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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

R-8 (SS-85)

Radio Call Sign: November - India - Lima - Mike
R-1 Class Submarine: Laid down, 4 March 1918, at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA.; Launched, 17 April 1919; Commissioned, USS R-8, 21 July 1919, at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.; Redesignated USS R-8 (SS-85), 17 July 1920; Rammed by Widgeon (AM-22), in late October 1925 with loss of periscopes, antennae and bridge; Decommissioned, 2 May 1931, at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA.; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Philadelphia; Sank at moorings in Philadelphia Reserve Fleet, 26 February 1936; Raised; Struck from the Naval Register, 12 May 1936; Final Disposition, sunk as a target off Cape Henry, VA., 19 August 1936.
Partial data submitted by Yves Hubert.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 569 t., Submerged: 680 t.; Length 186' 2" ; Beam 18'; Draft 14' 6"; Speed, Surfaced 13.5 kts, Submerged 10.5 kts; Depth Limit, 200'; Complement 2 Officers, 27 Enlisted; Armament, four 21" torpedo tubes forward, 8 torpedoes, one 3"/50 deck gun; Propulsion, diesel electric engines, New England Ship and Engine Co., diesel engines, 1200hp, Fuel Capacity, 18,880 gals., Electro Dynamic Co., electric motors, twin propellers.
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R-8 2.34k 7 photo PDF R-8 (SS-85) showing Order of Plans, Sections and Principle Dimensions, Outboard & Inboard Profiles, Superstructure Deck & Below Superstructure Deck, Battery Deck & Below Battery Deck. National Archives Identifier: 70646282
Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov
R-3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, S-3 & 4 191k R & S boats nested together, May 1920, alongside Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6). From inboard to outboard:
R-4 (SS-81),
R-5 (SS-82),
R-6 (SS-83),
R-10 (SS-87),
R-9 (SS-86),
R-8 (SS-85),
R-7 (SS-84),
R-3 (SS-80),
S-4 (SS-109)
and S-3 (SS-107).
Note that all the R-boats have gun platforms, but that guns are fitted only on R-10,
and R-3.
S-4 has a platform for a 4"/50 gun (but no gun is installed), while S-3 still has no gun platform.		 USN photo # 19-N-9936, from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), courtesy of Daniel Dunham. Text i.d. courtesy of USNHC photo # NH 41855.
SS-84 & friends 87k R-boats off New York City, circa 1920. from inboard to outboard (left to right):
R-7 (SS-84),
R-8 (SS-85),
R-9 (SS-86),
R-10 (SS-87),
R-6 (SS-83),
R-5 (SS-82),
R-4 (SS-81).
Official USN photo # NH 41746, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Image and text provided by Louisiana State University; Baton Rouge, LA.
Photo from The Madison Journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 05 June 1920, Image 2, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
SS-85 3.01k U.S. Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va., Dry dock No. 4, Submarines R-1 (SS-78) to R-10 (SS-87). Inc., Targets 43, 45, 53 & 60., 6 October 1920. National Archives Identifier: 52559671
Local Identifier: 181-V-2733.
Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov
SS-85 2.63k U.S. Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va., Dry dock No. 4, Submarines R-1 (SS-78) to R-10 (SS-87). Inc., Targets 43, 45, 53 & 60., 6 October 1920. National Archives Identifier: 52559669
Local Identifier: 181-V-2732
Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov
SS-84 & friends 79k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) off New York City with twelve submarines alongside, circa 1920. Submarines are, from inboard to outboard (left to right):
R-1 (SS-78),
R-2 (SS-79),
R-4 (SS-81),
R-5 (SS-82),
R-6 (SS-83),
R-10 (SS-87),
R-9 (SS-86),
R-8 (SS-85),
R-7 (SS-84),
R-3 (SS-80),
S-4 (SS-109)
and S-3 (SS-107). 		Official USN photo # NH 99892, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
R-boats R- US 416k R-Boats tied to a tender. The cityscape in the background is New York City. Location is the 79th Street Boat Basin on the west side of Manhattan Island. They were in transit to Hawaii.
R-1 (SS-78),
R-2 (SS-79),
R-4 (SS-81),
R-5 (SS-82),
R-6 (SS-83),
R-10 (SS-87),
R-9 (SS-86),
R-8 (SS-85),
R-7 (SS-84) with the stern of another R-boat visible. It is quite possible that this photo is taken from a different angle from the one above with the same boats in order but only a partial view. 		Photo i.d. & text courtesy of Ric Hedman.
USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
SS-85 1.80k R-8 (SS-85) in a harbor, during the 1920s. USNHC photograph # NH 41516.
SS-85 122k R-8 (SS-85) underway during fleet operation in the 1920s. US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No.1985.055.001.007 courtesy of Mike Green.
SS-85 916k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) in San Pedro Harbor, California, 1921. Submarines alongside are (from outboard to inboard):
R-1 (SS-78)
R-3 (SS-80)
R-8 (SS-85),
R-4 (SS-81),
R-2 (SS-79) &
R-10 (SS-87) 		USN photo # NH 55044, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
BB-51 Montana132kThis photo shows the submarines R-1 (SS-78), R-2 (SS-79), R-3 (SS-80), R-4 (SS-81), R-5 (SS-82), R-7 (SS-84), R-8 (SS-85) & R-10 (SS-87) with Mud Scow #8 in Mare Island's Dry Dock #2 between 8 May and 10 June 1922. Note: The scaffold for the construction of the Montana (BB-51) can be seen above and to the right of the head of the dry dock. Seattle NARA photo # USN photo 60-30 Record Group 181, 13th Naval District, Records of the Naval District & Shore Establishments, courtesy of Tracy White researcheratlarge.com submitted by Darryl L. Baker.
SS-85 66k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) in San Diego Harbor, California, during the early 1920s, with four R-boats alongside. The outboard submarine is R-8 (SS-85). The inboard "boat" is R-6 (SS-83). Courtesy of H.R. ("Ed") Coffer, 1986. USN photo # NH 101183, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
R-8 NR CREW OF UNITED STATES SUBMARINE R-8 (SS-85) recovering the dummy torpedo fired at target during manoeuvres off California coast. Image and text provided by Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT.
Photo from The Bridgeport Times and Evening Farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 09 December 1922, Image 9, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
SS-85 187k R-8 (SS-85), after she had collided with the Widgeon (AM-22) later ASR-1) in late October 1925. The periscopes are gone and the whole "chariot bridge" is ruined. The radio antenna supports are damaged. The unhappy crew sit under an awning around the deck gun. Two other R-boats are behind her. One is thought to be the R-13 (SS-90). Courtesy of Ric Hedman TN(SS).
Sub Base Pearl Harbor152kThe crews of Submarine Divisions 9 & 14 line the decks of their boats (20 in all) at the Submarine base at Pearl Harbor on 12 December 1930.
R-1 (SS-78),
R-2 (SS-79),
R-3 (SS-80),
R-4 (SS-81),
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-11 (SS-88),
R-12 (SS-89),
R-13 (SS-90),
R-14 (SS-91),
R-15 (SS-92),
R-16 (SS-93),
R-17 (SS-94),
R-18 (SS-95),
R-19 (SS-96) &
R-20 (SS-97).
All the R-boats were to leave the base where they had been serving for upwards of 8 years and transfer to the East coast to be decommissioned over the next 3 years.
The only identifiable boat is the R-16. 		USN photo by Tai Sing Loo, courtesy of E. Little.
R-8 120k Submarine R-8 (SS-85) raised in the Navy Yard, 11 April 1936.
"Raised from the bottom--the submarine R-8 as it was raised by the Navy after having been sunk at her moorings in the Navy Yard back channel last 28 February." 		Photo courtesy of the George D. McDowell Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Photographs @ digital.library.temple.edu
SS-85
0808510		321k Three views of the R-8 (SS-85) after her finding in December 2020. Photos courtesy of maritime-executive.com via David Johnston (USN, retired)
View the R-8 (SS-85)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
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