USS S-4 (SS-109) - Sinking

Sinking

See also: S-4 court of inquiry

On 17 December 1927, while surfacing from a submerged run over the measured-mile off Cape Cod near Provincetown, Massachusetts, she was accidentally rammed and sunk by the Coast Guard destroyer Paulding.

Paulding stopped and lowered life boats, but found only a small amount of oil and air bubbles. Rescue and salvage operations were commenced, only to be thwarted by severe weather. Heroic efforts were made to rescue six known survivors trapped in the forward torpedo room, who had exchanged a series of signals with divers, by tapping on the hull. As the trapped men used the last of available oxygen in the sub, a diver placed his helmeted ear to the side of the vessel and received this morse-coded message, “Is … there … any … hope?” Sadly, there was no reason for hope and all six men perished.

The six men who were trapped were:

  • Lieutenant Graham N. Fitch
  • Torpedoman's Mate Russell A. Crabb
  • Seaman Joseph L. Stevens
  • Seaman George Pelham
  • Torpedoman's Mate Roger L. Short
  • Torpedoman's Mate Frank Snizek

Despite best efforts all were lost. S-4 was finally raised on 17 March 1928, by a salvage effort commanded by Captain Ernest J. King. Several of the salvage divers, including Eadie and Frank W. Crilley, were awarded the Navy Cross for their actions during the operation. The submarine was towed to the Boston Navy Yard for dry-docking and was decommissioned on 19 March.

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