The morning of December 17, 1927, began as just another day in the regular, rigorous training routine of the U.S. Navy’s submarine fleet. For the crew of the USS S-4 (SS-109), it was supposed to be a day of standard operations, where the submarine was testing her systems off the coast of Provincetown, Massachusetts. The USS S-4, a part of the United States Navy’s fleet of S-class submarines, had been commissioned in 1922 and was engaged in routine training exercises, designed to ensure her readiness for wartime operations. Continue reading “Into the Abyss: The USS S-4 Tragedy”
Into the Abyss: The USS S-4 Tragedy
The USS Hawkbill (SS-366) prowled the waters of the South China Sea on December 15, 1944, ready to strike another blow in the relentless submarine campaign against Japan. Commanded by Lieutenant Commander Francis Worth Scanland Jr., the Hawkbill was a stealthy predator of the Pacific, a Balao-class submarine with cutting-edge technology and a seasoned crew. This day would bring her into contact with one of Japan’s desperate attempts to maintain maritime supply lines: the Matsu-class destroyer IJN Momo. 
Patrol Reports 