USS R-19

USS R-19 (SS-96) is shown here with her telescoping radio mast raised, note the large white "+" painted on the submarine's fairwater for recognition
History
United States
Name	R-19
Ordered	29 August 1916
Builder	Union Iron Works, San Francisco, California
Cost	$772,459.09 (hull and machinery) [1]
Laid down	23 June 1917
Launched	28 January 1918
Sponsored by	Mrs. Janet Irvine
Commissioned	7 October 1918
Decommissioned	15 May 1931
Recommissioned	6 January 1941
Decommissioned	9 March 1942
Stricken	22 June 1945
Identification	Hull symbol: SS-96 (17 July 1920) Call sign: NEGK
Fate	Transferred to United Kingdom, 9 March 1942
United Kingdom
Name	P.514
Acquired	9 March 1942
Fate	Sunk in ramming, 21 June 1942
General characteristics [2] [3]
Class & type	R-1-class submarine
Displacement	574 long tons (583 t) surfaced 685 long tons (696 t) submerged
Length	186 feet 3 inches (56.77 m)
Beam	18 ft (5.5 m)
Draft	15 ft 6 in (4.72 m)
Installed power	880 brake horsepower (656  kW) diesel 934 hp (696 kW) electric
Propulsion	2 × NELSECO 6-EB-14 diesel engines 2 × Electro-Dynamic Company electric motors 2 × 60-cell batteries 2 × Propellers
Speed	12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph) surfaced 9.3 kn (17.2 km/h; 10.7 mph) submerged
Range	4,700 nautical miles (8,700 km; 5,400 mi) at 6.2 kn (11.5 km/h; 7.1 mph), 7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) if fuel loaded into the main ballast tanks
Test depth	200 ft (61 m)
Capacity	18,880 US gallons (71,500  L; 15,720  imp gal) fuel
Complement	2 officers 27 enlisted
Armament	4 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (8 torpedoes) 1 × 3-inch (76 mm)/50-caliber deck gun

USS R-19 (SS-96), also known as "Submarine No. 96", was an R-1-class coastal and harbor defense submarines of the United States Navy commissioned before the end of World War I.

She was recommissioned before the US entered World War II and later transferred to the Royal Navy. She sunk with all hands after a collision on 21 June 1942.

Design

The R-boats built by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company, R-1 through R-14, and the Union Iron Works, R-15 through R-20, are sometimes considered a separate class, R-1-class, from those built by the Lake Torpedo Boat Company, R-21 through R-27, R-21-class. ^[2]

The submarines had a length of 186 feet 3 inches (56.8 m) overall, a beam of 18 ft (5.5 m), and a mean draft of 15 ft 6 in (4.7 m). They displaced 574 long tons (583 t) on the surface and 685 long tons (696 t) submerged. The R-1-class submarines had a crew of 2 officers and 27 enlisted men. They had a diving depth of 200 ft (61.0 m). ^{[2] [4]}

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 440- brake-horsepower (328 kW) NELSECO 6-EB-14 diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 467-horsepower (348 kW) Electro-Dynamic Company electric motor. They could reach 12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph) on the surface and 9.3 kn (17.2 km/h; 10.7 mph) underwater. On the surface, the R-1-class had a range of 4,700 nautical miles (8,700 km; 5,400 mi) at 6.2 kn (11.5 km/h; 7.1 mph), or 7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) if fuel was loaded into their main ballast tanks. ^[4]

The boats were armed with four 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They carried four reloads, for a total of eight torpedoes. The R-1-class submarines were also armed with a single 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber deck gun. ^{[2] [4]}

Construction

R-19's keel was laid down by the Union Iron Works, of San Francisco, California, on 23 June 1917. She was launched on 28 January 1918, ^[5] sponsored by Mrs. Janet Irvine, ^[6] and commissioned on 7 October 1918. ^[5]

Service history

1918–1931

After commissioning, which was one month before the Armistice with Germany ending World War I took effect, R-19 remained on the West Coast for nine months at San Pedro Submarine Base, San Pedro, until March 1919, and then at San Francisco, undergoing overhaul, until June 1919. On 17 June 1919, R-19 sailed for the Territory of Hawaii. Eight days later, she reached Pearl Harbor, and began almost 12 years of training submarine crews and testing equipment. ^[5]

When the US Navy adopted its hull classification system on 17 July 1920, she received the hull number SS-96. ^[5]

On 12 December 1930, R-19 left Pearl Harbor, for the Philadelphia Navy Yard. En route she called at San Diego; voyaged south to the Panama Canal Zone; negotiated the Panama Canal; then voyaged north through the Caribbean Sea, and the coastal waters of the US East Coast; and, finally, up Delaware Bay and the Delaware River to Philadelphia. ^[5]

On 15 May 1931, R-19 was decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, and placed in the Reserve Fleet, where she remained berthed at League Island for the next nine years. ^[5]

1941–1942

R-19 was recommissioned on 6 January 1941, then went to the Submarine Base, at Groton, Connecticut, where she was reconditioned. During May 1941, R-19 headed south. For the remainder of the spring, summer, and into the fall of 1941, she patrolled and conducted training exercises in the Virgin Islands, and off the Panama Canal Zone. In October 1941, R-19 returned to Groton, and continued her role as a training submarine. ^[5]

On 9 March 1942, R-19 was decommissioned again. ^[5]

For her service in the United States Navy, R-19 was eligible for the World War I Victory Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.^{[ citation needed ]}

Royal Navy service

Church monument at Swinbrook, England, to Lt. Phillimore and the crew of HMS P.514

R-19 was transferred to the United Kingdom, under the terms of Lend-Lease, on 9 March 1942. Commissioned into the Royal Navy, she was renamed HMS P.514. ^[5]

In June 1942, she sailed for St. John's, Newfoundland. At 03:00, on 21 June 1942, while on surface, P.514 encountered a Royal Canadian Navy minesweeper, HMCS Georgian, off St. Shotts, Newfoundland. Unaware of any friendly submarines in the area and receiving no reply to her challenge, Georgian rammed P.514, which sank with the loss of all hands. ^[7]

A Board of Inquiry ruled that Georgian's commanding officer had acted correctly. ^[7]

There is a memorial to P.514's officers and men in the Church of England parish church of St. Mary the Virgin in Swinbrook, England.

Wreck location: 46°33′N53°39′W / 46.550°N 53.650°W / 46.550; -53.650 ^[7]

References

1. Navy List 1921, p. 770.
2. Friedman 1995, p. 308.
3. Priolo & R-19.
4. Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 129.
5. DANFS & R-19.
6. Hall 1925, p. 187.
7. Skaarup.

Bibliography

• "Table 21 - Ships on Navy List June 30, 1919". Congressional Serial Set. U.S. Government Printing Office: 770. 1921.
• Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   1-55750-263-3.
• Priolo, Gary. "R-19 (SS-96)". Navsource.net. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
• Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   0-85177-245-5.
• "R-19". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command . Retrieved 19 November 2025. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Hall, Anne Martin (1925). Ships of the United States navy and their sponsors, 1913-1923 . Retrieved 19 November 2025.
• Skaarup, Harold A. "RCN anti-submarine warfare (ASW) training submarines: HMS P.514, HMS P552, HMS P.554, and HNLMS O 15" . Retrieved 19 November 2025.

External links

• Photo gallery of USS R-19 (SS-96) at NavSource Naval History