USS S - 27 ( SS - 132 ) USS " S - 27 " ( SS - 132 ) was a " S " - class submarine of the United States Navy . Her construction was authorized in March 1917 , and her keel was laid down on 11 April 1919 by the Fore River Plant , Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation , Quincy , Massachusetts . She was launched on 18 October 1922 sponsored by Mrs . Frank Baldwin , and commissioned at Groton , Connecticut , on 22 January 1924 , Lieutenant Theodore Waldschmidt in command . Service history . Based at New London , Connecticut through 1924 , " S - 27 " was transferred to the Pacific in 1925 , and , after exercises in the Hawaiian Islands during the spring of that year , she arrived at her new homeport , San Diego , California in June . She remained based in southern California through the decade and , except for fleet maneuvers , operated primarily off that coast . Fleet maneuvers , exercises , and problems took her to the west coast of Central America ; to the Panama Canal Zone ; into the Caribbean Sea and to Hawaii . In 1931 , she was transferred to Hawaii ; and on 23 February , she arrived at Pearl Harbor , whence she operated until mid - 1939 . On 16 June 1939 , she sailed east ; and on 27 June , she arrived at San Diego and resumed operations off the southern California coast . For the next two and a half years , she conducted exercises and tests off that coast , primarily for the Underwater Sound Training School . In late November 1941 , she proceeded to Mare Island , where she was undergoing overhaul when the United States entered World War II . World War II . On 23 January 1942 , " S - 27 " stood out of San Francisco Bay and moved south . Three days later , she returned to San Diego , California , and resumed operations for the Sound School which she continued into the spring . Then ordered north to the Aleutian Islands , she departed San Diego on 20 May ; steamed to Port Angeles , Washington ; thence , continued on to Alaskan waters where she commenced patrol operations . Grounding and loss . On 12 June , a little over a week after the beginning of the war in the Aleutians , she put into Dutch Harbor , took on provisions , refueled , and then headed west with orders to patrol in the Kuluk Bay area and to reconnoiter Constantine Harbor , Amchitka . On the night of 16 – 17 June , she was ordered to Kiska . On 18 June , she reconnoitered Constantine Harbor , found no signs of enemy activity in that evacuated village , and moved on to round the southern end of the island , whence she would proceed to Kiska . In mid - afternoon , she rounded East Cape and that night when she surfaced , fog obscured her position . Lying to charge on both engines , she was carried about from her estimated dead - reckoned position . The fog prevented knowledge of the drift . At midnight , she got underway , slowly , on one engine and continued to charge on the other . Soon after 00 : 43 on 19 June , breakers were sighted about forward of the bow . " Back emergency " orders were given . Seconds later , she grounded on rocks off St . Makarius Point . Waves bumped her violently against the rocks , rolling her 10 - 15° on each side . Her motors were continued at " back emergency " , but she was held firm by a submerged rock . Fuel was blown . Efforts to back off were continued , but the lightened ship swung harder against the rocks . Her starboard screw struck a rock and was disabled . Efforts were made to force the ship ahead to clear the stern , but she could only move about forward before she was again held fast . The immediate area was sounded . No passage was found . By 03 : 30 , the pounding of the sea had increased and plans were made to move the greater part of the crew off . Dispatches of her plight , sent first at 01 : 15 , were continued . Six were sent in all . One , giving no position , was received at Dutch Harbor . A ferry system , using a rubber boat and lines rigged between the ship and the beach , was set up . Men , provisions , clothing , guns , and medical supplies were transferred safely . By 11 : 00 , all but six , the commanding officer , Lieutenant H . L . Jukes , and five others , were ashore . All equipment was destroyed . Classified material was burned . At 15 : 30 , three of the remaining men went ashore . The side plating was now loose , the torpedo room was flooding . At 15 : 50 , the radioman , executive officer , and commanding officer left the submarine . The night of 19 – 20 June was spent in an unsheltered cove . On 20 June , camp was set up at Constantine Harbor , using the buildings and heating equipment which had survived a Japanese bombing . By 21 June , the camp was fully organized : routines , including sentries and lookouts , had been established . Trips to and from the cove continued for three days . " S - 27 " was reboarded on 21 June and 22 June ; thereafter , the presence of chlorine gas prohibited further visits to take off more supplies . On 24 June , a PBY Catalina piloted by Lieutenant , junior grade , Julius A . Raven , USNR , on a routine flight spotted the activity at Constantine Harbor ; landed ; and took off 15 of the survivors . On 25 June , three planes were sent in to take off the remainder . All guns salvaged from " S - 27 " were destroyed . Nothing was left except the submarine ' s abandoned hulk and canned provisions , blankets , and winter clothing .