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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

S-50 (SS-161)

Radio Call Sign: November - India - Papa - Zulu
S-48 Class Submarine: Laid down, 15 March 1920, at Lake Torpedo Boat Co., Bridgeport, CT.; Launched, 18 June 1921; Commissioned, USS S-50 (SS-161), 20 May 1922; Decommissioned, 20 August 1927, at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA.; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, League Island, PA; Struck from the Naval Register, 31 March 1931; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in 1936.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 903 t., Submerged: 1,230 t.; Length 240'; Beam 21' 10"; Draft 13' 6"; Depth Limit 200'; Speed, surfaced 14.5 kts, submerged 11 kts; Complement 4 Officers 34 Enlisted; Armament, five 21" torpedo tubes, 16 torpedoes, one 4"/50 deck gun; Propulsion, diesel electric engines, Busch Sulzer Brothers Diesel Engine Co., diesel engines, HP 1800; Fuel Capacity 44,350 gal.; Ridgeway Dynamo & Electric Co., electric motors, HP 1500, Battery cells 120, twin propellers.
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For Full Size		Size Image Description Source
S-50 2.05k Launching day for the S-50 (SS-161), at Lake Torpedo Boat Co., Bridgeport, CT., 18 June 1921. Image NH 108467 and text courtesy of history.navy.mil
S-50
0816115		2.16k The S-50 (SS-161) was sponsored by Mrs. William G. Esmond. Image NH 108469 and text courtesy of history.navy.mil
S-50
0816118		2.49k The S-50 (SS-161) with the fallout of champagne following christening. Image NH 108471and text courtesy of history.navy.mil
S-50
0816116		2.14k The S-50 (SS-161) down the ways. Image NH 108470 and text courtesy of history.navy.mil
SS 161 55k Midshipman James Arthur Crutchfield was the Commissioning CO of the S-50 (SS-161) from 20 May 1922 to 25 September 1924. He was a Lieutenant as the Commissioning CO. Text info via Ron Reeves (of blessed memory) & John Spivey.
Photo courtesy of Bill Gonyo.
S-50 3.18 NEW SUBS IN PRACTICE TRIALS
U. S. subs S-50 (SS-161) and S-51 (SS-162), saluting each other before starting speed runs.
The U. S. submarines S-50 and S-51, latest and largest type of undersea craft, built by the Lake Torpedo Boat Company, successfully completed fifty-two hours of continuous running test on Long Island sound. The boats are 248 feet long and of the most modern type. They are doubled hulled, differing in many particulars from other craft of the new S-class. The plans on which they were built were drawn after a careful study of German U-boat construction had been made and some German practices proved in the war were adopted. 		Image NH 108473 and text courtesy of history.navy.mil
PDF Image and text provided by University of New Mexico.
Photo from Albuquerque Morning Journal. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 14 June 1922, CITY EDITION, Image 7, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
SS 161 160k U.S. submarine S-50 (SS-161), is 248 feet long, has a double hull, can be submerged in less than a minute, and has a large disappearing gun on the forward deck. It has just been put into commission in the navy, after successful trials. USN photo # 19-N-8509 courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Photo from The Washington Times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 31 May 1922, LATE FINANCIAL, Image 15, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov via Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
S-50 NR U. S. Senate Committee Inspects Uncle Sam's Latest Type of Sub.
Left to right, Senators Hale, Maine; Keyes, New Hampshire, and Newberry, Michigan, after completing inspection of the S-50 (SS-161) snapped on deck. Three members of the senate naval committee made a tour of inspection of the new U. S. submarine, the S-50 at the Washington navy yard. The new sub is equipped with two Diesel motors developing 1,800 horsepower, capable of a surface speed of fifteen knots. It submerges in 58 seconds, carries a gun, three periscopes, five torpedo tubes and a crew of thirty. 		PDF Image and text provided by Indiana State Library.
Photo from The Richmond Palladium and Sun-Telegram. (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 29 July 1922, Image 1, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
S-50 NR NAVAL EXPERTS AND SENATORS INSPECT A NEW SUBMARINE.
Senator Frederick Hale of Maine (on the left), Senator Keyes of New Hampshire (coming up from below) and Senator Newberry of Michigan (on the right). Snapped while on a tour of the new submarine S-50 (SS-161) at the Washington Navy Yard. 		Photo via Digital Source: Harris & Ewing,.
LOC photo # LC-H234-A-4690 / 42351v from lcweb2.loc.gov.
PDF Image and text provided by Indiana State Library & State Historical Society of North Dakota.
Photo from The Richmond Palladium and Sun-Telegram. (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 31 July 1922, Image 3, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
SS 161 NR This is the new U.S. submarine S-50 (SS-161), tied up at the Washinton Navy Yard, where it was inspected by members of the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs. The undersea boat is more than 240 feet long, equipped with every modern device, and takes only fifty-eight seconds to submerge. Image and text provided by Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT.
Photo from The Glasgow Courier. (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 04 August 1922, Image 4, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
SS 161 675k The S-50's (SS-161) crew pose alongside, 1922. Digital Source: Harris & Ewing,.
LOC photo # LC-H234-A-4688 / 42352v from lcweb2.loc.gov.
S-50
0816117		1.21k Broadside view of S-50 (SS-161) 1922-31. Image NH 108466 and text courtesy of history.navy.mil
SS 161 1.23k S-50's (SS-161) crew. Digital Source: Harris & Ewing,.
LOC photo # LC-H234-A-4691 / 42353v from lcweb2.loc.gov.
SS 161 131k Part of the S-50's (SS-161) crew pose alongside in the early 1920's. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
S-50 117k S-50 (SS-161) on maneuvers in the Atlantic, circa 1924. Note that the launch is towing two torpedoes, one from each quarter. USN photo # 80-G-1024953, from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), courtesy of Daniel Dunham.
Text courtesy of Ric Hedman.
S-16 139k S-16 (SS-121) & next to her is possibly the S-50 (SS-161) with another unknown S-boat and 4 unidentified R-boats alongside their tender, Shawmut (CM-4), probably in the Panama Canal area, circa 1924. USN photo # 80-G-1024884, from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), courtesy of Daniel Dunham.
SS 161 361k The S-50 (SS-161) at Boston Navy Yard.
Note the Constitution behind the destroyer.		 Photo courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection via Sean Hert & flickr.com.
SS 161 1.30k The S-50 (SS-161) at Boston Navy Yard.
Note the Constitution behind the destroyer.		 Photo courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection via Sean Hert & flickr.com.
S-51
0816264		NR Trying to Raise Sunken Submarine
The John W. Chittenden is shown alongside the submarine S-50 (SS-161). The arrow between them points to the lifebuoy which is anchored directly over the wrecked submarine.		 Image and text provided by Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT.
Photo from the New Britain Herald. [volume] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 29 September 1925, Image 1, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
S-51
0816114		NR Submarine S-50 (SS-161) Near Disaster Doing Rescue Work
A new catastrophe was narrowly averted when sub aiding rescue of S-51 (SS-162), was submerged at wreck scene with all hatches open. Photo shows deep sea divers at New London, Conn., testing apparatus before going to scene of disaster.		 Image and text provided by Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT.
Photo from the New Britain Herald. [volume] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 02 October 1925, Image 28, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
SS 161 44k This and the next photo were both taken during the S-51 (SS-162) salvage operation. The first one was taken on 5 July 1926, the day the S-51 was finally brought to the surface. The S-50 (SS-161) had just emptied her air banks into hoses that led down to the S-51. The air was used to empty the engine and motor rooms of water. The S-3 (SS-107) stood by with full air banks to take over the operation. The S-50 reported her air all gone. The S-3 maneuvered to get alongside her. (September 1925). Photo originally appeared in Edward Ellsberg's 1929 book, On the Bottom which told the story of the S-51 salvage.
Photo i.d. & text courtesy of David Johnston
USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
SS 161 114k The S-50 (SS-161) came alongside the repair ship Vestal (AR-4) for a divers rehearsal (October 1925). The S-50 was being used as a diver training ship. Techniques for installing special salvage hatches on the S-51 (SS-162) were first practiced on the S-50 so that the divers could work out the procedures prior to getting into the water. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
S-51
0816113		2.20k Members Of Resscue Squad/ Respirators On
(Original Caption) 7/9/1926-New York, NY: Photo shows members of the crew of the S-50 (SS-161) with respirators on, ready to descend into the S-51 (SS-162) to bring up the bodies of the members of the crew.		 Photo by Bettmann Archive via Getty Images courtesy of gettyimages.com.
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.
S-49 530k View of submarine S-49 (SS-160) at the Philadelphia Naval Yard, 5 April 1927.
"These submarines have probably made their last sea trip. The "Sub" S-49, with part of her conning tower and after deck showing, is seen at lower right, and the "Sub" S-50 (SS-161), airing her flags, at the end of Pier 3, Philadelphia Navy Yard. They arrived last week from New London, Conn. They are sister craft of the S-51 (SS-162) which was rammed and sunk by a steamer at night off Block Island in September 1925, with the loss of thirty-three members of its crew. The new arrivals will be put out of commission. One of the Navy Yard's huge traveling cranes is showing in upper left of photograph." 		Photo courtesy of the George D. McDowell Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Photographs @ digital.library.temple.edu
SS 161 55k Engine room salvage hatch-practice S-50 (SS-161). Photo originally appeared in Edward Ellsberg's 1929 book, On the Bottom which told the story of the S-51 salvage.
USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
View the S-50 (SS-161)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
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