Allied Warships

S-38 (SS-143)

Submarine of the S-1 class


A prewar photograph showing S-38 underway

NavyThe US Navy
TypeSubmarine
ClassS-1 
Pennant143 
Built byUnion Iron Works (San Francisco, California, U.S.A.) 
Ordered 
Laid down15 Jan 1919 
Launched17 Jul 1919 
Commissioned11 May 1923 
End service14 Dec 1944 
History

Decommissioned 14 December 1944.
Stricken 20 January 1945.
Sunk as a target off San Diego, California 20 February 1945.

 

Commands listed for USS S-38 (143)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1Lt. Roland Fremont Pryce, USN29 Jul 1938Nov 1940
2Lt. Wreford Goss Chapple, USNNov 1940Jan 1942
3Lt. Henry Glass Munson, USNJan 1942Jan 1943
4William R. Lennox, USNRJan 1943Feb 1943
5Lt. Cassius Douglas Rhymes, Jr., USNFeb 19432 May 1944
6J. B. Elliot, Jr., USNR2 May 194414 Dec 1944

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Notable events involving S-38 include:


8 Dec 1941
USS S-38 (Lt. W.G. Chapple) departed from Manila Bay for her 1st war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off Mindoro. On the 20th she proceeded to the west coast of Luzon.

22 Dec 1941
USS S-38 (Lt. W.G. Chapple) torpedoed and sank the Japanese transport ship Hayo Maru (5446 GRT, built 1921) in Lingayen Gulf in position 16°00'N, 120°00'E.

14 Jan 1942
USS S-38 (Lt. W.G. Chapple) ended her 2nd war patrol at Surabaya.

25 Jan 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) departed from Surabaya for her 3rd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in Makassar Strait off Balikpapan.

16 Feb 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) ended her 3rd war patrol at Surabaya.

22 Feb 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) departed from Surabaya for her 4th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Java Sea.

26 Feb 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) shells Japanese facilities at Sangkapura, Bawean Island.

28 Feb 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) picks up 54 survivors from the British destroyer HMS Electra. On 1 March the survivors were transferred to a surface ship in Madoera Strait. S-38 then continues her patrol.

2 Mar 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) fires four torpedoed against the Japanese light cruiser Kinu (offsite link) north-east of Cape Awarawar. All four torpedoed missed their target. USS S-38 later fires two torpedoes against a Japanese destroyer but these also miss.

3 Mar 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) was ordered to proceed to Fremantle, Australia.

5 Mar 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) transits Lombok Strait.

13 Mar 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) ended her 4th war patrol at Fremantle. S-38 later proceeded to Brisbane on Australia's east coast.

28 Apr 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) departed from Brisbane for her 5th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off New Guinea.

24 May 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) ended her 5th war patrol at Brisbane.

24 Jun 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) departed from Brisbane for her 6th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the Solomon Islands.

7 Jul 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) ended her 6th war patrol at Brisbane. She was forced to return to base early because of mechanical problems.

28 Jul 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) departed from Brisbane for her 7th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off New Britain and New Ireland.

8 Aug 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) torpedoed and sank the Japanese transport ship Meiyo Maru (5628 GRT, built 1940) at the southern entrance of the St. George Channel, between New Britain and New Ireland in position 04°52'S, 152°42'E.

22 Aug 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) ended her 7th war patrol at Brisbane.

21 Sep 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) departed from Brisbane for her 8th war patrol. She is to proceed to Pearl Harbor and then to the US west coast for an overhaul. en-route she is to reconnoitre several of the Gilbert Islands.

25 Sep 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) topped up with fuel at Noumea, she departed from the next day.

10 Oct 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) departed from the Gilbert Islands area bound for Pearl Harbor.

6 Nov 1942
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Munson) arrived at San Diego, California for an overhaul.

15 Apr 1943
With her overhaul completed USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. C.D. Rhymes) departed from San Diego bound for Pearl Harbor.

29 Apr 1943
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. C.D. Rhymes) arrived at Pearl Harbor.

26 Jun 1943
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. C.D. Rhymes) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 9th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the Marshall Islands.

27 Jul 1943
USS S-38 (Lt.Cdr. C.D. Rhymes) ended her 9th war patrol at Esperitu Santo. She is now assigned to training duties.

Media links


U. S. Submarines in World War II

Kimmett, Larry and Regis, Margaret


U.S. Submarines Through 1945

Friedman, Norman


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