Submarine USS S-9 (SS-114)

Submarine USS S-9 (SS-114) was authorized to be built by the United States Congressional Act of 4 March 1917 which stated in part: "....of the vessels authorized in the 'Act...' approved August twenty-ninth, nineteen hundred and sixteen, the construction of the following vessels shall be begun as soon as practical at a cost exclusive of armor and armament not to exceed the following amounts:...eighteen coast submarines to have a surface displacement of about eight hundred tons each, $1,300,000 each,...."

The keel of USS S-9 (SS-114) was laid down on 20 January 1919 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard at Kittery, Maine. The submarine was christened by Mrs. James E. Palmer and launched on 17 June 1920. The S-boat was commissioned on 21 February 1921 with Lieutenant Commander Thomas Shine in command.

When commissioned, the S-3 Class coastal and harbor defense submarine was 231' in length overall; had an extreme beam of 21'10"; had a normal surface displacement of 876 tons, and, when in that condition, had a mean draft of 13'1". Submerged displacement was 1,092 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 36,950 gallons, which fueled two 1,000 designed brake horsepower four-cycle NELSECO type diesel engines built by the New London Ship and Engine Company at Groton, Connecticut......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 main storage battery, 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 motors manufactured by the Westinghouse Electric Company at Pittsburgh, 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.

Following duty off the northeast coast of the United States, USS S-9 (SS-114) departed the United States Naval Submarine Base at New London/Groton, Connecticut, on 21 May 1921, and proceeded...via the Panama Canal, California, and the Territory of Hawaii...to the Philippine Islands, arriving at Cavite, Luzon, on 6 December 1921. There, the submarine joined Submarine Division Twelve, whose S-boats, along with those of Submarine Division Eighteen, had arrived on 1 December 1921.

During 1922, the S-boat departed Cavite on 11 October, visited Hong Kong from the 14th to the 28th, and returned to Cavite on the last day of that month.

Again, in 1923, the submersible departed from Cavite...this time on 30 April...and visited ports along the China coast (Shanghai, Chefoo, and Chinwangtao) before returning, via Woosung and Amoy, to Cavite...arriving there on 11 September.

During 1924, USS S-9 departed Manila Bay on 23 June, and again visited ports in China before returning to Olongapo on 23 September.

USS S-9 departed Cavite on 29 October 1924 and transited to the west coast of the United States...arriving at the Mare Island Navy Yard at Vallejo, California, on 30 December 1924.

Remaining at the Mare Island Navy Yard in 1925, the submarine operated along the west coast of the United States in 1926...mainly from San Francisco, San Pedro, and San Diego, California.

USS S-9 departed Vallejo, California, on 11 February 1927, and transited to the Panama Canal Zone. The submarine operated in that area from March into April...then transited to the submarine base on the Thames River in Connecticut...arriving there on 3 May 1927. She operated for the remainder of that year along the northeast coast of the United States.

USS S-9 served in the areas adjacent to the Panama Canal Zone from February into April of 1928, from January into March of 1929, and from January into March of 1930.

USS S-9 (SS-114) departed New London/Groton on 22 October 1930 and transited to the Philadelphia Navy Yard at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, she was decommissioned on 15 April 1931 and placed in the Reserve Fleet at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

On 25 January 1937, the S-boat was struck from the Navy List and sold to a shipbreaker for subsequent scrapping.

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