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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

R-19 (SS-96)

Radio Call Sign: November - Echo - Golf - Kilo
R-19 served both the US and British Navies

R-1 Class Submarine: Laid down, 23 June 1917, at Union Iron Works, San Francisco, CA..; Launched, 28 January 1918; Commissioned, USS R-19, 7 October 1918; Redesignated USS R-19 (SS-96), 17 July 1920; Decommissioned, 15 May 1931, at Philadelphia, PA.; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, League Island; Recommissioned, 6 January 1941; Decommissioned, transferred to the United Kingdom, under terms of the Lend-Lease Program, and commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS P-514, 9 March 1942; Final Disposition, sunk resulting from a collision with HMS Georgian, with all hands, in the western Atlantic, 21 June 1942; Struck from the Naval Register, (date unknown).

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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For Full Size		Size Image Description Source
sboats
0814300		 7.80k Union Iron Works, San Francisco, California.
Photographed during World War I, with four-piper destroyers under construction at the Risdon Iron Works in the lower right. Four submarines and one destroyer hull in dry-dock are at the piers in the center, along with some large merchant ships. Risdon, part of Union, is to the lower right of the ink line. 1-Cafeteria, 2-Store room, 3-Iron Foundry, 4-Brass Foundry, 5-Machine shop, 6-Pattern shop, 7-Erecting machine shop, 8-Administration building, 9-Power house, 10-office bldg., Govt. offices, 11-Blacksmith shop, 12-Bioler shop, 13-Joiner shop, 14-Joiner shop, Annex with oil storage tanks underneath, 15-Warehouse and office bldg., 16-Pipe and copper shop, 17-Steel storage, 18-Plate shop, 19-Gate house, 20-Building slips 4&5, 21-Building slips 1.2 & 3, 22-Wharf #2, 23-Wharf #3, 24-Floating dock, capacity 2000 tons, 25-Floating dock, capacity 6500 tons, 26-Wharf #4, 27-Wharf #5, S-Storage space 2--Risdon Plant shown south and east of red lines: 1-Copper storage, 2- Oil tank, 3-Office building, 4-Office building, 5-Yarrow boiler shop, 6-Warehouse, 7-Power house, 8-Blacksmith shop, 9-Storehouse, 10-Sheet metal shop, 11-Sheet metal shop, 12-Marine machine shop, 13-Wharves, 14-Wharves, 15-Wharves.
Appearing here in no order are vessels that were constructed but not necessarily here: 6 of 27 R-class submarines
first keel laid: R-16 (SS-93), 26 April 1917, last: R-19 (SS-96), 23 June 1917
first launch: R-15 (SS-92), 10 December 1917, last: R-19, 28 January 1918
R-15 (SS-92) ... R-20 (SS-97)
12 of 51 S-class submarines S-30 (SS-135) ... S-41 (SS-146)
26 of 111 Wickes-class destroyers for the United States Navy between 1917 and 1919
first keel laid: Ringold (DD-89), 20 October 1917, last: Stansbury (DD-180), 9 December 1918 first launch: McKee (DD-87), 23 March 1918, last: Stansbury, 16 May 1919, 8 are launched on 4 July 1918
McKee (DD-87) ... Gridley (DD-92), Schley (DD-103), ... Ludlow (DD-112), Burns (DD-171) & ... Stansbury (DD-180)
40 of 156 Clemson-class destroyers for the United States Navy between 1918 and 1921 Chauncey (DD-296) ... Melvin (DD-335) 		Photo courtesy of history.navy.mil
R-boats 1.79k Construction of Uncle Sam's latest type of Submarine Class R, 6 March 1918.
Six R boats under constructions at Union Iron Works, San Francisco, CA.
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 three boats closest to the camera are numbered on their sterns 16, 17 & 18. The other three boats viewed bow on can't be identified. 		National Archives Identifier: 55173460
Local Identifier: 111-SC-006278.
Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov
R-19 787k Launching of R-19 (SS-96) at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. Lt'd. Union Plant, San Francisco, Calif. on 28 January 1918. USN photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
R-19 1.16k The R-19 (SS-96) is seen at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. Lt'd. Union Plant, San Francisco, Calif. on 28 January 1918, sponsored by Mrs. Robert L. Irvine. Photo from Hearst Pathe News.
National Archives Identifier: 45547166
Local Identifier: 165-WW-499A-17.
Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov
SS 92-9787k Beaver (AS-5) at anchor off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, with six submarines alongside, circa late 1918.
R-17 (SS-94),
R-20 (SS-97),
R-15 (SS-92),
R-16 (SS-93),
R-18 (SS-95) &
R-19 (SS-96). 		USNHC photograph # NH 56366.
R-19 619k R-19 (SS-96) making a test dive or a trim diving in San Diego circa 1918-19. Photo from the files of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum via Darryl L. Baker.
R-19 64k R-boats (SS-78/104) were in effect, costal equivalents to the S-boats. R-19 (SS-96) is shown here with her telescoping radio mast raised. Photo & text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press.
R-boats 412k Subs R U.S.
From right to left:
R-16 (SS-93),
R-18 (SS-95),
R-19 (SS-96),
R-12 (SS-89),
R-13 (SS-90),
R-11 (SS-88),
R-17 (SS-94),
R-20 (SS-97),
R-14 (SS-91) &
R-15 (SS-92)
Photo courtesy of David Wright.
R-19
0809507		 938k Photo of a R-Class submarine leaving or returning to Mare Island at the coaling berths at the yard. I believes the photo dates between 31 March 1919 & 10 June 1919 and is one of the following subs: R-15 thru R-20 who were at the shipyard at the time along with Beaver (AS-5). The Evansville (ID 2996) is likely the outboard ship in the background. The other two are likely civilian ships delivering or picking up coal or stone.
Dave Johnston adds; "I can’t make out the boat’s name on the forward superstructure, but it appears to be a single digit. This is only a guess and it could be anything.

Interesting note: I can see a gun mount pedestal on the forward deck, but there doesn’t seem to be a gun installed. I have not seen this yet on an R-boat. At any rate, the deck around the gun mount has not been expanded yet, so this is probably a preliminary installation." 		Text courtesy of Darryl Baker & Dave Johnston.
Photo from the files of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum via Darryl L. Baker.
R-20 731k R-20 (SS-97) and her sisters (R-15 (SS-92), R-16 (SS-93), R-17 (SS-94), R-18 (SS-95) & R-19 (SS-96)) are seen in Mare Island's dry dock #2 between 7 April and 10 June 1919. The barge is YR-2. The submarines were in overhaul at the yard from 31 March 1919 and 14 June 1919 prior to their transfer to Pearl Harbor. This information taken from the shipyard's journals. Photo from the files of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum via Darryl L. Baker.
R-20 516k Union Iron Works R Class Boats - deck gun images in Pearl Harbor. This photo shows major work to add sponsons and deck for larger gun decks; left to right R-19 (SS-96), R-18 (SS-95), R-15 (SS-92), R-17 (SS-94) & R-20 (SS-97).
This photo from left to right shows R-18, R-15, R-17 & R-20 from a different angle than first photo (not in focus). The dark area in the middle of the gun deck is either the disappeared 3’/23 gun or base for the 3”/50.?
Note: Monterey (M-6) is in the background, left of the large crane. She was station ship at Pearl Harbor from 12/19/1917 to 8/27/1921.		 Photos from the files of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum via Darryl L. Baker.
R-boats 1.53k R-boats at Pearl Harbor, circa early 1920's.
From L-R: R-18 (SS-95),
R-16 (SS-93),
R-20 (SS-97),
R-17 (SS-94),
R-15 (SS-92),
R-19 (SS-96). 		Photo courtesy of Ric Hednan.
R-19 210k R-19 (SS-96) underway, date and place unknown. USN photo courtesy of Hyperwar US Navy in WWII.
R-boats 117k Circa early 1920's at Pearl Harbor. What looks to be the R-15 (SS-92) on the left, R-12 (SS-89) in the middle and R-19 (SS-96). The mast of what might be the former cruiser Chicago, now a barracks ship under the classification IX-5, lies to the right of the R-19. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
Unknown Photos3.08kR & S boats at the sub base, Pearl Harbor, November 1925. The barracks ship, ex-Chicago (CL-14) is at the right of the photo. Photo from the private collection of Ric Hedman.
Sub Base Pearl Harbor292kThe 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-19 1.70k R-19 (SS-96) at the Pearl Harbor Submarine Base, Hawaii Territory, during the 1920s or early 1930s. USNHC photograph # NH 41518.
R-19 297k R-19 (SS-96) at the Pearl Harbor Submarine Base, Hawaii Territory, during the 1920s or early 1930s. Photo courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
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)
Navy Yard 417k These World War submarines, [O & R-boats] tied up in the Navy Yard in Philadelphia for a dozen years, are being reconditioned and some are already in active service again, it was announced 10 January 1941. This picture shows them as they appeared before the repair program began.
From Left to right: O-3 (SS-64), unknown, R-1 (SS-78), R-7 (SS-84), R-20 (SS-97), R-19 (SS-96) & R-17 (SS-94). 		Photo courtesy of the George D. McDowell Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Photographs @ digital.library.temple.edu
HMS P 514
R-19 84k R-19 (SS-96) now as the HMS P-514. Note the silhouette of the gun by comparison with the British 3" or 4" piece. Photo and text from "Royal Navy Submarines: 1901 to the Present Day" by Maurice Cocker & submitted by Robert Hurst.
R-19 197k Google Earth satellite photo of the HMS P-514 last approximate position based during post-war debriefings after she was rammed and sunk by the HMS Georgian (J-144), a Bangor class minesweeper. This position is thought to be the final resting place of the HMS P-514 and her crew. View courtesy of Google Earth.
Inset photo courtesy of heritage.tantramar.com.
R-19 193k Lt W. A. Phillimore, RN, the commander of HMS P-514 at the time of her loss.
Born 7th September 1915, Died 21st June 1942 Aged 27.
We thank God for his happy life and the happiness he gave.
Quam Dilectus The deck it was their field of fame and Ocean was their grave. 		Photo courtesy of Richard Lockwood, whose great Uncle, Walter Phillimore, was the commander of HMS P-514 at the time of her loss.
R-19 887k Six photo PDF of Lt W. A. Phillimore, RN and the crew of HMS P-514. PDF courtesy of Richard Lockwood, whose great Uncle, Walter Phillimore, was the commander of HMS P-514 at the time of her loss.
R-19 45k Commemorative photo in honor of the memory of the crew of the HMS P-514.

In Memoriam:

In the Second Book of Shmuel (Samuel), 22nd chapter, 5th through the 19th verses, translated from the original in Hebrew and published by the Koren Publishers of Jerusalem, Israel, 1982, can perhaps aptly describe the fate of the crew and all other U.S. submariners who died defending their county:

"When the waves of death compassed me / the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; / the bonds of She'ol encircled me; / the snares of death took me by surprise; / in my distress I called upon the Lord, / and cried to my G-D: / and he heard my voice out of his temple, / and my cry entered into his ears. / Then the earth shook and trembled; /the foundations of heaven moved / and shook because of his anger /...the heavy mass of waters, and thick clouds of the skies /... And the channels of the sea appeared, / the foundations of the world were laid bare, / at the rebuking of the Lord, at the blast at the breath of his nostrils. / He sent from above, he took me; / he drew me out of many waters; / he delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me; for they were too strong for me. / They surprised me in the day of my calamity: / but the Lord was my stay..." 		Photo courtesy of Tom Kermen. Dante's Prayer courtesy of Loreena McKennitt via loreenamckennitt.com
R-19 25k Commemorative first day issue & photo inset of the R-19 (SS-96) as the HMS P-514, 6 May, 1974. Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
R-19 343k A picture of the monument to Lt W. A. Phillimore, RN and the crew of HMS P-514 killed on 21 June 1942. Photo taken by Motacilla (real name unknown) at the C. of E. parish church of St. Mary the Virgin, Swinbrook, Oxfordshire, England, 26 July 2012.
Photo courtesy of Robert Hurst.
View the R-19 (SS-96)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
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U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
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