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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.

Size	Image Description	Source
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
67k	V-3 (SS-165), circa 1925, place unknown.	Courtesy of Scott McCoy
32k	V-3 (SS-165), at Portsmouth, New Hampshire Navy Yard undergoing submergence tests, 12 June 1926.	U.S. Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org
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.
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.
68k	V-3 (SS-165) in port, circa the later 1920s, with her boats tied up to her port side.	US Navy photo # NH 99081, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
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.
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.
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. Photo added 07/28/06.
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.
117k	April 11, 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.
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.
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.
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 Natuilus (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.
68k	V-3 (SS-165) & Holland (AS-3) circa 1930, West Coast.	U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
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.
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.
61k	V-3 (SS-165) at anchor, prior to 1931.	US Navy photo # NH 56512, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.