Submarine USS S-20 (SS-125)

The keel of USS S-20 (SS-125) was laid down on 15 August 1918 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation...a subcontractor of the Electric Boat Company of New York City, New York...at Quincy, Massachusetts. The submarine was christened by Miss Anne Claggett Zell and launched on 9 June 1920. The S-boat was commissioned on 22 November 1922 with Lieutenant John A. Brownell in command.

When commissioned, the S-1 Class coastal and harbor defense submarine was 219'3" in length overall; had an extreme beam of 20'8"; had a normal surface displacement of 854 tons, and, when in that condition, had a mean draft of 15'11". Submerged displacement was 1,062 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 41,921 gallons, which fueled two 600 designed brake horsepower Model 8-EB-15NR diesel engines manufactured by the New London Ship and Engine Company at Groton, Connecticut...which could drive the boat...via a diesel direct drive propulsion system...at 14.5 knots on the surface. Power for submerged propulsion was provided by a main storage battery, divided into two sixty-cell batteries, manufactured by the Electric Storage Battery Company (EXIDE) at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...which powered two 750 designed brake horsepower main propulsion motors manufactured by the by the Ridgway Dynamo and Electric Company at Ridgway, Pennsylvania...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.

In addition to operating off the coast of New England, while being based at the United States Naval Submarine Base at New London/Groton, Connecticut, from 1922 into 1929, the new submarine visited Coco Solo in the Panama Canal Zone during March of 1923; operated in the Caribbean Sea out of Saint Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands during February of 1924; and patrolled in the water approaches to the Panama Canal from January through April of 1926.

USS S-20 (SS-125) visited Kingston, Jamaica, from 20 to 28 March in 1927, and served, again, in the Panama Canal Zone areas, from 17 April 1929 into November of 1930.

Departing Coco Solo in the Panama Canal Zone on the 7th of November 1930, USS S-20 transited to Pearl Harbor in the Territory of Hawaii...arriving, there, on 7 December 1930.

Following duty in the Hawaiian Island areas, USS S-20 departed Pearl Harbor on 20 February 1932, and, from March of that year into April of 1933, served the fleet...operating out of the Mare Island Navy Yard at Vallejo, California. Later, the submarine operated mainly out of San Diego, California, into 1934.

Departing San Diego on 15 March 1934, USS S-20 transited to New England...operating at various locations en route...and arrived at New London/Groton, Connecticut, on 28 October 1934. From then into December of 1941, the S-boat operated there as part of a test and evaluation division. During this period, the submarine visited Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in February and March of 1938; served in the Panama Canal Zone areas from January into March of 1939; and visited Guantanamo Bay, again, in February of 1940.

On 7 December 1941, the Japanese struck targets in the Territory of Hawaii...thereby plunging the United States into the Second World War as an active participant.

From December of 1941 into July of 1945, USS S-20 continued to operate from the submarine base at New London/Groton, Connecticut. Her operations were off the coast of New England and often included training activities at Casco Bay, Maine.

Departing New London/Groton on 2 July 1945, USS S-20 transited to the Philadelphia Navy Yard at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and, upon arrival, commenced preparations to go out of active service. The submarine was decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on the 16^th of July 1945. The S-boat was struck from the Navy List on 25 July 1945. On 22 January 1946, the submarine was sold to the North American Smelting Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for scrapping.

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