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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

O-2 (SS-63)

Radio Call Sign: November - Echo - Tango - Juliet
O Class Submarine: Laid down, 27 July 1917, at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, WA.; Launched, 24 May 1918; Commissioned, USS O-2, 19 October 1918; Designated (SS-63), 17 July 1920; Reclassified a 2nd line submarine 25 July 1924 and to a 1st line submarine, 6 June 1928; Decommissioned, 25 July 1931, at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA.; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet; Recommissioned, 3 February 1941, at Philadelphia; Decommissioned, 26 July 1945; Struck from the Naval Register, 13 August 1945; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 16 November 1945.
Partial data submitted by Yves Hubert.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 521 t., Submerged: 629 t.; Length 172' 4"; Beam 18' 0"; Draft 14' 5"; Speed, Surfaced 14 kts, Submerged 10.5 kts; Operational Depth Limit 200 ft; Complement 2 Officers 27 Enlisted; Armament, four 18", torpedo tubes, 8 torpedoes, one 3"/23 deck gun; Propulsion, diesel-electric, New England Ship and Engine Co, diesels, 880 hp, Fuel Capacity, 21,897 gal.; New York Navy Yard electric motors, 740 hp, Battery Cells 120, single propeller.
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O-2127kThe O-2's (SS-63) keel laying on 27 July 1917 draws a large crowd to the Bremerton Navy Yard, including the Navy band, left foreground behind the keel plating. USN photo & text courtesy of Beneath the Surface: World War I Submarines Built in Seattle and Vancouver by Bill Lightfoot. Photo courtesy of Larry (Jake) Jacobsen.
O-boats
0806312		 122k O-2 (SS-63) was sponsored by Mrs. Francis T. Chew (Mary Hoge), wife of Lieutenant Commander Francis Thornton Chew, U. S. Navy. Text from Ships of the United States Navy and Their Sponsors, pg. 159
Photos courtesy of findagrave.com
O-2380kO-2 (SS-63) slides down the launching ways at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, WA., 24 May 1918. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
4 Hs 673k H-boats in frame at Bremerton Naval Shipyard, approximately 23 May 1918.
From the back right; H-4 (SS-147). In front is the H-5 (SS-148). To the left of the H-4 is the H-7 (SS-150). To the left of the H-5 is the H-6 (SS-149). H-8 (SS-151) and H-9 (SS-152) are not seen. Under the boom of the crane is the just about finished O-2 (SS-63), soon to be launched.		This is from a negative from the personal collection of Ric Hedman and acquired through Bill Lightfoot's research library, which he gave to me; he is the author of Beneath the Surface: World War I Submarines Built in Seattle and Vancouver.
O-boats 579k U.S. submarines at Bermuda. Just returned from war zone.
From left to right, 2 unidentified O-boats, O-3 (SS-64), O-5 (SS-66) & O-7 (SS-68).
On 2 November 1918 O-boats 1 / 10 (SS-62 / 71) departed Newport with a 20-sub contingent bound for European waters, however, the Armistice was signed before the ships reached the Azores, and they returned to the United States.		 Text i.d. courtesy of DANFS.
Photo by James W. Anderson, courtesy of Kristina Magill via Gary Priolo.
O-boats 1.04k Late type American submarine, Bermuda. One of the unknown 10 O-boats 1 / 10 (SS-62 / 71) . Photo by James W. Anderson, courtesy of Kristina Magill via Gary Priolo.
O-277kO-2 (SS-63) in drydock at the Boston Navy Yard, Charlestown, Massachusetts, circa 1919. USN photo # NH 102783, courtesy of USNHC. Collection of Christopher H.W. Lloyd. Donated by Virginia Agostini, 1990.
O-279k O-2 (SS-63) & O-15 (SS-76), alongside Rainbow (AS-7), circa 1919. An 18-inch torpedo is being lowered down O-15's forward hatch. Note the retracted 3"/23 gun just forward of O-2's fairwater, and the "SC-Tube" hydrophone on O-15's foredeck. USN photo # NH 44545, courtesy of USNHC.
O-boats 800k GERMAN MOTHER OF U.S. SUBS
The Saxonia, now Savannah (AS-8), once considered the finest German passenger ship, is now a mother for United States submarines. Here she is off the coast at Provincetown, Mass., with some of her cubs. 		Image and text provided by Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records; Phoenix, AZ.
Photo from the Bisbee Daily Review. (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 21 August 1921, SECOND SECTION, Image 9, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
S- boats etc 561k S-10 (SS-115) & S-15 (SS-120) in the foreground.
Behind them from right to left: O-1 (SS-62), O-4 (SS-65), O-2 (SS-63) & O-3 (SS-64). What appears to be another conning tower is behind the O-3. If so, and being that all the O-boats are together numerically, it might be the O-5 (SS-66), which would date the photo no later than 28 October 1923 when the O-5 sank after being rammed while entering Limon Bay, Canal Zone, 28 October 1923, by United Fruit steamer Abangarez. 		Photo by Arkivi/Getty Images via Getty Images, courtesy of gettyimages.com.
O-2885k Jason (AC-12) at Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone, circa 1924. Several submarines are in the foreground, including (from left to right):
S-19 (SS-124);
O-9 (SS-70);
R-26 (SS-103) -- probably--; and
O-2 (SS-63). 		USN photo NH 102780 courtesy history.navy.mil
O-2108k Starboard diesel engine, prior to installation in the O-2 (SS-63), circa 1917-1918. This is presumably a 6 cylinder, 440 BHP, New London Ship and Engine Company (NELSECO) 6-EB-14 type engine. USN photo # NH 44544, courtesy of USNHC.
O-298kLt. Frederick Carl Sherman served as commanding officer of submarines H-2 (SS-29) and O-2 (SS-63) during World War I. Photo # 19471v courtesy of the Library of Congress via Bill Gonyo.
O-boats 85k Submarine Division 8,Commander Guy E. Davis commanding. Nine of the Division's ten O-boats at the Boston Navy Yard, Charlestown, Massachusetts, 16 August 1921. Panoramic photograph by Crosby, "Naval Photographer", 11 Portland Street, Boston. Submarines in the front row are (from left to right): O-3 (SS-64), O-6 (SS-67), O-9 (SS-70) and O-1 (SS-62). Those in the second row are (from left to right): O-7 (SS-68), unidentified (either O-2 or O-8), O-5 (SS-66), O-10 (SS-71) and O-4 (SS-65). Large four-stacked ship in the left center distance is the U.S. Army Transport Mount Vernon. USNHC photograph # NH 103193.
Groton
0811504		1.14k The Dock. Submarine Base, Groton, Conn.
From front to back & right to left: S-10 (SS-115), S-20 (SS-125), O-1 (SS-62), O-4 (SS-65), O-2 (SS-63) & O-3 (SS-64), circa 1923.		Photo courtesy of digitalcommonwealth.org
O-263k Orion (AC-11) or Jason (AC-12) at a Caribbean area base, probably the Coco Solo Submarine Base, Panama Canal Zone, circa the mid-1920s. O-2 (SS-63) is at right. USN photo NH 100770 courtesy of USNHC. Courtesy of Paul H. Silverstone, 1986.
S-69
0806917		484k3 O-boats bows: Broadside view of O-8 (SS-69) with two other unidentified O-boats moored to a buoy in Gatun Lake, Panama, approximately 1925. The famous Gatun Dam can be seen in the background, with the hydroelectric power station building on the right. The dam is the centerpiece of the canal, providing water for the 21 mile long lake as well as for the majority of the rest of the canal. It also provides power to operate the locks as well as for the needs of the surrounding population. Photo i.d. & text courtesy of David Johnston (USN, retired)
USN photo thanks to Jim Kurrasch @ Battleship Iowa, Pacific Battleship Center.
US Fleet Problem Number VI 1.72k Control Force Employment Schedule, 4 January to 1 March 1926. US Fleet Problem Number VI. Photo courtesy of Steve Ireland.
Argonaut173kThe flood gates open for V-4 (SF-7) in dry dock during undocking, 29 March 1928 at Portsmouth Navy Yard. Note how she dwarfs the smaller O-2 (SS-63). Photo from Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships, 1947-1995, and submitted courtesy of Robert Hurst.
S-10 67k These O type and S type submarines which were used during the World War have since been decommissioned and are now laid up in the Phila. Navy Yard. The peaceful surroundings are quite a contrast to those of their active war days. They are pictured here on 17 July 1936.
The S-10 (SS-115) was decommissioned on the day this photo was taken at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA. and laid up in the Reserve Fleet.
Pictured also are any of the following boats that were at the PNY during this time.
The O boats: O-1 (SS-62), O-2 (SS-63), O-3 (SS-64), O-6 (SS-67), O-7 (SS-68), O-8 (SS-69), O-9 (SS-70), O-10 (SS-71).
The S boats: S-6 (SS-111), S-7 (SS-112), S-8 (SS-113), S-9 (SS-114), S-11 (SS-116), S-12 (SS-117), S-13 (SS-118), S-14 (SS-119), S-15 (SS-120), S-16 (SS-121), S-17 (SS-122) & S-48 (SS-159). 		Photo & text courtesy of A.P. Wire courtesy of philly.com.
Philadelphia Navy Yard 2.49k Philadelphia Navy Yard, 28 October 1940.
The photo presented panorama military shipyards in Philadelphia Navy Yard. Most of the ships are obsolete US destroyers, that were transfer to Great Britain under lend lease.
The submarines are on the left hand side of the photo, and they are: (in no particular order)
The O boats: O-1 (SS-62), O-2 (SS-63), O-3 (SS-64), O-6 (SS-67), O-7 (SS-68), O-8 (SS-69), O-9 (SS-70), O-10 (SS-71).
The R boats: R-1 (SS-78), R-2 (SS-79), R-3 (SS-80), R-5 (SS-82), R-6 (SS-83), R-7 (SS-84), R-8 (SS-85), R-9 (SS-86), R-10 (SS-87), R-12 (SS-89), R-15 (SS-92), R-16 (SS-93), R-17 (SS-94), R-18 (SS-95), R-19 (SS-96) & R-20 (SS-97).
The S boats: S-11 (SS-116), S-12 (SS-117), S-13 (SS-118), S-14 (SS-119), S-15 (SS-120), S-16 (SS-121), S-17 (SS-122) & S-48 (SS-159).
The Olympia (C-6) is shown at the right of the wharf on Broad Street.
The stadium in the upper left, was John F. Kennedy Stadium (formally Philadelphia Municipal Stadium)that stood from 1926 to 1992. It was erected for the 1926 Sesquicentennial. 		Photo i.d. courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
Photo courtesy of flickr.com.
Lower resolution photo. (548k)
205 189k A scene from the 1943 movie Crash Dive, showing an unidentified O-class submarine backing out of a berth at the Naval Submarine Base New London, CT in the late summer of 1942. The boat can not be positively identified, but is one of group of eight O-class submarines that were brought out of mothballs to train submarine crews. This particular boat is either O-2 (SS-63),O-3 (SS-64), O-4 (SS-65), O-7 (SS-68), O-8 (SS-69), or O-10 (SS-71). The submarine in the foreground is the Marlin (SS-205). Photo & text courtesy of David Johnston
O-2243kO-2 (SS-63), diving, during training operations possibly out of New London, Connecticut, 26 November 1943. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
O-2677kO-2 (SS-63), diving, during training operations out of New London, Connecticut, 26 November 1943. USN photo # 80-G-43874 by Cdr. Edward J. Steichen, from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
O-21.10kOfficers & men of the O-2 (SS-63) cluster on the deck of their ship for a breath of fresh air after submerging and to look at the sunlight. USN photo # 80-G-43877 by Cdr. Edward J. Steichen, from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
View the O-2 (SS-63)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
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