Submarine USS S-2 (SS-106)

Submarine USS S-2 (SS-106) was authorized to be built by the United States Congressional Act of 29 August 1916 which stated in part: "....The President of the United States is hereby authorized to undertake prior to July first, nineteen hundred and nineteen, the construction of....

. . . . .

"Nine fleet submarines. "Fifty-eight coast submarines, of which number three to have a surface displacement of about eight hundred tons each, to cost, exclusive of armor and armament, not to exceed $1,200,000 each, and twenty-seven, which shall be the best and most desirable and useful type of submarine which can be procured at a cost, exclusive of armor and armament, not to exceed $700,000 each, shall be begun as as soon as practical; and the sum of $8,217,000 is hereby appropriated for the construction of said submarines, to be available until expended. Not less than twelve of the submarines herein authorized to be begun as soon as practical shall be built on the Pacific coast: PROVIDED, That the cost of construction on the Pacific coast does not exceed the cost of construction on the Atlantic coast, plus the cost of transportation from the Atlantic to the Pacific."

The keel of USS S-2 (SS-106) was laid down on 30 July 1917 by the Lake Torpedo Boat Company at Bridgeport, Connecticut. The submarine was christened by Mrs. Philip B. Brill and launched on 15 February 1919. Commissioning took place on 25 May 1920 with Lieutenant Commander William M. Quigley in command.

When commissioned, the S-2 Class coastal and harbor defense submarine was 207' in length overall; had an extreme beam of 19'7"; had a normal surface displacement of 800 tons, and, when in that condition, had a mean draft of 16'2". Submerged displacement was 977 tons. The submarine was of riveted construction. The designed compliment was four officers and thirty-four enlisted men. The boat could operate safely to depths of 200 feet. The submarine was armed with four 21-inch torpedo tubes installed in the bow. Twelve torpedoes were carried. One 4-inch/50 caliber deck gun was installed. The full load of diesel oil carried was 26,458 gallons, which fueled two 900 designed brake horsepower (at 350 RPM) Model 6M150 diesel engines manufactured by the Busch-Sulzer Brothers Diesel Engine Company at Saint Louis, Missouri...which could drive the boat, via a diesel direct drive propulsion system, at 15 knots on the surface in relatively calm seas. Power for submerged propulsion was provided by a 120-cell main storage battery rated at 970 KiloWatt Hours, divided into two sixty-cell batteries, manufactured by the Electric Storage Battery Company (EXIDE) at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...which powered two 600 designed brake horsepower main propulsion single armature and field electric motors manufactured by the Diehl Manufacturing Company at Bridgeport, New York...which turned propeller shafts...which turned propellers...which could drive the submarine at 11 knots for a short period of time when operating beneath the surface of the sea. Slower submerged speeds resulted in greater endurances before the batteries needed to be recharged by the engines and generators.

USS S-2 (SS-106), second of the "S" Class submarines, was a "Lake-type"...one of three S-boats of the same general specifications but of different design types for performance comparison, which were contracted to separate companies by the United States Navy. USS S-1 (SS-105) was known as a "Holland-type" and USS S-3 (SS-107) was known as a "Government-type" submarine.

After trials and outfitting, USS S-2 (SS-106) rendezvoused, off Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on 22 July 1921, with other S-boats of her division, Submarine Division 18, and another Submarine Division (SubDiv 12), for what was, at that time, the longest cruise on record for American submarines. They transited, via the Panama Canal, to Pearl Harbor in the Territory of Hawaii; and, then, on to Cavite, Luzon, in the Philippine Islands. Submarines which had previously served in the Asiatic Fleet had been carried over...tied to the decks of colliers (coal carriers).

The two submarine divisions operated from the Cavite Naval Station during the three years following their arrival on the 1st of December of 1921. The submarines frequently visited Chinese ports at Shanghai, Chefoo, Chinwangtao, Tsingtao, Amoy, and Woosung during this period. On 29 October 1924, Far East duty was terminated for the submarine divisions...and, so, they departed for the west coast of the United States. USS S-2, however, remained behind. On 5 November 1924, her status was reduced to "in commission, in reserve." Retaining a partial crew for maintenance and readiness, the submarine remained "in reserve" until 5 May 1928...when she again was commissioned "in full."

USS S-2 spent the rest of May, June, and July of 1928 in China; then resumed operations in the Philippines which she continued...until ordered to transit to the east coast of the United States, to the Philadelphia Navy Yard at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for inactivation.

USS S-2 departed Manila, Philippine Islands, on 27 April 1929, and transited, via Guam and Pearl Harbor and California and the Panama Canal, to the City of Brotherly Love.

Arriving at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 5 August 1929, USS S-2 was decommissioned, there, on 25 November 1929.

After being stripped, the S-boat was struck from the Navy List during 1931...and sold on 14 September 1931 to a shipbreaker for subsequent scrapping.

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