The S-18-class had a length of 219feet 3inches (66.8m)overall, a beam of 20ft 8in (6.3m), and a mean draft of 17ft 3in (5.3m). They displaced930 long tons (940t) on the surface and 1,094 long tons (1,112t) submerged. All S-class submarines had a crew of 4 officers and 34 enlisted men, when first commissioned. They had a diving depth of 200ft (61.0m).[2]
Following operations from New London, Connecticut, S-21 was decommissioned and returned to her builder, on 31 March 1922. After she was reacquired by the Navy, S-21 recommissioned at Groton, Connecticut, on 14 September 1923.[4]
S-21 then operated off the Northeastern Coast, of the United States. She visited the Panama Canal, Saint Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands, and Trinidad, between January and April 1924. Departing New London, on 25 November 1924, she visited the Territory of Hawaii, from 27 April to 25 May 1925, before returning to New London, in July 1925. Following duty in the Panama Canal area, from February through April 1926, she visited Kingston, Jamaica, from 20 to 28 March 1927. After operating in the Panama Canal area, from February into April 1928.[4]
The results of the expedition, particularly the negative anomalies, created interest in a second US gravimetric expedition at sea, resulting in the Navy-Princeton gravity expedition to the West Indies, in 1932, using the submarine S-48, and a third measurement effort in 1936–1937, the Gravimetric Survey Expedition, using the submarine Barracuda.[citation needed]
1929–1941
After returning from her gravimetric expedition, S-21 resumed operations from New London, along the Northeast Coast of the United States. She also served in the Panama Canal area, from March to April 1929 and again from January through February 1930.[4]
Departing New London, on 22 October 1930, S-21 transited via the Panama Canal, and California, to Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii, arriving there on 7 December 1930. From 1931 into 1938, S-21 operated from Pearl Harbor, with the period 18 November 1932 to 24 January 1934, spent in reserve.[4]
Departing Pearl Harbor on 15 October 1938, S-21 transited via California and the Panama Canal, to the Philadelphia Navy Base, arriving on 11 December 1938. Following overhaul, she arrived at New London, on 25 March 1939. She remained at New London, with a partial crew, from 1 June 1939 until 1 September 1940, when she returned to full commission with a full crew.[4]
World War II
The United States entered World War II, with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, on 7 December 1941. On 9 December 1941, S-21 got underway from New London, bound for the Panama Canal Zone. Arriving on 19 December 1941, she conducted defensive war patrols in the Pacific Ocean approaches to the Panama Canal, through May 1942, although her second such patrol, scheduled for 24 January to 7 February 1942, was cancelled to allow her to participate in search and rescue operations for the submarine S-26, which had sunk on the night of 24 January, after the submarine chaserSturdy accidentally rammed her[4] when the vessels were operating without navigation lights to avoid detection by the enemy.[citation needed]
In June 1942, S-21 returned to New London. On 14 September, she was decommissioned and was transferred to the United Kingdom.[4]
Royal Navy
As HMS P. 553, she served in the Royal Navy, until returned to the US Navy, at Philadelphia, on 11 July 1944.[4]
Disposal
After her return, the US Navy used S-21 as a target.[4] She was sunk in 150 feet (46m) of water in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Elizabeth, Maine, on 23 March 1945.[9]
Carter, M. S. (2002). "The 1928 Cruise of the U. S. Submarine S-21 and its Contributions to the Measurement of Gravity". AGU Spring Meeting Abstracts. 2002: U42B–06. Bibcode:2002AGUSM.U42B..06C.
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