You have stumbled across a rare photo! I missed this one myself! The advanced age and limited capabilities of the S-boats relegated them mostly to training and secondary patrol duties after 1943. Because of this, they received a much lower priority for receiving advanced gear like the SJ-1. Most of the S-boats didn't receive any radar at all until 1943! This is what leads me to believe that this photo was taken later in the war, probably late '44 or early '45. By that time, enough of the SJ-1 sets would have been available to warrant their installation in the S-boats. S-42 received her last major overhaul in Brisbane in October, 1944 and this is when this radar set may have been installed, but it is possible that she got it as early as March '44 in Pearl Harbor.

Midway
 

Silent Hunter IV is pretty accurate historically. For a game developed in Europe, I have been impressed with all the things they got right, especially in some of the minor details. But one thing they really goofed on is Midway Island.

Every time I have run a SHIV patrol out of Midway or stopped off for fuel, there have been dozens of warships present, including carriers and battleships. Sometimes the number of ships present exceeds that of Pearl Harbor! NEVER, at any time during the war, was Midway a major fleet anchorage or base. It is only 2.4 square miles in size and has no source of fresh water. None of the three islands of the atoll are large enough to support a major fuel facility or repair yard. Only a major construction project enabled the basing of submarines there, and even then the repair "facilities" only consisted of submarine tenders, floating drydocks, and a few tugs. Having 3 or 4 subs in port for refit along with the tender crews almost overwhelmed the atoll's meager facilities.

Despite these limitations, Midway proved to be a valuable advance base for our submarines. It was 1,300 miles closer to the patrol areas off Japan and thus saved our boats valuable transit time and fuel, allowing longer patrols in Empire areas.

I have a question that has been bugging me for a while.

While in a submarine, what are the rules about wearing your cover (hat)?:shucks:

The S 44 and her refit.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08155.htm

"S-44 (SS-155), was one of six E.B. boat's extensivley modernized during WW II. The refit included installation of air conditioning, with the unit installed in the crew space abaft the control room, alongside the refrigerator.
S-44 was fitted with radar (SJ forward, SD abaft the bridge), a loop antenna built into the periscope shears for underwater reception, & a free flooding structure carrying a 20-mm anti-aircraft gun, with a box for 4-in ready-service ammunition below it.
A JK passive sonar, probably installed at Philadelphia during a refit between November & December 1941, was located on the forward deck. On the keel below it was a pair of oxcillators."

There are pictures of the S-44 dated June 11, 1943 on the web site linked above.

Rules?! In a submarine??!! :rotfl:

Well, here goes another popular misconception down the drain! Once clear of the harbor, covers get stowed in your locker and don't come out again until the maneuvering watch is set inbound. Many of the CO's had fairly lax "rules" when it came to underway attire. Covers were the first piece of formality to be disposed of once underway.

During the Cold War on the Darter, my usual underway uniform was a ratty blue t-shirt, a pair of diver's shorts, and my high top boots. I have a few photos of my shipmates that make us look like a bunch of pirates!

That was a little on the extreme and the last CO that I had insisted that we at least wear a uniform. Today's navy is a bit more formal!

To the Bunny Bar with ya Davey
 

How can you remember how to plot if you're face down on the floor Heh Heh Good Times. March ET1/SS:arrgh!:

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Oh wow! Navy brat here. My dad served aboard the USS Darter between 1982-1985. We lived in Sasebo, then Subic Bay Phillippines during it's overhaul then back to Sasebo. Small world.

Whoa, nostalgia alert. I used to ride my bike up that mountain in the background. Well, at least to that lodge on the right side.

Thanks, Dave. :) My detective work says that it would have been sometime in late 1943-early 1944. Given that the caption says the photo was taken at Dutch Harbor, I came to that date range based on the following info we do know:

• The presence of the 3"/50 gun: the patrol report covering its last 1943 patrol (ending in early October) mentions that the 4"/50 was still installed.
• The conning tower configuration was first used on the above-mentioned September-October 1943 patrol.

Additionally, we can extract the following info:

• The boat to the left is an S-18 class boat, probably S-35.
• The boat to the right of S-42 is a mystery. It looks to have a 3"/50 gun in addition to SJ-1. My guess is it's either S-30 or S-41.

Whatever the case, it's a very fascinating photo and the only one I've seen of S boats fitted with SJ-1 radar. :yep:

Post 19 in this thread:yep:

http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0815510.jpg

Different boat, different radar. ;)

X marks the spot!

Actually, having looked very carefully at the photo, and comparing it to the one immediately ahead of it, I think both photos were actually taken at the same time in Milne Bay. The background just doesn't look like Dutch Harbor. Take a look at the gangplanks, the people on deck, and the shadows in both photos. I have found that sometimes 60 year old memories can play tricks on people and the Dutch Harbor caption was a simple error by the person submitting the photo.

With that said,

Assuming that both photos were taken at the same time, the boat on the S-42's starboard side is actually a 20 series S-boat (S-18 and S-20 to 29), not the S-35. If you look at the bow plane pivot housing on the forward superstructure for the boat in question, it is the angular shaped housing of the 20 series boats, not the rounded one of the S-19 and S-30 to 41. I agree that there is not enough to go on for an ID of the boat on S-42's port side.

If I lost anyone on this, let me know and I will explain it further. :06: