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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch contributed by Mike Smolinski

V-6 (SC-2)
Nautilus (SS-168)
WW II Service

Radio Call Sign: November - India - Charlie - Xray

Unit Awards, Campaign and Service Medals and Ribbons

Presidential Unit Citation

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Keel Laying - Conmmissioning / 1927 - 1930
Active Service / 1931 - 1941

Narwhal Class Submarine: Laid down, 10 May 1927, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.; Launched, 15 March 1930; Commissioned Cruiser Submarine USS V-6 (SC-2), 1 July 1930; Renamed Nautilus, 19 February 1931; Redesignated (SS-168), 1 July 1931; Decommissioned, 30 June 1945; Struck from the Naval Register, 25 July 1945; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 16 November 1945, North American Smelting Co., Philadelphia, PA. Nautilus earned the Presidential Unit Citation and 14 battle stars for her service during World War II.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 2,730 t., Submerged: 3,960 t.; Length 371' ; Beam 33' 3"; Draft 15' 9"; Speed, Surfaced 17 kts, Submerged 8 kts; Depth Limit 300'; Complement 8 officers 80 enlisted; Armament, four 21" torpedo tubes forward, two 21" torpedo tubes aft, four 21" torpedo tubes topside, 24 torpedoes; two single 6"/53 deck gun, two 30 cal. mgs.; Propulsion, diesel electric, Maschinfabrik - Augusburg- Nurnburg, New York Navy Yard diesel engines, hp 3175, Fuel Capacity, 182,778 gal., Westinghouse Electric Co., electric motors, hp 2168, Battery Cells 240, twin propellers.

Size	Image Description	Source
42k	Nautilus (SS-168), off Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA., 15 April 1942, following modernization.	US Navy photo # 19-N-29177, from the Bureau of Ships Collection, now in the collections of the US National Archives.
54k	Nautilus (SS-168), off Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA., 15 April 1942, following modernization. Note her very heavy deck armament of two 6"/53 guns; also embrasure in her upper hull side, just in front of the forward gun, for newly-installed topside torpedo tubes. At least two torpedoes are on deck above this location, probably being prepared for stowage below.	US Navy photo # 19-N-29179, from the Bureau of Ships Collection, now in the collections of the US National Archives.
90k	Nautilus (SS-168), off Mare Island on 15 April 1942 after modification which included addition of four external torpedo tubes. Shipyard records show that she was in overhaul 30 July 1941 to 20 April 1942.	US Navy photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
74k	Nautilus (SS-168) in drydock in Mare Island, 30 July 1941 to 20 April 1942.	Courtesy of Theodore Roscoe, from his book "U.S. Submarine Operations of WW II", published by USNI.
169k	Drawing depicting the sinking of the IJN aircraft carrier *Soryu* at Midway, June 1942. Infact, the Nautilus (SS-168) fired torpedoes at the IJN aircraft carrier *Kaga*. One torpedo actually hit the ship. However, due to faulty design problems which plauged the Navy throughout the first 2 plus years of the war, the torpedo failed to explode, actually broke in half with the warhead plunging to the bottom and the back half serving as a life raft of sorts for Japanese survivors floating in the waters off Midway.	Drawing by Lt. Cmdr. Fred Freemen, courtesy of Theodore Roscoe, from his book "U.S. Submarine Operations of WW II", published by USNI.
107k	Letter of commendation for Lt. Cmdr. Roy Benson, then XO of the Nautilus (SS-168) at the Battle of Midway, 4-6 June 1942. The boat fired 3 torpedoes at the IJN aircraft carrier *Kaga*.	USN photo courtesy of Rick Connole, son of Commander David R. Connole, K.I.A. while commanding the Trigger (SS-237), 28 March 1945.
48k	Lieutenant Commander William H. Brockman, Jr., USN After being presented with the Navy Cross for his performance while in command of Nautilus (SS-168) during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. Photographed during the awards ceremony at the Pearl Harbor submarine base, 7 November 1942. William Herman Brockman, Jr., was born at Baltimore, Maryland, on 18 November 1904. Enlisting in the Naval Reserve in 1922, he was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy a year later and graduated from there in 1927. He specialized in submarines from 1929 onward and commanded the submarine rescue ship Mallard (ASR-4) in 1938-39. Lieutenant Commander Brockman was Commanding Officer of Nautilus (SS-168) during the June 1942 Battle of Midway and in subsequent operations, earning the Navy Cross with two gold stars for himself and the Presidential Unit Citation for his ship during this period. After a year with the Submarine Force, Atlantic Fleet, Brockman was a Submarine Division commander from September 1944 to December 1945, receiving promotion to the rank of Captain in March 1945. He commanded Cahaba (AO-82) until February 1946, then served in Seventh Fleet and Navy headquarters staff positions until retiring in November 1947. Promoted to Rear Admiral upon retirement, Brockman was active in business for many years thereafter. He died at Boca Raton, Florida, on 2 January 1979.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph #: 80-G-20016, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. Photo & text submitted by Bill Gonyo. Photo added 05/10/08.
170k	The destroyer *Yamakaze* starts her slide to the bottom of the Pacific with help from the Nautilus (SS-168) on 25 June 1942. As the ship starts her plunge, the Rising Sun emblem which was visible on her fore turret to passing airplanes is seen in the periscope crosshairs.	USN photo courtesy of Rick Connole, son of Commander David R. Connole, K.I.A. while commanding the Trigger (SS-237), 28 March 1945.
132k	Close up of the above picture showing the sinking of the destroyer *Yamakaze* by the Nautilus (SS-168) on 25 June 1942.	USN photo courtesy of Rick Connole, son of Commander David R. Connole, K.I.A. while commanding the Trigger (SS-237), 28 March 1945.
199k	Oil on board by the artist I.L. Lloyd depicting the Nautilus (SS-168) engaging the Japanese merchant marine at close quarters.	USN photo courtesy of Rick Connole, son of Commander David R. Connole, K.I.A. while commanding the Trigger (SS-237), 28 March 1945.
21k	Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. Vertical aerial view of the drydock area, 28 July 1942. Floating drydock *YFD-2* is at left, with Alywin (DD-355) inside. Small drydock in center holds Growler (SS-215) and Nautilus (SS-168). Litchfield (DD-336) and an ARD floating drydock are in Drydock # 2, in right center. Drydock # 1, at right, contains West Virginia (BB-48). Submarines partially visible alongside 1010 Dock, in the extreme upper right, are Trout (SS-202) and Pollack (SS-180). Note anti-torpedo nets and booms protecting this area.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, # NH 83998, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Collection of The Honorable James V. Forrestal.
77k	Two U.S. Marine Raiders below decks on Nautilus (SS-168), ready to go ashore on Makin Island, 17 August 1942.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # 80-G-11722, now in the collections of the National Archives.
96k	Nautilus (SS-168) carrying her boatload of Marines as they loosen up aboard her enroute to the Makin Island Raid, 18 August 1942.	USNHC photo # 80-G-33493 courtesy of Theodore Roscoe, from his book "U.S. Submarine Operations of WW II", published by USNI.
48k	Marines aboard Nautilus (SS-168) after returning from Makin Island Raid, 18 August 1942. The Marine in foreground holds a Japanese rifle which he used to shoot and kill a Japanese soldier after he captured it.	US Navy National Archives (NARA) photo # 80-G-11728, courtesy of Richard Leonhardt.
96k	Nautilus (SS-168) & Argonaut (SS-166) tied up to the dock at Pearl Harbor after returning from Makin Island Raid, 26 August 1942.	Photo courtesy of Robert Hurst.
77k	Crew member paints a Japanese flag and hashmark on one of the 6"/53 guns of Nautilus (SS-168), representing the two enemy vessels she sank with gunfire during the Makin Raid. Photographed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on 25 August 1942.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # 80-G-11730, now in the collections of the National Archives.
232k	This is a reprint of a photo of the crew of the Nautilus (SS-168). I believe it was taken in Feb 1943 in Brisbane upon completion of her 4th war patrol.	US Navy photo # 5371-43, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
119k	Nautilus (SS-168) offloading US Army Rangers into rubber boats at Dutch Harbour, Alaska, 30 April 1943. This was a dress rehearsal for the raid on Attu Island, 11 May 1943, in which the Narwhal (SS-167) also participated.	USN photo from "The American Submarine" by Norman Polmar, courtesy of Robert Hurst.
143k	Stern view of the Nautilus (SS-168) off Mare Island on 3 Aug. 1943.	US Navy photo # 5573-43, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
130k	Broadside view of the Nautilus (SS-168) off Mare Island on 3 Aug. 1943.	US Navy photo # 5575-43, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
188k	Bow on view of the Nautilus (SS-168) off Mare Island on 3 Aug. 1943.	US Navy photo # 5577-43, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
239k	Aft plan view of the Nautilus (SS-168) at Mare Island on 3 Aug. 1943. It appears she is being refueled.	US Navy photo # 5586-43, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
178k	Forward plan view of the Nautilus (SS-168) at Mare Island on 3 Aug. 1943. It appears she is being refueled.	US Navy photo # 5587-43, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
99k	Nautilus (SS-168), is shown off Mare Island Navy Yard on 3 August 1943. She had already received external toropedo tubes during a Mare Island refit, July 1941-April 1942. One of them, firing aft, is visible under her gun deck. Another pair was fitted under the gun deck firing forward. During the 1943 refit, they were relocated to positions nearer the bow, as shown here. Also visible is torpedo storage added under the gun deck. The weapons in deck tubes turned out to be vulnerable; during the Battle of Midway in June 1942, for instance, a Japanese depth charge started a torpedo in one tube. That was potentially extremely dangerous: the torpedo armed after making a fixed number of propeller revolutions, and the external tube was not accessible unless the submarine surfaced.	US Navy photo # 5576-43, courtesy of Darryl Baker. Photo i.d. courtey of Aryeh Wetherhorn (USNR). Text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press.
201k	A plan view of the modified conning tower of the Nautilus (SS-168), at Mare Island Navy Yard on 4 Aug 1943. Shipyard records indicate she was in overhaul at the yard from 25 May to 17 Aug 1943.	US Navy photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.