View source for USS S-36

{{short description|Submarine of the United States}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
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|Ship image= [[Image:USS S-36;H51827.jpg|300px|USS S-36]]
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|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag= {{USN flag|1942}}
|Ship name= USS ''S-36''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=  
|Ship builder= [[Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation]], {{nowrap|[[San Francisco]], [[California]]}}
|Ship laid down= 10 December 1918 
|Ship launched=  3 June 1919
|Ship sponsor=Miss Helen Russell
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=  4 April 1923
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|Ship fate=*Ran aground 20 January 1942
*[[Scuttling|Scuttled]] 21 January 1942
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Ship class= [[United States S-class submarine|S-class]] [[submarine]]
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|854|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} surfaced
*{{convert|1062|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} submerged
|Ship length= {{convert|219|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship beam= {{convert|20|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship draft= {{convert|15|ft|11|in|m|abbr=on}}
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|Ship speed=*{{convert|14.5|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}} surfaced
*{{convert|11|kn|mph km/h}} submerged
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|Ship complement=42 officers and men
|Ship sensors=
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|Ship armament=*1 × [[4"/50 caliber gun|{{convert|4|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}]]/50 [[deck gun]]
*4 × [[American 21 inch torpedo|21 inch (533 mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s
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{{Infobox service record
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|operations=[[World War II]]
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|awards=1 [[battle star]]
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'''USS ''S-36'' (SS-141)''' was an [[United States S-class submarine|S-class submarine]] of the [[United States Navy]].

==Construction and commissioning==
''S-36'''s [[keel]] was [[Keel-laying|laid down]] on 10 December 1918 by the [[Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation]] of [[San Francisco]], [[California]].  She was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 3 June 1919 [[Ship sponsor|sponsored]] by Miss Helen Russell, and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 4 April 1923.

==Service history==
Following [[Sea trial|trials]], ''S-36'' operated along the [[West Coast of the United States|United States West Coast]] until the summer of 1925, with interruptions for exercises in [[Alaska]]n waters in June 1923 and for fleet maneuvers in the [[Caribbean Sea]] during the winter of 1924.  She was then assigned to the [[United States Asiatic Fleet]], departing the U.S. West Coast in mid-September 1925, and arriving at the Submarine Base, [[Naval Base Cavite|Cavite Navy Yard]], [[Luzon]], [[Philippines]], on 4 November 1925.

===Asiatic Fleet===
For the next sixteen years, ''S-26'' remained in the western [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]], conducting exercises and patrols and undergoing overhauls at Cavite during the winter, and operating off the [[China]] coast from [[Qingdao|Tsingtao]] during the summer months. With the increase of hostilities on the mainland, however, summer deployments were shortened and individual patrols were extended throughout the Philippines, into the [[South China Sea]], and in 1938, into the [[Dutch East Indies]].

From April to June 1940, ''S-36'' conducted her last China deployment and for the next year and a half remained in Philippine waters. By December 1941, the fleet was alerted to the possibility of a Japanese attack. On 2 December, her scheduled overhaul was cancelled and she was ordered north on patrol.

Water, stores, and torpedoes were taken on and she departed Cavite at 0100 on 3 December.  By late afternoon, she was off [[Cape Bolinao Lighthouse|Cape Bolinao]], where she passed several [[Yangtze Patrol]] gunboats en route to [[Manila]]. At 1930, she entered [[Bolinao, Pangasinan|Bolinao]] harbor, where she remained on continuous alert for the next week. On 8 December 1941, she received the news that the Japanese had started hostilities.

===World War II===
A few hours later, ''S-36'' sighted enemy aircraft; that afternoon, she took up patrol duties between Cape Bolinao and [[San Fernando City, La Union|San Fernando]]. On 9 December excessive air leaks developed, but she remained on patrol. On 10 December, 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 12 December, ''S-36'''s electrical steering failed, and she was still unable to contact Cavite. Exhaust valve leaks appeared on 13 December, and on 14 December she received an urgent message requesting her position. None of her previous messages had gotten through. Two days later, she was ordered to [[Mariveles]] at the entrance to [[Manila Bay]].

Still unable to transmit and with worsening air and salt water leaks, ''S-36'' proceeded to Mariveles, anchoring there four days later.  Repairs were made over the next few weeks and stores replenished, and she then started a final patrol in Philippine waters before heading south to join [[American-British-Dutch-Australian Command|Allied forces]] gathering in the Dutch East Indies.

Clearing Mariveles Bay on 30 December 1941, she immediately commenced patrolling the [[Verde Island Passage]] between [[Luzon]] and [[Mindoro]]. On 1 January 1942, she reconnoitered the north and east coast of [[Batangas Bay]], then moved to the west and south of [[Verde Island]]. In mid-afternoon, she sighted a small Japanese transport moored to the seawall at [[Calapan]], [[Mindoro]], fired one [[torpedo]], and claimed the sinking of the target.  However, this was not confirmed by Japanese loss records.

For seven more days, she maintained her patrol in the Passage. On 8 January, the port engine air compressor failed, and, because of battery water consumption and the distance and time involved in the transit to the Dutch East Indies, she began making her way south.  On 10 January, the starboard engine air compressor became troublesome. On 12 January, she hunted in the [[Sulu Sea]]. On 13 January, her port main motor went out of commission, but on 14 January she resumed hunting in the Sulu Sea.

On the morning of 15 January, at the approximate intersection of the [[Sibutu]]-[[Makassar]] and [[Davao City|Davao]]-[[Tarakan]] routes, diving was delayed by oil supply failures to the starboard engine, and she was spotted by a [[Imperial Japanese Navy|Japanese]] [[destroyer]].

With one engine out, ''S-36'' submerged and prepared to fire [[Mark 14 torpedo|torpedoes]] at the Japanese warship.  But the destroyer was quicker, and before the submarine could fire, the enemy dropped seven [[depth charge]]s which exploded off both quarters of the S-boat.

Immediate damage included the loss of power control over the [[Diving plane|bow planes]]; [[gyrocompass]] failure; blown fuses on the starboard lighting circuit, and broken lights in the motor room. By the time she reached a depth of {{convert|150|ft|m|0}}, her gyrocompass was working again and she began turning slowly to starboard. The destroyer was kept astern.

''S-36'' ran at one-third speed, but with poor depth control and trim.  Soon her main motor bearing began smoking, and oil had to be continuously applied by hand with an [[Oil can|squirt gun]]. At about 0630, almost an hour and a half after the initial contact, she lost depth control and her trim pump stalled.  The No. 2 main ballast was blown and at {{convert|230|ft|m|0}} the boat began to rise to the surface. Previous steps were reversed, and venting and flooding was started by the crew.  The boat stopped at a depth of {{convert|90|ft|m|0}}.

As the destroyer continued to hunt her, ''S-36'''s depth continued to fluctuate between {{convert|100|-|200|ft|m|-1}}. Life jackets and escape lungs were issued. At 0700, control was reestablished, and at 0705 the crew heard the last efforts of the destroyer to locate her. Still in critical condition of trim and propulsion, ''S-36'' 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 16 January, the starboard motor lubrication supply again failed.

At dawn on 16 January, ''S-36'' submerged. Two hours later, she sighted the [[Sulawesi]] (Celebes) coast. At noon, fire broke out in the main motor auxiliary circulating pump and was extinguished. After 1900, she surfaced, and at 2308 passed North Watcher Island at the northern end of [[Makassar Strait]].

On 17 January, she received orders to proceed to [[Surabaya]], [[Java]]. Both port and starboard shafts went out of commission during the day and one man collapsed from the heat, but the main motor lube oil pumps were repaired. On 18 January, ''S-36'' had her "1st day since January 8 with no major part of engineering plant out of commission." She continued south through Makassar Strait.

===Loss===
At 0404 on 20 January 1942, ''S-36'' ran hard aground on Taka Bakang Reef at the southern end of Makassar Strait, approximately {{convert|60|nmi|lk=in}} west-northwest of [[Makassar]], [[Sulawesi|Celebes]], [[Netherlands East Indies]].  For over twenty-four hours the crew battled to save the submarine, but [[chlorine]] gas generated by her flooded forward battery and the sea conditions combined against them. A plain-language radio request for aid was sent, and on the morning of 21 January, the Dutch [[launch (boat)|launch]] ''Attla'' was dispatched from Makassar. Two officers and 28 men transferred to ''Attla'' and taken to Makassar, but ''S-36'''s commanding officer (Lt. John R. McKnight, Jr.) and the remaining crew stayed on board for a final attempt to save ''S-36''. However, the situation worsened, and when the Dutch [[cargo ship]] ''Siberote'' arrived after noon, McKnight decided the submarine was beyond saving, transferred himself and the remaining crew to the Dutch vessel, and [[Scuttling|scuttled]] ''S-36'' by flooding at 1330.

''Siberote'' proceeded to Makassar to pick up the previously evacuated crew members, then to Surabaya, where they were reassigned.

==Awards==

*[[File:Yangtze Service Medal ribbon.svg|106px]] [[Yangtze Service Medal]]
*[[File:China Service Medal ribbon.svg|106px]] [[China Service Medal]]
*[[File:American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|106px]] [[American Defense Service Medal]]
*{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} [[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]] with one [[battle star]]
*[[File:World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|106px]] [[World War II Victory Medal]]
*[[File:Philippine Defense ribbon.png|106px]] [[Philippine Defense Medal]] with star

== References ==
{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/s-36.html}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-s-36-141.htm On Eternal Patrol: USS ''S-36'']
*[http://www.pigboats.com/ww2/s36.html  Kill record: USS ''S-36'']
*[https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/u/united-states-submarine-losses/s-36-ss-141.html S-36 (SS-141)]
*[https://uboat.net/allies/commanders/3142.html John Rowland McKnight, Jr., USN]
*{{navsource|08/08141|S-36}}

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{{United States S class submarine}}
{{January 1942 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:S-36}}
[[Category:United States S-class submarines|S-36]]
[[Category:World War II submarines of the United States]]
[[Category:Lost submarines of the United States|S-36, USS]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Java Sea]]
[[Category:Ships built in San Francisco]]
[[Category:1919 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in January 1942]]