World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseCommissioned in 1923, S-36 operated along the west coast of the United States until summer of 1925, and then with the US Asiatic Fleet from Nov 1925 through the outbreak of WW2 in Asia. Between Apr and Jun 1940, she conducted her final deployment to Chinese waters. In early Dec 1941, due to the possibility of war between US and Japan, a scheduled overhaul for S-36 was canceled, and she sailed north from Cavite Navy Yard near Manila, Philippine Islands to Bolinao harbor, where she would be located at the time of the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands. She was immediately dispatched to patrol waters between Cape Bolinao and San Fernando, and she spotted Japanese reconnaissance aircraft. After suffering a number of mechanical problems, she ended her patrol at Mariveles Bay, Philippine Islands, where she would receive repairs and supplies. During her second war patrol, she claimed to have sunk a Japanese transport in the South China Sea close to the coast of Mindoro, but Japanese records did not reflect a loss at that position on that day. On 15 Jan 1942, in the Sulu Sea, she was spotted by a Japanese destroyer. She dove, but oil supply failures with the starboard engine slowed her down. By the time she submerged and attempted to maneuver to an attack position, the Japanese destroyer had already begun dropping depth charges. Shockwaves from the depth charges caused damage, and engine trouble continued to haunt her, but the crew was able to keep the ship under control until the Japanese destroyer gave up the hunt. She began heading toward the Makassar Strait toward Java, Dutch East Indies. At 0404 on 20 Jan 1942, after a series of mechanical failures over the past few days, she ran aground on Taka Bakang Reef at the southern end of Makassar Strait. The crew attempted to save the ship, but flooded forward battery emitted poisonous chlorine gas, and it prevented effective damage control. Meanwhile, the commanding officer Lieutenant John McKnight, Jr. sent out a request for aid over plain language unencrypted radio. On the next day, Dutch launch Attla arrived from Makassar, picking up two officers and 28 crewmembers, while McKnight and a number of others remained in a final attempt to save the submarine. Shortly after noon, Dutch cargo ship Siberote arrived. McKnight gave the order to board Siberote and abandon S-36. The submarine was scuttled at 1330 hours. Siberote sailed to Makassar, picked up those who had arrived via Attla, and delivered them to Surabaya, Java, Dutch East Indies where they would rejoin the US Navy.

Submarine S-36 (SS-141) Interactive Map

Photographs

S-36 Operational Timeline