View source for USS S-39

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

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[Image:NH 51828 USS S-39 (SS-144) Off Olongapo, Philippine Islands, 1935.jpg|300px|USS S-39 off Olongapo, Philippine Islands, 1935]]
|Ship caption=USS ''S-39'' off Olongapo, Philippine Islands, 1935
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1942}}
|Ship name=USS ''S-39''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation]], {{nowrap|[[San Francisco]], [[California]]}}
|Ship laid down=14 January 1919
|Ship launched=2 July 1919
|Ship sponsor= Miss Clara M. Huber
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=14 September 1923
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=
|Ship homeport=
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honors=
|Ship fate=Wrecked 13 August 1942
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|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|211|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[Length at the waterline|w/l]]
*{{convert|219|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}} [[Length overall|o/a]]
|Ship beam={{convert|20|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|16|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref>Lenton, H.T. ''American Submarines'' (Doubleday, 1973), p.19.</ref>
|Ship power=*{{convert|2400|hp|kW|lk=in|abbr=on}} (diesel engines)
*{{convert|3000|hp|kW|abbr=on}} (electric motors)
|Ship propulsion=*2 × [[New London Ship and Engine Company|New London Ship & Engine]] (NELSECO) [[diesel engine]]s<ref name="Lenton, p.19">Lenton, p.19.</ref>
*2 × [[General Electric]] [[electric motor]]s<ref name="Lenton, p.19"/>
*120-cell [[Exide]] battery<ref name="Lenton, p.19"/>
*2 × shafts<ref name="Lenton, p.19"/>
|Ship speed=*{{convert|14.5|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}} surfaced
*{{convert|11|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}} submerged
|Ship range=
|Ship test depth=
|Ship capacity={{convert|168|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} [[diesel fuel]]
|Ship complement=42 officers and men
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*1 × [[4"/50 caliber gun|{{convert|4|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}]]/50 cal [[deck gun]]
*4 × [[American 21 inch torpedo|21 inch (533 mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s (12 [[torpedo]]es
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox service record
|is_ship=yes
|label=
|partof=
|codes=
|commanders=
|operations=[[World War II]]
|victories=
|awards=2 [[battle star]]s
}}
|}

'''USS ''S-39'' (SS-144)''' was a [[United States Navy]] [[United States S class submarine|''S''-class submarine]] that saw combat in the [[Pacific Ocean theater of World War II|Pacific Theater]] during [[World War II]]. She was accidentally run aground on her fifth war patrol and was subsequently abandoned.

==Construction and commissioning==
''S-39''′s [[keel]] was [[Keel-laying|laid down]] on 14 January 1919 by the [[Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation]] at [[San Francisco]], [[California]]. She was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 2 July 1919 sponsored by Miss Clara M. Huber, and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 14 September 1923.<ref>Blair, Clay, Jr. ''Silent Victory'' (Lippincott, 1975), p.931.</ref>

==Service history==
After commissioning and [[Fitting-out|fitting out]], ''S-39'' joined Submarine Force, Battle Fleet; and from October–December 1923, conducted maneuvers off southern California. With the next year, 1924, she moved south to the [[Panama Canal]], thence proceeded into the [[Caribbean Sea]] for final trials, further exercises, and training dives. By April, she was back at [[Mare Island]] for her first overhaul.

===Asiatic fleet===
On 17 September, ''S-39'' departed San Francisco for the [[Philippines]]. Steaming ''via'' [[Pearl Harbor]] and [[Guam]], she reached [[Manila]] on 5 November; joined the [[United States Asiatic Fleet|Asiatic Fleet]] as a member of Submarine Division 17 (SubDiv 17); and commenced local operations and drills in the [[Luzon]] area. In mid-May 1925, she sailed for the Asiatic mainland with her division; and, after brief stops at [[Amoy]] and [[Hong Kong]], arrived at [[Qingdao|Tsingtao]], whence she operated until early September. She then returned to Manila and for the next 16 years maintained, with few interruptions, a similar schedule: summers at Tsingtao, with patrols along the [[China]] coast; winters in the Philippines, for overhauls, engineering trials, joint Army-Navy maneuvers, type training exercises, and short patrols.

===World War II===
====1st war patrol====
Just prior to the entry of the [[United States]] into [[World War II]], ''S-39'' (under the command of [[James W. Coe]], Class of 1930<ref>Blair, p.902.</ref>) patrolled off southern [[Luzon]]. After 8 December, she moved into [[San Bernardino Strait]] to impede Japanese [[naval mine|mining]] activities. The escorts screening the minelayers, however, kept the submarine at bay with persistent depth charging. On 11 December, ''S-39'' endured a day-long pounding. She then turned to cutting into the Japanese supply line. On 13 December, she sighted and attacked an enemy freighter, but escorts interfered and her crew was prevented from verifying a sinking. She continued her patrol,  unsuccessfully chasing other targets, until 21 December, when she returned to Manila.

====2nd war patrol====
Increased enemy air activity rendered naval installations in the area untenable, and ''S-39'' was ordered to [[Java (island)|Java]] to join what in mid-January 1942 would become the [[American-British-Dutch-Australian Command|ABDA]] command. Conducting her second war patrol en route, she arrived at [[Soerabaja]] on 24 January. She soon departed on her third patrol.  Coe was transferred to command USS ''Skipjack'' in March 1942.

====3rd and 4th war patrol====
As Japanese landings at [[Timor]] were expected, ''S-39'' was ordered to the [[Karimata Strait]].<ref>Blair, p.176-8 ''passim''.</ref> The main Japanese force transited the strait and landed at Java without ''S-39'' sighting it.<ref>Blair, p.183.</ref> Operating in the [[South China Sea]] and [[Java Sea]], she reconnoitered [[Chebia Island]] in search of a British [[admiral]] and an [[air marshal]]<ref>Blair, p.186.</ref> who had supposedly escaped [[Singapore]]. ''S-39'' landed a search party,<ref name="Blair, p.187">Blair, p.187.</ref> but failed to locate any refugees. She then sailed for [[Australia]] ''via'' the [[Sunda Strait]], where on 4 March she found the {{convert|6500|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} tanker (credited as {{convert|5000|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} during the war)<ref>Blair, p.905.</ref> ''Erimo''. ''S-39'' fired four [[Mark 10 torpedo]]es, scoring three contact hits.<ref name="Blair, p.187"/> This made ''S-39'', like her "Sugar" boat sisters, {{USS|S-37|SS-142|2}} and {{USS|S-38|SS-143|2}}, well known in the news.<ref name="Blair, p.187"/> Two weeks later, she arrived at [[Fremantle, Western Australia|Fremantle]], [[Australia]]. By the end of April, she had moved to [[Brisbane]], which she departed on her fourth patrol on 10 May. For the next four weeks, she reconnoitered designated areas of the [[Louisiade Archipelago]], and then operated in the [[Solomon Islands]].

====5th war patrol and loss====
''S-39''{{'}}s fifth patrol (now under Francis E. Brown),<ref name="Blair, p.300">Blair, p.300.</ref> delayed twice by mechanical failures and once by the necessity of hospitalizing her executive officer, began on 10 August. Assigned station off [[New Ireland (island)|New Ireland]], she made her way across the [[Coral Sea]] to the Louisiades. On the night of 13/14 August, she [[Ship grounding|grounded]] on submerged rocks off [[Rossel Island]] and took on a 35°<ref name="Blair, p.300"/> port [[List (naval term)|list]]. ''S-39'' immediately blew [[ballast tank]]s dry and jettisoned fuel to lighten ship, then backed emergency, to no avail.<ref name="Blair, p.300"/> Heavy seas pounded her and pushed her farther up on the rocks.

Throughout 14 August, {{convert|15|-|20|ft|m|abbr=on}} breakers crashed over the submarine, but the crew maintained their fight to refloat the ship, including jettisoning more fuel and firing four deactivated torpedoes.<ref name="Blair, p.300"/> By 15 August, the list had increased to 60°. The heavy seas had not abated; ''S-39'' continued to be pounded against the rocks, and a call for help brought word that the Australian minesweeper {{HMAS|Katoomba||6}} was coming.<ref name="Blair, p.300"/> Efforts were begun to rescue the crew. Lieutenant C.N.G. Hendrix and Chief Petty Officer W. L. Schoenrock swam ashore, secured mooring lines to a torpedo which had lodged in the reef<ref name="Blair, p.300"/> for use as riding lines, and assisted other crew members to safety. By noon, 32 men had reached shore. Shortly thereafter, ''Katoomba'' arrived and by the same time the next day had taken all of the crew of ''S-39'' on board. ''S-39'' was left on the rocks, rather than destroyed by gunfire, as her commander was satisfied she would continue breaking up. Her crew were taken to [[Townsville]] and reassigned to other submarines. The commanding officer almost faced [[court martial]] (grounding in peacetime is considered negligence), but was saved by Admiral [[Ralph Waldo Christie|Ralph W. Christie]].<ref>Brown received {{USS|S-43|SS-154|2}} and later {{USS|S-44|SS-155|2}}, in command of which he was [[killed in action|KIA]] 26 September 1943 off Alaska. Blair, p.301 & 420.</ref>

==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]] with "FLEET" Clasp
*{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} [[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]] with two [[battle star]]s
*[[File:World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|106px]] [[World War II Victory Medal]]
*[[File:Presidential Unit Citation (Philippines).svg|106px]] [[Philippine Presidential Unit Citation]]
*[[File:Philippine Defense ribbon.png|106px]] [[Philippine Defense Medal]] with star

==Legacy==
The book ''Pigboat 39'' was written about ''S-39'''s experiences before and during World War II.

==Notes==
{{Reflist|2}}

==References==
*Blair, Clay, Jr. ''Silent Victory''. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1975.
*Lenton, H.T. ''American Submarines''. New York: Doubleday & Co., 1973.
{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/s-39.html}}

==External links==
*[http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-s-39-144.htm On Eternal Patrol: USS ''S-39'']
*[http://www.pigboats.com/ww2/s39.html Kill record: USS ''S-39''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202224856/http://www.pigboats.com/ww2/s39.html |date=2 December 2008 }}
*[http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-s-39-144-loss.html On Eternal Patrol – The Loss of USS S-39 (SS-144)]
*{{navsource|08/08144|S-39}}

{{United States S class submarine}}
{{August 1942 shipwrecks}}
{{coord|11|28.522|S|154|21.336|E|display=title|region:PG_type:event_source:GNS-enwiki}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:S-39 (Ss-144)}}
[[Category:United States S-class submarines]]
[[Category:World War II submarines of the United States]]
[[Category:United States submarine accidents]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in August 1942]]
[[Category:Lost submarines of the United States]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Coral Sea]]
[[Category:Ships built in San Francisco]]
[[Category:1919 ships]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of Papua New Guinea]]