 154k Battleship Maryland (BB-46);
Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6);
two unknown S-boats; and
two V-1 class submarines, possibly
Barracuda (SS-163),
Bass (SS-164) and or
Bonita (SS-165) in port in May 1927.
Note the tremendous difference in size between the S-boats and V-1 class submarines. 		Photo # NH 46418 courtesy of the U.S. Naval Historical Center.
SS 163, 164 & 165 113k V-1 class submarines alongside Argonne (AS-10), at San Diego, California, 10 December 1927. The submarines are (from left to right):
Bass (SS-164);
Barracuda (SS-163) and
Bonita (SS-165). 		Courtesy of the San Francisco Maritime Museum, San Francisco, California, 1969. US Navy photo # NH 69094, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
Squadron 20 76k From left to right; S-43 (SS-154), V-1 (SS-163), V-3 (SS-165) & Argonne (AS-10) at the sub base in Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone. Between December 1927 and May 1932 V-1, served with Squadron 20 on routine operations with the fleet along the west coast, in the Hawaiian Islands, and in the Caribbean. US Navy photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. Partial text courtesy of DANFS.
SS 163, 164 & 165 129k Argonne (AS-10) in Panama waters, 1927-1928, while en route to join the Battle Fleet. The submarines alongside her are (from outboard to inboard): The submarines are (from left to right):
Bass (SS-164);
Barracuda (SS-163) and
Bonita (SS-165). 		US Navy photo # NH 61683, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
Argonaut 202k Crew of a Barracuda class (SS-163/5) gather on deck for a group picture at Pearl Harbor prior to 1928. The Barracudas had their 5"/51 cal guns replaced in 1928 with smaller 3"/50's. She still has the larger 5"/51 cal gun. The crew is seated on the forward gun deck and the gun itself is raised to its max elevation to give the crew the room to gather. To the right of the boat is the submarine Narwhal (SS-167). Text courtesy of David Johnston (USNR). Photo i.d. courtesy of Dave Decrevel, John Hart, Ric Hedman & David Johnston (USNR). Photo courtesy of Doug Sheley via flickr.com.
Argonaut65k Gunnery exercises with a Barracuda class (SS-163/5) submarine.
This photo was originally thought to be the Argonaut (SS-166). However, the configuration of the port and starboard running lights and the tall posts on the deck just aft of the fairwater rule this out. These are Kingposts used for hoisting the small boats out of their housing on the after deck. These kingposts were not present on the Argonaut. This is a Barracudas class boat and was taken prior to 1928. The Barracudas had their 5"/51 cal guns replaced in 1928 with smaller 3"/50's. She still has the larger 5"/51 cal gun. 		Text courtesy of David Johnston (USNR). Photo i.d. courtesy of Dave Decrevel, John Hart, Ric Hedman, John Hummel & David Johnston (USNR).
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 62906, from the collection of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.
SS 165 903k V-3 (SS-165) berthed at Mare Island on 12 February 1929. S-42 (SS-153) & S-43 (SS-154) are just visible forward of V-3. U.S. Navy photo # 9206, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
Photo added 08/26/11.
SS 165 117k 11 April 1929 photo of the V-3 (SS-165) in the Mare Island straits after undocking from dry dock 1 at Mare Island. She was in dry dock from 28 March to 11 April 1929. U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
SS 165 280k The V-3 (SS-165) in dry dock # 1 at Mare Island from the stern, starboard side. She was in dry dock from 28 March to 11 April 1929. U.S. Navy photo # 9254, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
SS 165 210k Bow view of the V-3 (SS-165) in dry dock # 1 at Mare Island. She was in dry dock from 28 March to 11 April 1929. U.S. Navy photo # 9258, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
SS 165 416k Stern of the V-3 (SS-165) in flooded dry dock # 1 at Mare Island. She was in dry dock from 28 March to 11 April 1929. The Nautilus (V-6) (SS-168) is on the building ways to the far left just visible under the building ways cantilever crane. U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
SS 165 972k Interior shots of these boats are exceedingly rare. The bunk room photo is most likely the crew's quarters, the third compartment from the stern, but aft of the engine and maneuvering/motor rooms. It is hard to tell from this photo if the view is aft or forward. It is interesting to note how the bunks in the foreground were triced up. They were mounted to a single stanchion on each end, and held in place by an adjustable c-clamp. To trice up (as shown in the photo), you loosened the nut on the c-clamp, pushed the bunk upwards, then re-tightened the clamp! It resulted in the stacked, "sliced bread" configuration shown. I have not seen this before. The bunks in the background were more conventional in nature and were mounted on a hinge along the inboard side and simply tilted upwards and secured. Photo taken at Mare Island on 11 April 1929. Text i.d. courtesy of Dave Johnston (USNR).
U.S. Navy photo # 9263, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
Photo added 08/26/11.
SS 165 68k V-3 (SS-165) & Holland (AS-3) circa 1930, West Coast. U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
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.
SS165 81k V-3 (SS-165) moored to a harbor buoy, prior to 1931. US Navy photo # NH 56511, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS 165 61k V-3 (SS-165) at anchor, prior to 1931. US Navy photo # NH 56512, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
View the V-3 / Bonita (SS-165)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ
Through the Looking Glass, A Historic Look at Submarines.
Back To The Main Photo Index Back To the Submarine Index
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