S-38

S-38
Ship name	S-38
Ship class	S-class submarine
Ship built by	Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
Ship launched	1922
Ship commissioned	1923
Ship decommissioned	1945
Ship displacement	876 long tons surfaced
Ship length	219 ft 3 in
Ship beam	20 ft 8 in
Ship draught	14 ft 7 in
Ship propulsion	Diesel engines and electric motors
Ship speed	15 knots surfaced
Ship range	11,000 nmi surfaced at 10 knots
Ship test depth	200 ft
Ship crew	42

S-38 was a United States Navy submarine of the S-class submarine series commissioned in the early 1920s and active in interwar operations and World War II. Built by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation at the Fore River Shipyard, she operated in the Pacific Ocean theater, participating in patrols, training, and convoy screening. The boat's service intersected with major events and figures of the era, including operations near Pearl Harbor, patrols in the Philippine Islands, and interactions with fleets from Imperial Japan and Allied commands.

Design and Specifications

S-38 belonged to the S-class, a group influenced by earlier designs such as the Holland-class submarine and wartime lessons from the Imperial German Navy. Her hull form and internal arrangements reflected evolving standards established by Electric Boat Company designs and naval architecture advances promoted at the Naval Experimental Station. The boat displaced about 876 long tons surfaced and measured 219 feet overall, dimensions comparable to contemporaries like the R-class submarine and later designs overseen by Admiral William V. Pratt. Propulsion combined twin diesel engines for surface running and electric motors for submerged operations, an arrangement paralleling machinery fits used by HMS Odin and USS Nautilus (SS-168). Armament included four forward torpedo tubes and a deck gun borrowed from doctrines discussed at Naval War College war games and influenced by tactical papers from Captain Chester W. Nimitz and instructors at Annapolis.

Development and Production

S-38 was laid down at the Fore River yards of Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, a major builder alongside Swan Hunter and Newport News Shipbuilding. Her keel-laying and launch dates occurred during the post-World War I naval expansion influenced by treaties discussed at the Washington Naval Conference. Construction incorporated techniques championed by Simon Lake and John Philip Holland prototypes, while procurement was managed by offices in Bureau of Construction and Repair and Bureau of Steam Engineering. The S-class program reflected interservice debates involving figures such as Admiral Robert Coontz and policy set by the United States Navy Department; production schedules were affected by budget debates in the United States Congress and the shifting focus toward carriers promoted by William S. Benson and later by advocates like William Halsey Jr..

Operational History

Following commissioning, the boat operated in the Pacific Fleet and deployed to the Philippine Islands and Cavite Navy Yard for rotations with other S-class boats. S-38 participated in fleet exercises with units from Battle Fleet formations and trained crew alongside officers who graduated from United States Naval Academy. During the late 1930s she conducted patrols and exercises that anticipated doctrines later executed by commanders such as Chester W. Nimitz and Frank Jack Fletcher. In World War II, S-38 undertook war patrols out of bases like Pearl Harbor and Cavite, operating in waters contested by the Imperial Japanese Navy and supporting Allied convoys coordinated by United States Asiatic Fleet command elements. Missions involved reconnaissance, lifeguard duty for aircraft carrier strikes, and interdiction of enemy shipping during campaigns paralleling operations associated with Battle of the Coral Sea and Guadalcanal Campaign.

Variants and Modifications

During her career, the boat received upgrades following programs similar to those applied fleetwide, including improvements to radio gear standardized by the Naval Communications Service and overhauls at Mare Island Naval Shipyard and Cavite Navy Yard. Modifications mirrored retrofits undertaken for S-class boats that included strengthened hull fittings influenced by research at the David W. Taylor Model Basin and updated battery and ventilation arrangements informed by studies from Naval Research Laboratory. Armament and electronics saw periodic changes to align with doctrine from Commander Submarine Force Pacific Fleet and technical bulletins issued by Bureau of Ordnance.

Notable Incidents and Service Record

S-38’s service record included patrols during early World War II that put her in proximity to actions conducted by task forces commanded by figures such as Admiral Ernest J. King and Chester W. Nimitz. Her peacetime operations featured exercises with surface squadrons that included cruisers and destroyers from fleets led by veterans like Admiral William Sims and Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. The submarine underwent overhauls after mechanical issues typical of the class and participated in rescue and supply missions comparable to those recorded by other boats during the Philippine campaign (1941–1942). Individual crew members later received commendations reflective of awards conferred by Navy Department boards that also recognized actions during the Aleutian Islands Campaign and other Pacific operations.

Legacy and Influence

S-38 and her sister ships informed subsequent submarine design and doctrine that influenced classes such as the Gato-class submarine and Balao-class submarine. Lessons learned in habitability, endurance, and torpedo tactics contributed to training curricula at the Submarine School and to engineering standards adopted by shipbuilders like Ingalls Shipbuilding. The operational record of S-class boats shaped postwar analyses by commissions including panels at the Naval War College and influenced Cold War patrol concepts later executed by the United States Fleet. S-38’s legacy endures in naval histories that feature interwar development, World War II patrol narratives, and preservation efforts documented by museums such as the National Museum of the United States Navy.

Category:United States submarines Category:S-class submarines