USS S-6

USS S-6 (SS-111)
History
United States
Name	S-6
Builder	Portsmouth Navy Yard, on Seavey Island, Kittery, Maine
Cost	$675,392.42 (hull and machinery) [1]
Laid down	29 January 1918
Launched	23 December 1919
Sponsored by	Miss Eleanor Westcott
Commissioned	17 May 1920
Decommissioned	10 April 1931
Stricken	25 January 1937
Identification	Hull symbol: SS-111 (17 July 1920) Call sign: NIMN
Fate	Sold for scrapping
General characteristics [2] [3]
Class & type	S-3-class submarine
Displacement	875 long tons (889 t) surfaced 1,088 long tons (1,105 t) submerged
Length	231 feet (70 m)
Beam	21 ft 10 in (6.65 m)
Draft	13 ft 1 in (3.99 m)
Installed power	1,400 brake horsepower (1,044  kW) diesel 1,200 hp (895 kW) electric
Propulsion	2 × NELSECO diesel engines 2 × Westinghouse Electric Corporation electric motors 1 × 120-cell batteries 2 × Propellers
Speed	15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) surfaced 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph) submerged
Test depth	200 ft (61 m)
Capacity	36,950 US gallons (139,900  L; 30,770  imp gal) fuel
Complement	4 officers 34 enlisted
Armament	4 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (12 torpedoes) 1 × 4-inch (102 mm)/50-caliber

USS S-6 (SS-111), also known as "Submarine No. 111", was an S-3-class, also referred to as a "Government"-type, submarine of the United States Navy.

Design

The "Government"-type had a length of 231 feet (70.4 m) overall, a beam of 21 ft 10 in (6.7 m), and a mean draft of 13 ft 1 in (4.0 m). They displaced 875 long tons (889 t) on the surface and 1,088 long tons (1,105 t) submerged. All S-class submarines had a crew of 4 officers and 34 enlisted men, when first commissioned. They had a diving depth of 200 ft (61.0 m). ^[2]

For surface running, the S-3-class were powered by two 700- brake-horsepower (522 kW) NELSECO diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 600-horsepower (447 kW) Westinghouse Electric Corporation electric motor. They could reach 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) on the surface and 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph) underwater. ^[2]

The boats were armed with four 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They carried eight reloads, for a total of twelve torpedoes. The S-3-class submarines were also armed with a single 4 in (100 mm)/50 caliber deck gun. ^[2]

Construction

S-6's keel was laid down on 29 January 1918, by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, in Kittery, Maine. She was launched on 23 December 1919, ^[4] sponsored by Miss Eleanor Westcott, ^[5] and commissioned on 17 May 1920. ^[4]

Service history

When the US Navy adopted its hull classification system on 17 July 1920, she received the hull number SS-111. ^[3]

Following trials and outfitting, S-6 departed New London, Connecticut, on 18 November 1920, and joined other S-boats of Submarine Divisions 12 and 18 (SubDivs 12 and 18), for what was to be, at that time, the longest cruise for American submarines on record. The trip, begun with a rendezvous off Portsmouth, New Hampshire, took them through the Panama Canal, to Pearl Harbor, and then to Cavite, Luzon, Philippine Islands. Submarines which had previously served in the Asiatic Fleet, the Plunger-class, had been carried over tied to the decks of colliers. ^[4]

The two submarine divisions operated from Cavite, over the next three years, from 1 December 1921–29 October 1924. During that time, they frequently visited the Chinese ports at Shanghai, Yantai, Qinhuangdao, Qingdao, Amoy, and Wusong. ^[4]

On 30 December, S-6 and SubDiv 12, arrived at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California. They operated along the West Coast until 15 February 1927; in the Panama Canal area in March–April; then returned to New London, on 3 May, to operate along the New England coast. On 17 December, S-4, another S-boat of SubDiv 12, foundered after colliding with the Coast Guard destroyer Paulding, off Provincetown, Massachusetts. S-6 then served as a training model to familiarize divers preparing to raise the sunken sub. S-4 was raised on 17 March 1928, and S-6 resumed normal operations with her division. ^[4]

Fate

She conducted winter maneuvers in the Panama Canal area in 1929–1930, but primarily operated out of New London, until decommissioned on 10 April 1931, at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 25 January 1937. ^[4]

References

1. Navy List 1921, p. 770.
2. Friedman 1995, p. 308.
3. Priolo & S-6.
4. DANFS & S-6.
5. Hall 1925, p. 200.

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. "S-6 (SS-111)". Navsource.net. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
• Hall, Anne Martin (1925). Ships of the United States navy and their sponsors, 1913-1923 . Retrieved 26 November 2025.
• "S-6". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2025. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

External links

• Photo gallery of USS S-6 (SS-111) at NavSource Naval History