Submarine USS S-36 (SS-141)

The keel of USS S-36 (SS-141) was laid down on 10 December 1918 by the Union Iron Works Division of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation...a subcontractor of the Electric Boat Company of New York City, New York...at San Francisco, California. The submarine was christened by Miss Helen Russell and launched on 3 June 1919. The S-boat was commissioned on 4 April 1923 with Lieutenant Leon C. Alford 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 General Electric Company at Schenectady, 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.

Following trials, USS S-36 (SS-141) operated along the west coast of the United States, with interruptions for exercises in Alaskan waters during June of 1923, and for fleet maneuvers in the Caribbean Sea during the winter of 1924, until the following summer. Then, assigned to the United States Asiatic Fleet, the submarine moved west in mid-September of 1925, and arrived at the Submarine Base, Cavite, Philippine Islands, on 4 November 1925.

For the next sixteen years, USS S-36 remained in the Western Pacific Ocean areas, conducting exercises and patrols and undergoing overhauls in the Philippines during the winter, and operating off the China coast, out of Tsingtao, during the summer months. With the increase of hostilities on mainland China, however, summer deployments were shortened and individual patrols were extended throughout the Philippines, into the South China Sea, and, in 1938, to the Netherlands East Indies.

From April to June of 1940, USS S-36 conducted her last China deployment, and, for the next year and a half, remained in Philippine waters. By December of 1941, the fleet had been alerted to the possibility of a Japanese attack. On the Second of December 1941, the S-boat's scheduled overhaul was cancelled and the submarine was ordered north on patrol.

Water, stores, and torpedoes were taken on board; and, at 0100 on the 3rd of December 1941, USS S-36 got underway. By late afternoon, the submarine was off Cape Bolinao, where she passed several Yangtze Patrol gunboats working their way to Manila. At 1930, the S-boat entered Bolinao Harbor, where she remained on continuous alert for the next week. On 8 December 1941, the submarine received the news that the Japanese had started hostilities with the United States by attacking targets in the Territory of Hawaii...thus making the United States an active participant in the Second World War.

A few hours later, USS S-36 began sighting enemy planes; and, that afternoon, the submarine took up patrol duties between Cape Bolinao and San Fernando. On the 9th of December, excessive air leaks developed, but she remained on patrol. On the 10th, the crew listened to radio traffic as the Japanese bombed Cavite. After the raid, the submarine's radio operator was unable to raise the station. On the 12th, USS S-36's electrical steering failed. She was still unable to contact Cavite. Exhaust valve leaks appeared on the 13th; and, on the 14th, she received an urgent message requesting her position. None of her previous messages had gotten through. Two days later, the submarine was ordered back to Mariveles, if able.

USS S-36 headed back, still unable to transmit and with worsening air and salt water leaks. Four days later, the submarine anchored off Mariveles. Before the end of December, repairs had been made; stores had been replenished; and the S-boat had begun a final patrol in Philippine waters before heading south to join the Allied forces gathering in the East Indies.

Clearing Mariveles Harbor on 30 December 1941, USS S-36 (SS-141) immediately commenced patrolling the Verde Island Passage. On 1 January 1942, the submarine reconnoitered the north and east coast of Batangas Bay, thence moved to the west and south of Verde Island. Mid-afternoon of New Years's Day of 1942 brought the submarine an unexpected bonus when her commanding officer, Lieutenant John R. McKnight sighted a small Japanese transport of approximately 5,000 tons moored to the seawall at Calapan, Mindoro. After a quick look around for hostile warships, Lieutenant McKnight fired one torpedo which hit solidly...and he was amazed to see the vessel sink almost immediately.

For seven more days, USS S-36 maintained her patrol in the Verde Island Passage. On 8 January, the port engine air compressor failed, and, because of battery water consumption and the distance and time to be involved in the transit to the East Indies, she began making her way south. On the 10th of January, the starboard engine air compressor became troublesome. On the 12th, she hunted in the Sulu Sea. On the 13th, her port main motor went out of commission. On the 14th, she continued her hunting in the Sulu Sea.

On the morning of 15 January 1942, at the approximate intersection of the Sibutu-Makassar and Davao-Tarakan routes, diving was delayed by oil supply failures to the starboard engine, and she was sighted by a Japanese destroyer.

Without correcting the lubricating failure and with one engine out of commission, USS S-36 submerged and prepared to fire torpedoes within minutes. But the destroyer was the quicker. Before the submarine could fire, the enemy had dropped seven depth charges which exploded off both quarters of the S-boat.

Immediate damage included the loss of power control over the bow planes; gyro compass failure; blown fuses on the starboard lighting circuit; and broken lights in the motor room. By the time she reached 150 feet, her gyro compass was again working and she began turning slowly to starboard. The destroyer was kept astern.

USS S-36 ran at one-third speed; her depth control and trim was poor. Soon, her main motor bearing began smoking; oil was applied by a hand squirt gun. At About 0630, almost an hour and a half after the initial contact, she lost depth control, and, her trim pump stalled.

Number Two Main Ballast Tank was blown and at 230 feet the boat began to rise. Previously taken steps were reversed; and venting and flooding of the ballast tanks was begun. The S-boat stopped rising at 90 feet.

The destroyer continued to hunt. USS S-36 continued to fluctuate between 100 and 200 feet. Life jackets and escape lungs were issued. At 0700, depth control was reestablished; and, at 0705, she heard the last efforts of the destroyer to locate her. Still in critical condition of trim contol and propulsion capabilities, the submarine cleared the area and about noontime began making repairs to her port main motor. By 2030, the motor was operating "after a fashion." Within six hours, however, it was smoking. The battery charge was secured. At 0320, on the 16th, the starboard motor lubricating supply again failed.

With dawn, USS S-36 submerged. Two hours later, she sighted the Celebes coast. At noon, fire broke out in the main motor auxiliary circulating pump and was extinguished. After 1900, the submarine surfaced; and, at 2308, she passed North Watcher Island.

On 17 January 1942, USS S-36 received orders to proceed to Soerabaja. Both port and starboard propeller shafts went out of commission during the day and one man collapsed from heat, but the main motor lubricating oil pumps were repaired. On 18 January 1942, USS S-36 had her "1st day since January 8 with no major part of her engineering plant out of commission." The S-boat continued through Makassar Strait.

At 0404 on the morning of 20 January 1942, as USS S-36 (SS-141) was proceeding through the Makassar Strait en route to Surabaya, Java, she ran hard aground on Taka Bakang Reef. This was, without doubt, through the use of inadequate charts, but they were the only ones available at the time. For over 24 hours, the crew fought hard to save USS S-36, but chlorine gas, generated by her flooded forward battery, and the hostile waves and currents of the sea, combined to make it an impossible task. A plain language request for aid was sent out; and, on the morning of 21 January 1942, Dutch launch, "Attla," was dispatched from Makassar City. By noon, the launch had taken off most of the officers and men of USS S-36. At 1330, the fight to save the submarine, and the submarine, were abandoned. All forty-seven crew members were safely taken off the stricken submarine. The last to leave left the S-boat rigged to flood to prevent capture.

The crew, transferred to steamer SS Siberote, were taken to Makassar City, then to Soerabaja, whence they were reassigned, with Lieutenant McKnight later commanding submarine USS Porpoise (SS-172).

USS S-36 (SS-141) received one battle star for her short active service in which she deprived the Japanese of one valuable ship during the Second World War.

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