USS S - 23 ( SS - 128 ) USS " S - 23 " ( SS - 128 ) was a first - group ( " S - 1 " or " Holland " ) " S " - class submarine of the United States Navy . Her keel was laid down on 18 January 1919 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in Quincy , Massachusetts . She was launched on 27 October 1920 sponsored by Miss Barbara Sears , and commissioned on 30 October 1923 with Lieutenant Joseph Y . Dreisonstok in command . Service history . Early years . Initially assigned to Submarine Division 11 , Control Force , " S - 23 " was based at New London , Connecticut through the 1920s . During that time , she operated off the New England coast from late spring until early winter then moved south for winter and spring exercises . From 1925 on , her annual deployments included participation in fleet problems ; and those maneuvers occasionally took her from the Caribbean Sea into the Pacific Ocean . With the new decade , however , the submarine was transferred to the Pacific ; and , on 5 January 1931 , she departed New London for the Panama Canal , California , and Hawaii . En route , she participated in Fleet Problem XII and , on 25 April , she arrived at her new home port , Pearl Harbor , whence she operated , with Division 7 , for the next ten years . In June 1941 , Division 7 became Division 41 , and , on 1 September , " S - 23 " departed the Hawaiian Islands for California . An overhaul and operations off the West Coast took her into December when the United States entered World War II . The crew of the World War I - design submarine then prepared for service in the Aleutian Islands . Radiant - type heaters were purchased in San Diego , California , to augment the heat provided by the galley range . Heavier and more waterproof clothing , including ski masks , were added to the regular issue provided to submarine crews . The boat itself was fitted out for wartime service and , in January 1942 , " S - 23 " moved north to Dutch Harbor , Unalaska . First war patrol . On the afternoon of 7 February , she departed Dutch Harbor on her first war patrol . Within hours , she encountered the heavy seas and poor visibility which characterized the Aleutians . Waves broke over the bridge , battering those on duty there , and sent water cascading down the conning tower hatch . On 10 February , " S - 23 " stopped to jettison torn sections of the superstructure , a procedure she was to repeat on her subsequent patrols ; and , on 13 February , the heavy seas caused broken bones to some men on the bridge . For another three days , the submarine patrolled the great circle route from Japan , then headed home , arriving at Dutch Harbor on 17 February . From there , she was ordered back to San Diego for overhaul and brief sound school duty . On her arrival , requests were made for improved electrical , heating , and communications gear and installation of a fathometer , radar , and keel - mounted sonar . The latter requests were to be repeated after each of her next three patrols , but became available only after her fourth patrol . Abortive patrol . On 20 May , " S - 23 " again sailed for the Aleutians . Proceeding via Port Angeles , Washington , she arrived in Alaskan waters on 29 May and was directed to patrol to the west of Unalaska to hinder an anticipated Japanese attack . On 2 June , however , waves broke over the bridge and seriously injured two men . The boat headed for Dutch Harbor to transfer the men for medical treatment . Arriving the same day , she was still in the harbor the following morning when Japanese carrier - based planes attacked the base . Second war patrol . After the first raid , " S - 23 " cleared the harbor and within hours arrived in her assigned patrol area where she remained until 11 June . She was then ordered back to Dutch Harbor ; replenished ; and sent to patrol southeast of Attu , which the Japanese had occupied , along with Kiska , a few days earlier . For the next 19 days , she hunted for Japanese logistic and warships en route to Attu and reconnoitered that island ' s bays and harbors . Several attempts were made to close targets , but fog , slow speed , and poor maneuverability precluded attacks in all but one case . On 17 June , she fired on a tanker , but did not score . On 2 July , she headed back to Unalaska and arrived at Dutch Harbor early on the morning of 4 July . Third war patrol . During her third war patrol , 15 July to 18 August , " S - 23 " again patrolled primarily in the Attu area . On 6 August , however , she was diverted closer to Kiska to support the bombardment of the island ; and , on 9 August , she returned to her patrol area , where her previous experiences in closing enemy targets were repeated . Fourth war patrol . Eight days after her return to Dutch Harbor , " S - 23 " again headed west , and , on 28 August , she arrived in her assigned area to serve as a protective scout during the occupation of Adak . During most of her time on station , the weather was overcast , but it proved to be the most favorable she had experienced in eight months of Alaskan operations . On 16 September , she was recalled from patrol to meet her 20 September scheduled date of departure for San Diego for upkeep and sound school duty . Fifth war patrol . On 7 December , " S - 23 " returned to Unalaska , and , on 17 December , she got underway on her fifth war patrol . By 22 December , she was off western Attu ; and , on 23 December , she received orders to take up station off Paramushiro . On 24 December , she headed for the Kuril Islands . Two days later , from her destination , her stern plane operating gear outside the hull broke . Since submerging and depth control became difficult , she turned back for Dutch Harbor . Moving east , her mechanical difficulties increased ; her stern planes damaged her propellers ; her fouled rudder resulted in a damaged gear train . Nature added severe snow and ice storms after 3 January 1943 . But , on 6 January , " S - 23 " made it into Dutch Harbor . Using equipment and parts from sister ship , " S - 23 " was repaired at Dutch Harbor and at Kodiak ; and , on 28 January , she departed her Unalaska base for another patrol in the Attu area . She spent 21 days on station , two of which , 6 and 7 February , were spent repairing the port main motor control panel . She scored on no enemy ships and returned to Dutch Harbor on 26 February . Sixth war patrol . Refit , the submarine got underway for her last war patrol on 8 March . Moving west , she arrived off the Kamchatka Peninsula on 14 March and encountered floes with ice thick . Her progress down the coast in search of the Japanese fishing fleet slowed , and , initially limited to moving during daylight hours , she rounded Cape Kronotski on the afternoon of 16 March and Cape Lopatka on the morning of 19 March . She then set a course back to the Aleutians which would take her across Japanese Kuril - Aleutians supply lanes . On 26 March , she took up patrol duty in the Attu area ; and , on 31 March , she turned her bow toward Dutch Harbor . Retirement . In April 1943 , " S - 23 " returned to San Diego . During the summer , she underwent an extensive overhaul ; and , in the fall , she began providing training services to the sound school which she continued through the end of hostilities . On 11 September 1945 , she sailed for San Francisco , California , where she was decommissioned on 2 November . Fourteen days later , her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register . Her hulk was subsequently sold for scrapping and was delivered to the purchaser , Salco Iron and Metal Company , San Francisco , on 15 November 1946 . " S - 23 " was awarded one battle star for her World War II service .