USS S - 42 ( SS - 153 ) USS " S - 42 " ( SS - 153 ) was the first member in the third group of " S " - class submarine s of the United States Navy . Her keel was laid down on 16 December 1920 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in Quincy , Massachusetts . She was launched on 30 April 1923 sponsored by Mrs . Henry A . Hutchins , Jr . , and commissioned on 20 November 1924 , Lieutenant John " Babe " Brown in command . Service history . Following shakedown off the New England coast , " S - 42 " departed New London , Connecticut , in January 1925 and moved south to Coco Solo , whence she operated , both in the Caribbean Sea and in the Pacific Ocean , until the spring of 1927 . Then ordered to Hawaii , she cleared the Gulf of Panama in May , was refitted in California , and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 22 July . The following month , she joined other fleet units in searching for missing Dole Air Race competitors and , later in the year , returned to California . Overhaul followed ; and , on 4 February 1928 , she rejoined the Battle Force at San Diego , California , where she was based into 1930 . In December of that year , " S - 42 " ’ s division was transferred to Pearl Harbor . She then operated in Hawaiian waters and during annual fleet problems , off the Panama Canal Zone and in the Caribbean . From 1932 through 1935 , however , she rotated between those active duty operations with Submarine Division 11 and inactive periods with Reserve Submarine Division 14 . In March 1936 , " S - 42 " was transferred back to the submarine base at Coco Solo , where she was homeported until ordered to New London in June 1941 . From New London , she shifted to Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , and with others of her division , now Submarine Division 53 , she underwent modernization overhaul . With more up - to - date equipment — which did not include air conditioning — and somewhat improved performance capabilities , she moved south to Bermuda in November and conducted training and patrol operations there into December . Then , after 7 June , she proceeded back to the Canal Zone . World War II . During January 1942 , " S - 42 " conducted security patrols in the Pacific approaches to the Canal . In February , she prepared to join Allied forces in the southwest Pacific , and , in early March , she started out across the ocean . On 15 April , she arrived in Moreton Bay , Brisbane , Australia . There , Submarine Division 53 joined the S - boat s of the Asiatic Fleet , forming TF 42 . These World War I - designed submarines were to " fill the gap , " to impede Japanese progress in the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands , until larger and better equipped fleet submarines could be sent to the area . Ten days after her arrival , " S - 42 " ( in the hands of Oliver G . Kirk , Annapolis Class of 1929 ) cleared Moreton Bay and headed north across the Coral Sea for her first war patrol . After reaching 15 degrees south , she ran submerged during the day and surfaced at night to recharge her batteries and allow a brief respite from the high temperatures and humidity of submerged running . On the afternoon of 3 May , she entered her assigned patrol area , and , that evening , she closed the coast of New Ireland . Two days later , she sighted , fired on , and missed a medium - sized tender off Cape St . George . On 6 May , she shifted eastward to patrol between Buka and the cape . On 11 May , off New Britain , she sighted the minelayer " Okinoshima " ( damaged at the Battle of the Coral Sea ) through driving rain . " S - 42 " fired four torpedo es , scored with three ; and sent the 4400 - ton minelayer to the bottom . The action , begun at 04 : 39 , was over by 04 : 52 . By 05 : 15 , enemy destroyer s were closing " S - 42 " ’ s position . Within five minutes , they began dropping depth charge s . At 11 : 30 , the last depth charge attack took place . At 14 : 30 , the last sound contact was made with the still searching enemy . Sea water leaked into the control room in increasing amounts , but " S - 42 " remained submerged for another four hours . She then surfaced to repair some of the damage and recharge her batteries . When she submerged , she was unable to control her depth . She surfaced for further temporary repairs . At dawn , she dived successfully . Leaks in the control room , however , continued , and she headed home . That day , 12 May , she attempted to send a message to ComSubRon 5 . Two days later , she was still attempting to raise Brisbane , sending her message " via " Port Moresby , Townsville , Queensland , and Honolulu , Hawaii . On 16 May , her port engine flooded , but was put back into commission , temporarily . On 17 May , she raised Dutch Harbor , whence her dispatches were relayed to Brisbane . Three days later , she arrived in Moreton Bay . On 3 July , " S - 42 " departed Brisbane for her second patrol . On 12 July , prior to taking up her offensive role in St . George ' s Channel , she landed an agent at Adler Bay , near Rabaul . His first report , soon dispatched , warned her to avoid native canoes as the Japanese were paying well for information . Weather , however , proved to be the worst impediment , encountered as frequent rains and heavy seas hindered her hunting . On the night of 19 July , " S - 42 " returned to Adler Bay ; reembarked the Australian intelligence officer , then got underway for Brisbane , where she arrived on 28 July . During the first week in August , the Allied offensive began with the landings on Guadalcanal . Two weeks later , on 21 August , " S - 42 " ( now commanded by Harley K . Nauman , Class of 1934 ) headed for the Solomons to support the offensive by patrolling in the already bloodied and iron - filled waters of the Savo Island – Cape Esperance area . On 23 August , an engine room hatch , improperly latched , began to leak — 15 gallons per hour at 90 feet . Wooden wedges were driven into the coaming , reducing the flow to a drip . " S - 42 " continued on to the Solomons . She arrived on station five days later and remained into September ; but — without modern electronics , quick maneuverability , and speed — she was unable to close the night convoys from Rabaul . Upkeep at Brisbane occupied the period between 19 September and 19 October . On 20 October , she headed for the Solomons to intercept traffic on the Rabaul - Faisi - Buin line , as well as lay mine s . Assigned to Bougainville Strait , she again made many contacts , but was unable to score . On 2 November , she fired four torpedoes at a destroyer steaming in company with three others . An explosion was heard , but depth charge attacks precluded determining the results . On 5 November , she departed the area and made for the Fiji Islands . On 16 November , she moored in Suva harbor , where she was joined by others of her division and , on 1 December , she got underway to return to the United States . Transiting the Panama Canal in early January 1943 , she proceeded to Cuba in February ; provided antisubmarine warfare training services for newly commissioned destroyers through March , then continued on to Philadelphia , where she underwent overhaul and acquired air conditioning and radar . In late June , she departed Hampton Roads for San Diego , whence she sailed for the Aleutian Islands in mid - August . On 2 September , she departed Dutch Harbor for the Kuril Islands and her only North Pacific war patrol . Stopping en route at Attu , the forty - day patrol was spent primarily in the Paramushiro - Onekotan area , and contributed no sinkings or damage . She returned to Dutch Harbor on 12 October . On 23 November , she departed again . En route to her assigned area , her port engine seized , and her patrol was cancelled . On 27 November , she put into Massacre Bay , Attu , where she remained for repairs into January 1944 . In February , she returned to Dutch Harbor thence proceeded to Pearl Harbor and another tour in the southwest Pacific . " S - 42 " arrived at Milne Bay , New Guinea , on 19 March . There , through May , she provided target services to ships conducting antisubmarine warfare exercises . In June , she shifted to Seeadler Harbor in the Admiralty Islands ; provided similar services until 1 August ; then prepared for her last war patrol . Five days later , she got underway for Halmahera with a four - man Australian intelligence team embarked . On 15 , 21 , and 22 August , members of the team were landed , singly , at designated points . These men were to contact and pick up other agents previously landed . On 26 August , the scout landed at Gorango Bay was recovered alone . He had been unable to contact his assigned agent . The other scouts were not recovered . On 3 September , " S - 42 " returned to Seeadler Harbor . Resuming ASW training duties , " S - 42 " remained in the Admiralties into October . At mid - month , she arrived at Brisbane for overhaul ; and , in January 1945 , she returned to the Admiralties . In mid - February , she departed Manus for California , arriving at San Diego at the end of March . There , she provided training services for the West Coast Sound School through the end of World War II . In September , she shifted to San Francisco , California , where she was decommissioned on 25 October 1945 . Stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 13 November , she was sold for scrapping in November 1946 . " S - 42 " earned one battle star during World War II .