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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Pike (SS-173)

Radio Call Sign: November - Echo - November - Charlie

Porpoise Class Submarine: Laid down, 20 December 1933, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, NH; Launched, 12 September 1935; Commissioned USS Pike (SS-173), 2 December 1935; Decommissioned, 15 November 1945, Boston; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet; Placed in service as a Naval Reserve Training Ship at Baltimore, MD., in September 1946; Placed out of service and simultaneously struck from the Naval Register, 17 February 1956; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 14 January 1957, to A. G. Schoonmaker Co., New York, NY. Pike earned four battle stars for World War II service.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,310 t., Submerged: 1,934 t.; Length 301' ; Beam 24' 11"; Draft 13' 1"; Speed, Surfaced 19 kts, Submerged 8 kts; Maximum Operating Depth 250'; Complement 5 Officers, 45 Enlisted; Armament, six 21" torpedo tubes, four forward, two aft, 18 torpedoes, one 3"/50 deck gun, two .50 cal. machine guns, two .30 cal. machine guns; Propulsion, diesel-electric drive, Winton Engine Co., diesel engines, 4300hp, Fuel Capacity, 93,129 gal., Elliot Motor Company electric motors, 2,085 hp, Battery Cells, 240, twin propellers.

Size	Image Description	Source
16k	Pike Esox lucius.	Courtesy of freshwater-fishing-guide.com.
19k	Commemorative postal cover marking the launching ceremony of the Pike (SS-173), 12 September 1935.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
18k	Commemorative postal cover & photo inset marking the launching ceremony of the Pike (SS-173), 12 September 1935.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
65k	The Pike (SS-173) at berth # 1, after she had been launched at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, NH., 12 September 1935.	U.S. Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
18k	Commemorative postal cover marking the commissioning ceremony of the Pike (SS-173), 2 December 1935.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
18k	Commemorative postal cover marking the first day in commissioning of the Pike (SS-173), 2 December 1935.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
21k	Commemorative postal cover marking Pike's (SS-173) shakedown cruise and ports of call, 18 June 1936.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
69k	Pike (SS-173), in New York Harbor, circa 1936. The Manhattan skyline is faintly visible in the distance, beyond *Pike's* bow.	NH # 50116, courtesy of U.S. Naval Historical Center.
104k	Pike (SS-173), submerging, circa 1936-1938. Photograph distributed by the U.S. Navy Recruiting Bureau, Room 726, Washington & Christopher Sts., New York.	NH # 98895, courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, collection of Commander E.S. Moale, USN (Retired). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
119k	Holland (AS-3) with seven submarines alongside, circa 1936-1939. These "boats" are, from left to right: Nautilus (SS-168); Narwhal (SS-167); Shark (SS-174), marked *"P3"; Dolphin* (SS-169), marked *"D1"; Porpoise* (SS-172), marked *"P1"; Pike* (SS-173), marked *"P2"; and Tarpon* (SS-175), marked *"P4"*.	NH # 3036, courtesy of U.S. Naval Historical Center.
82k	Holland (AS-3) with seven submarines alongside, circa 1936-1939. These "boats" are, from left to right: Nautilus (SS-168); Narwhal (SS-167); Shark (SS-174), marked *"P3"; Dolphin* (SS-169), marked *"D1"; Porpoise* (SS-172), marked *"P1"; Pike* (SS-173), marked *"P2"; and Tarpon* (SS-175), marked *"P4"*.	NH # 3037, courtesy of U.S. Naval Historical Center.
90k	Holland (AS-3) with seven submarines alongside, circa 1936-1939. These "boats" are, from left to right: Nautilus (SS-168); Narwhal (SS-167); Shark (SS-174), marked *"P3"; Dolphin* (SS-169), marked *"D1"; Porpoise* (SS-172), marked *"P1"; Pike* (SS-173), marked *"P2"; and Tarpon* (SS-175), marked *"P4"*.	NH # 3038, courtesy of U.S. Naval Historical Center.
96k	Holland (AS-3) with seven submarines alongside, circa 1936-1939. These "boats" are, from left to right: Nautilus (SS-168); Narwhal (SS-167); Shark (SS-174), marked *"P3"; Dolphin* (SS-169), marked *"D1"; Porpoise* (SS-172), marked *"P1"; Pike* (SS-173), marked *"P2"; and Tarpon* (SS-175), marked *"P4"*.	NH # 3039, courtesy of U.S. Naval Historical Center.
17k	Commemorative postal cover marking Fleet Maneuvers of the following subs off Midway, 5 April 1937: Argonaut (SS-166), Nautilus (SS-168), Dolphin (SS-169), Porpoise (SS-172), Pike (SS-173), & Shark (SS-174) .	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
171k	Bow view of the S-34 (SS-139) tied up to wharf, taken in the mid to late 30's, probably in Pearl Harbor. The sub is getting a new battery. The new cells are loaded on the railcars to the right. The photo was dated by looking at the sub moored behind it. It is a fleet boat, and probably a *Pike/Permit* class. It is painted black, so that puts it in the later 1930's. Also, the *S-34's* skeg has been cut away as part of a safety and maintenance mod, and that was done in April, 1932. The *S-34* was stationed almost exclusively in the P.I. and Pearl until 1941. The mountainous background looks a lot like Pearl (although it may be Subic or Cavite).	US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org. Photo i.d. courtesy of David Johnston (USNR), Darryl Baker & John Hummel. Text i.d. courtesy of David Johnston (USNR) & Darryl Baker. Photo added 03/17/07.
97k	Six U.S. Navy submarines nested together, circa 1939-1941. Probably seen from Canopus (AS-9) in Manila Bay, Philippines. The inboard submarine is not identified. The others are (from left to right): Pike (SS-173); Tarpon (SS-175); Porpoise (SS-172); Perch (SS-176); and Permit (SS-178).	US Navy photo # NH 99672, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center. Collection of Jack L. Wheat, who served in Canopus.
68k	Pike (SS-173), off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 6 October 1942.	Photograph NH # 19-N-36006, from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.
113k	Pike (SS-173), at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 6 October 1942. The city of Vallejo is visible in the distance, and barges *YF-267* and *YF-387* are in the left center. White outlines mark recent alterations to this submarine, among them external bow torpedo tubes.	Photograph NH # 19-N-36002, from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.
103k	Pike (SS-173), at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 6 October 1942. The city of Vallejo is visible in the background. White outlines mark recent alterations to this submarine.	Photograph NH # 19-N-36001, from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.
103k	Pike (SS-173), operating off the coast of Rhode Island, 14 February 1944.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, NH # 80-G-214327, now in the collections of the National Archives.
124k	Pike (SS-173), submerging off the Rhode Island coast, with only her periscope visible, 14 February 1944.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, NH # 80-G-233816, now in the collections of the National Archives.
121k	Pike (SS-173), underway off New London, Connecticut, while serving as a training submarine, 5 May 1944.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, NH # 80-G-233813, now in the collections of the National Archives.
94k	Pike (SS-173),underway off Fisher's Island, New York, in May 1944.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, NH # 80-G-233852, now in the collections of the National Archives.
21k	Pike (SS-173), date and place unknown.	US Navy photo courtesy of Hyperwar US Navy in WWII.