Submarine S-31 (SS-136)

S-31

Country	United States
Ship Class	S-class Submarine
Hull Number	SS-136
Builder	Union Iron Works, San Francisco, California, United States
Laid Down	13 Apr 1918
Launched	28 Dec 1918
Commissioned	11 May 1922
Decommissioned	19 Oct 1945
Displacement	868 tons standard; 1,079 tons submerged
Length	219 feet
Beam	21 feet
Draft	16 feet
Speed	14 knots
Crew	42
Armament	4x533mm torpedo tubes, 1x102mm deck gun
Submerged Speed	11 knots

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseSubmarine S-31 was commissioned into United States Navy service in 1922. In Apr 1923, upon completion of engine alterations done by the Electric Boat Company of New London, Connecticut, United States, she conducted in exercises in the Caribbean Sea, then returned to California, United States, joining Submarine Division 16. She conducted exercises in the Aleutian Islands in Jun and Jul 1923, then participated in the Caribbean Sea fleet exercises in the winter of 1924. In Apr 1925, Submarine Division 16 was assigned to the Asiatic Fleet, and she arrived at Cavite, Luzon, Philippine Islands on 12 Jul 1925; she would remain there for the following seven years, patrolling waters as far as the Chinese coast and conducting exercises. Her tour in the Philippine Islands completed on 2 May 1932, and she sailed for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United States. In Feb 1933, she played the role of the fictional submarine USS AL-14 in the film "Hell Below", sinking a fictional German destroyer. She was decommissioned from service in late 1937 and was berthed at League Island at the site of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard as a member of the reserve fleet.

ww2dbaseIn preparation for war, USS S-31 was recommissioned into service on 18 Sep 1940. As a member of Submarine Division 52, she was based in New London, Connecticut. Between Dec 1940 and spring 1941, she patrolled the Panama Canal Zone. Returning to New London, she conducted in training exercises. In Nov 1941, she underwent overhaul at Philadelphia, where she was located when the United States entered the Pacific War. In Jan 1942, she rejoined Submarine Division 52 at New London. In Feb, she was once again assigned to the Panama Canal Zone, completing two war patrols. In late May, she was sent to San Diego, California, United States. In late Jun, she sailed for the Aleutian Islands in the northern Pacific Ocean. Operating out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, United States, she conducted patrols and supported operations in the Aleutian Islands. On her fifth war patrol, she sailed to the Kurile Islands region and sank the Japanese cargo ship Keizan Maru. In late 1942, she provided training services for the West Coast Sound School at San Diego, California. After a refit that lasted until Feb 1943, she moved to Hawaii, where she had her 102-millimeter gun replaced by a smaller 76-millimeter gun, before embarking on her sixth war patrol. Her brief seventh war patrol, lasting from 5 to 26 Jul, saw her delivering a reconnaissance team to Aneityum, New Caledonia and hunting for a Japanese submarine in nearby waters. Her eighth and final war patrol saw her operating in the St. George Channel area to intercept Japanese shipping between Rabaul and New Guinea. She remained in the New Caledonia-New Hebrides area for training duties until Jul 1944, and then was ordered to California, United States. Arriving in San Diego, California in early Aug, she underwent an overhaul until Nov. She then provided submarine and sound training services.

ww2dbaseIn Sep 1945, S-31 sailed to San Francisco, California for inactivation. She was sold to Salco Iron and Metal Company of San Francisco in May 1946. She was delivered to Salco in Dec 1946 and was scrapped in Jul 1947.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Feb 2011

Submarine S-31 (SS-136) Interactive Map

Photographs

Launching of submarine S-31at San Francisco, California, United States, 28 Dec 1918

USS S-21, USS S-34, and USS S-31 at Groton, Connecticut, United States, 9 Jun 1923

Submarine tender Beaver with submarines S-32, S-35, S-30, S-33, S-31, and S-34 at Olongapo, Philippine Islands, Mar 1929

Submarines S-28 and S-31 dressed up as fictitious ships for the 1933 film

See all 8 photographs of Submarine S-31 (SS-136)

S-31 Operational Timeline

13 Apr 1918	Submarine S-31 was laid down in San Francisco, California, United States.
28 Dec 1918	Submarine S-31 was launched, sponsored by Mrs. George A. Walker.
11 May 1922	USS S-31 was commissioned into service with Lieutenant William A. Heard in command.
4 Oct 1922	USS S-31 was decommissioned from service while receiving engine alterations at the Electric Boat Company yards in New London, Connecticut, United States.
8 Mar 1923	USS S-31 was recommissioned into service upon completion of engine alternations.
12 Jul 1925	USS S-31 arrived at Cavite, Luzon, Philippine Islands.
2 May 1932	USS S-31 departed Manila, Luzon, Philippine Islands for Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.
14 Jun 1937	USS S-31 departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.
27 Aug 1937	USS S-31 arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
7 Dec 1937	USS S-31 was decommissioned from service and placed in reserve at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
18 Sep 1940	USS S-31 was recommissioned into service.
10 Mar 1942	USS S-31 began her first defensive patrol off the Panama Canal Zone.
31 Mar 1942	USS S-31 completed her first war patrol off the Panama Canal Zone.
14 Apr 1942	USS S-31 began her second war patrol off the Panama Canal Zone.
13 May 1942	USS S-31 completed her second defensive patrol off the Panama Canal Zone.
7 Jul 1942	USS S-31 departed Dutch Harbor, US Territory of Alaska for her third war patrol.
19 Jul 1942	USS S-31 was ordered to move toward the Japanese-occupied Aleutian island of Kiska.
7 Aug 1942	USS S-31 bombarded Kiska, US Territory of Alaska.
8 Aug 1942	USS S-31 arrived at Dutch Harbor, US Territory of Alaska, ending her third war patrol.
10 Aug 1942	A Mark X emergency identification flare exploded aboard USS S-1, seriously injuring her commanding officer.
26 Aug 1942	USS S-31 departed Dutch Harbor, US Territory of Alaska for her fourth war patrol.
30 Aug 1942	USS S-31's batteries began to produce poisonous chlorine gas, but it was detected and quickly eliminated before causing casualties.
28 Sep 1942	USS S-31 arrived at Dutch Harbor, US Territory of Alaska, ending her fourth war patrol.
13 Oct 1942	USS S-31 departed Dutch Harbor, US Territory of Alaska for her fifth war patrol.
20 Oct 1942	USS S-31 arrived in the Kurile Islands region.
22 Oct 1942	USS S-31 patrolled the waters off Paramushiro Island, Kurile Islands.
24 Oct 1942	USS S-31 departed from waters off Paramushiro Island, Kurile Islands.
25 Oct 1942	USS S-31 patrolled the Onekotan Strait between Paramushiro and Onekotan in the Kurile Islands.
26 Oct 1942	USS S-31 stalked Japanese cargo ship Keizan Maru starting at 0825 hours in Otomae Wan, Paramushiro, Kurile Islands. At 0922 hours, she fired two torpedoes, both scoring and sinking the cargo ship. While withdrawing after the attack, S-31 ran aground on reef multiple times, finally reaching deep waters at 1000 hours.
27 Oct 1942	USS S-31 patrolled the waters off Paramushiro Island, Kurile Islands.
2 Nov 1942	USS S-31 departed the Kurile Islands waters and sailed for the Aleutian Islands.
8 Nov 1942	USS S-31 arrived at Dutch Harbor, US Territory of Alaska, ending her fifth war patrol.
11 Nov 1942	USS S-31 departed Dutch Harbor, US Territory of Alaska.
27 Nov 1942	USS S-31 arrived at San Diego, California, United States to provide submarine training services at the West Coast Sound School.
11 Mar 1943	USS S-31 departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her sixth war patrol.
23 Mar 1943	USS S-31 began patrolling in the Kwajalein area in the Marshall Islands.
29 Mar 1943	USS S-31 completed her patrol in the Kwajalein area in the Marshall Islands.
2 Apr 1943	USS S-31 crossed the equator in the Pacific Ocean.
9 Apr 1943	USS S-31 arrived at Nouméa, New Caledonia where she would be refitted and would serve as a target for training exercises.
5 Jul 1943	USS S-31 departed Nouméa, New Caledonia for her seventh war patrol.
26 Jul 1943	USS S-31 arrived at Nouméa, New Caledonia, ending her seventh war patrol.
20 Aug 1943	USS S-31 completed training services at Nouméa, New Caledonia.
22 Aug 1943	USS S-31 departed Nouméa, New Caledonia for her eighth war patrol.
31 Aug 1943	USS S-31 made a daylight attack on a Japanese submarine; three torpedoes were fired, but none hit the target.
3 Nov 1943	USS S-31 completed training services at San Diego, California, United States.
19 Oct 1945	USS S-31 was decommissioned from service.
1 Nov 1945	Submarine S-31 was struck from the US Naval Vessels Register.

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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. David Rice says:
30 May 2017 09:16:42 AM

My father served on this submarine in the Pacific. I would like any additional information or pictures of S-31 SS-136 or her crew.

2. Gregory R Hoek says:
30 Aug 2022 02:24:14 PM

Entry for Aug 30 1942 "30 Aug 1942 USS S-1's batteries began to produce poisonous chlorine gas, but it was detected and quickly eliminated before causing casualties." should be USS S-31 batteries... Not S-1

David Stubblebine says:
31 Aug 2022 03:38:20 PM

Gregory Hoek (above):
You are correct and the typo has been corrected. Thank you for pointing this out.

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