USS S-43 file photo [32192]

S-43

CountryUnited States
Ship ClassS-class Submarine
Hull NumberSS-154
BuilderBethlehem Fore River Shipyard
Laid Down13 Dec 1920
Launched31 Mar 1923
Commissioned31 Dec 1924
Decommissioned10 Oct 1945
Displacement864 tons standard; 1,144 tons submerged
Length225 feet
Beam21 feet
Draft16 feet
MachineryTwo Model 8-EB-15NR diesel engines, two Electro Dynamic motors, two 6-cell Exide batteries, two shafts
Bunkerage46,363gal diesel fuel
Speed14 knots
Range
Crew42
Armament1x4in/50cal deck gun, 4x21in torpedo tubes, 12 torpedoes
Submerged Speed11 knots

Contributor:

ww2dbaseSubmarine S-43 was commissioned into service in Dec 1924. After spending some time and the Caribbean Sea, Panama Canal Zone, and southern California in the United States, she was transferred to Pearl Harbor in the US Territory of Hawaii in Dec 1930, where she would be based for the following decade. In Jun 1941, she, along with the rest of the Submarine Division 11 boats, was relocated to New London, Connecticut, United States. Redesignated Submarine Division 53, the boats of the division were sent in groups to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States for overhaul and modernization. In Aug 1941, she was put back to sea, but suffered a complete power failure that brought her back into the shipyard for repairs. In Sep 1941, she resumed regular patrols out of Bermuda. In late Oct 1941, she patrolled waters off of Rhode Island, United States. In late Nov 1941, she patrolled waters off Newfoundland to test the effects of cold weather on the older S-class submarines. When the United States was directly brought into WW2 on 7 Dec 1941, she was off Newfoundland. On the following day, she set sail for New London, Connecticut, United States and then the Panama Canal Zone. In Mar 1942, Submarine Division 53 departed the Panama Canal Zone for Australia, arriving at Brisbane in mid-Apr to join Task Force 42. Her first war patrol began in May 1942, patrolling waters between New Britain and New Ireland. A series of mechanical issues plagued her, leading her to limp back to port with a dead port engine and only 7 out of the 8 cylinders of her starboard engine working. Her second war patrol had her transport Royal Australian Air Force Flight Officer C. F. Mason to New Ireland and the Feni Islands to make contact with friendly agents; she returned to Brisbane after Mason failing to find the agents on New Ireland, and Mason becoming missing in the Feni Islands. After an uneventful third war patrol in the Solomon Islands, she returned to the Americas, serving in the Panama Canal Zone and then out of San Diego, California, United States at the West Coast Sound School. In Sep 1943, she commenced a five-month overhaul. She returned to Pearl Harbor in mid-Feb 1944, where she received engine repairs until late Mar 1944. She departed Pearl Harbor on 31 Mar, only to suffer a crank case explosion in the starboard main engine, forcing her to sail to Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides for repairs. After the delay, she arrived at Purvis Bay in the Nggela Islands, Solomon Islands in Apr 1944 for anti-submarine warfare training. She returned to Australia in Jan 1945, conducted anti-submarine warfare training through Feb, and then set sail for the US, arriving in San Diego on 5 Apr 1945. In late Sep 1945, after the end of hostilities, she sailed to San Francisco, California where she was decommissioned a month later. She was struck from the US Naval Vessel Register in Nov 1945 and was sold to the Salco Iron and Metal Company in San Francisco for scrapping in Nov 1946.

ww2dbaseSources:
uboat.net
Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Jan 2023

Submarine S-43 (SS-154) Interactive Map

S-43 Operational Timeline

13 Dec 1920 The keel of S-43 was laid down at the Bethlehem shipyard at Quincy, Massachusetts, United States.
31 Mar 1923 S-43 was launched at the Bethlehem shipyard at Quincy, Massachusetts, United States, sponsored by the wife of naval officer and submariner John H. Brown, Jr.
31 Dec 1924 USS S-43 was commissioned into service with Lieutenant Clinton E. Braine, Jr. in command.
27 Dec 1941 USS S-43 arrived at Balboa, Panama Canal Zone.
9 Jan 1942 USS S-43 transited the Panama Canal.
2 Feb 1942 USS S-43 arrived at Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone (now Cativá, Panama).
5 Mar 1942 USS S-43 departed Coco Solo, Colón, Panama Canal Zone (now Cativá, Panama).
15 Apr 1942 USS S-43 arrived at Brisbane, Austalia.
11 May 1942 USS S-43 departed Brisbane, Austalia, starting her first war patrol.
21 May 1942 USS S-43 arrived in the Solomon Sea near New Britain and New Ireland.
24 May 1942 While in the Solomon Sea, USS S-43 suffered a air compressor breakdown with her main engine.
2 Jun 1942 USS S-43 set sail for Brisbane, Australia at 33% speed due to engine problems.
10 Jun 1942 USS S-43 arrived at Brisbane, Austalia, ending her first war patrol.
8 Jul 1942 USS S-43 departed Brisbane, Australia for her second war patrol with RAAF Flight Officer Cecil John Trevelyan Mason. Mason was the liaison and rescue officer for friendly agents on New Ireland and Feni Islands.
18 Jul 1942 USS S-43 arrived at New Ireland.
19 Jul 1942 USS S-43 disembarked RAAF Flight Officer Cecil John Trevelyan Mason on New Ireland for Mason to check in with coast watchers.
20 Jul 1942 USS S-43 embarked Flight Officer Cecil John Trevelyan Mason of the Royal Australian Air Force at New Ireland; Mason had been put ashore to make contact with friendly agents, but had failed to find them.
21 Jul 1942 USS S-43 disembarked RAAF Flight Officer Cecil John Trevelyan Mason on the Feni Islands east of New Ireland to check in with coast watchers.
22 Jul 1942 USS S-43 embarked Flight Officer Cecil John Trevelyan Mason of the Royal Australian Air Force in the Feni Islands; Mason had been put ashore to make contact with friendly agents, but had failed to find them.
23 Jul 1942 USS S-43 disembarked Flight Officer Cecil John Trevelyan Mason of the Royal Australian Air Force, liaison and rescue officer for friendly agents at one of the Feni Islands.
24 Jul 1942 USS S-43 surfaced in the Feni Islands to pick up Flight Officer Cecil John Trevelyan Mason of the Royal Australian Air Force, but failed to make contact with Mason, who had been captured by the Japanese. After several attempts to contact him, the submarine ultimately gave up and set sail for Brisbane, Australia.
7 Aug 1942 USS S-43 arrived at Brisbane, Australia, ending her second war patrol.
18 Aug 1942 While at Brisbane, Australia, Lieutenant Henry Sturr was made the commanding officer of USS S-43, relieving Lieutenant Edward Hannon.
12 Sep 1942 While at Brisbane, Australia, Lieutenant Commander Edward Hannon was made the commanding officer of USS S-43, relieving Lieutenant Henry Sturr.
14 Sep 1942 USS S-43 departed Brisbane, Australia, starting her third war patrol.
14 Oct 1942 USS S-43 arrived at Brisbane, Australia, ending her third war patrol.
4 Nov 1942 USS S-43 departed Brisbane, Australia.
9 Jan 1943 USS S-43 arrived at Coco Solo, Colón, Panama Canal Zone (now Cativá, Panama).
19 Mar 1943 USS S-43 departed Coco Solo, Colón, Panama Canal Zone (now Cativá, Panama).
24 Mar 1943 USS S-43 arrived at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
25 Mar 1943 USS S-43 departed Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
29 Mar 1943 USS S-43 arrived at Coco Solo, Colón, Panama Canal Zone (now Cativá, Panama).
5 Apr 1943 USS S-43 transited the Panama Canal and arrived at Balboa, Panama Canal Zone.
26 Apr 1943 USS S-43 arrived at San Diego, California, United States.
31 Mar 1944 USS S-43 departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.
22 Apr 1944 USS S-43 arrived at Purvis Bay in the Nggela Islands, Solomon Islands.
2 Mar 1945 USS S-43 departed Australia.
10 Mar 1945 Charles Wilbur was made the commanding officer of USS S-43, relievingy Thomas Williamson.
18 Mar 1945 USS S-43 was fired upon by an Allied merchant ship during poor weather, but did not suffer any damage.
5 Apr 1945 USS S-43 arrived at San Diego, California, United States.
10 Oct 1945 USS S-43 was decommissioned from service in San Francisco, California, United States.
22 Oct 1945 The crew of S-43 gathered for a special ceremony for the ship's decommissioning, which officially had taken place 12 days prior.
13 Nov 1945 S-43 was stricken from the US Naval Vessel Register.

Photographs

USS S-43 (foreground), USS S-44 (left center background), and other ships in Balboa Harbor, Panama Canal Zone, 1920sUS 19th Submarine Division submarines USS S-46, USS S-42, USS S-47, USS S-43, USS S-44, and US SS-45 at San Diego, California, United States, 28 Jul 1928USS Holland tending S-25, S-28, S-24, S-27, S-26, S-48 or S-46, V-3, V-2, S-45, S-43, S-44, and S-42, San Diego, California, United States, circa 1930USS Holland with submarines V-3, V-2, S-45, S-43, S-44, and S-42, San Diego, California, United States, circa 1930
See all 15 photographs of Submarine S-43 (SS-154)



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Submarine S-43 (SS-154) Photo Gallery
USS S-43 (foreground), USS S-44 (left center background), and other ships in Balboa Harbor, Panama Canal Zone, 1920s
See all 15 photographs of Submarine S-43 (SS-154)


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