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CinC Battleforce · 03-10-08, 01:15 PM

The S-boats were perfect shallow water boats. They were idea for the restricted waterways in the Phillippine Islands. They also gained fame in the Alution Islands as well. When it comes down to a definsive campaign, I would gladly trade one of the big fleet boats for a one of the old pig boats. From what i have gained from my research on the sugar boats in Alaskan waters. they really were excellent boats. They could be put into places that the fleet boats couldn't. They were used to recon Attu and Kiska. and they also set up a US Coast watching force along the Alution Islands. They were used to place recon eliments directly on Kiska before the Kiska Task Force of US and Canadian troops landed to retake it. They were used to shell Attu. From January 1942 to around mid 1944, the Alaskan sugar boats conducted one hell of a campaign.

It has been often over looked by casual historians, but the S-boats that called Dutch Harbor home were very brave boats, with very brave crews.

Another point to remember is that even in the era of the fleet boats USN also built another class of coastal subs Mackrel and Marlin were very modern versions of the S-boats capable of carrying Mk-14 torpedos and also carrying the Mk III TDC

Back to the S-boats, I have heard people say that they don't thinkg the S-boats carried TDC, from what i have learned in my research and from talking to other folks, the S-boats used in the Alutions were retro fitted with the Mk I TDC. These TDCs came off the early fleet boats as they were modernized in the war. When a fleet boat came in its Mk I TDC was replaced with the Mk III. When a sugar boat came in for refit they put the old Mk I on it. Mare Island and Pudget Sound were kept busy keeping the Dutch Harbor boats equiped uptil the time they were totally withdrawn from the Pacific and sent to the Submarine School at New London.

Once the war passed the Alutions by, the sugar boats weren't able to conduct the offensive war patrols that were needed against Japan, so they sort of lost their porpuse for fighting. The campaign had swung from definsive to offensive and the boats at Dutch Harbor soon became fleet boats making runs to and from Northern Japan.

03-10-08, 01:15 PM	#5
CinC Battleforce A-ganger Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 78 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	The S-boats were perfect shallow water boats. They were idea for the restricted waterways in the Phillippine Islands. They also gained fame in the Alution Islands as well. When it comes down to a definsive campaign, I would gladly trade one of the big fleet boats for a one of the old pig boats. From what i have gained from my research on the sugar boats in Alaskan waters. they really were excellent boats. They could be put into places that the fleet boats couldn't. They were used to recon Attu and Kiska. and they also set up a US Coast watching force along the Alution Islands. They were used to place recon eliments directly on Kiska before the Kiska Task Force of US and Canadian troops landed to retake it. They were used to shell Attu. From January 1942 to around mid 1944, the Alaskan sugar boats conducted one hell of a campaign. It has been often over looked by casual historians, but the S-boats that called Dutch Harbor home were very brave boats, with very brave crews. Another point to remember is that even in the era of the fleet boats USN also built another class of coastal subs Mackrel and Marlin were very modern versions of the S-boats capable of carrying Mk-14 torpedos and also carrying the Mk III TDC Back to the S-boats, I have heard people say that they don't thinkg the S-boats carried TDC, from what i have learned in my research and from talking to other folks, the S-boats used in the Alutions were retro fitted with the Mk I TDC. These TDCs came off the early fleet boats as they were modernized in the war. When a fleet boat came in its Mk I TDC was replaced with the Mk III. When a sugar boat came in for refit they put the old Mk I on it. Mare Island and Pudget Sound were kept busy keeping the Dutch Harbor boats equiped uptil the time they were totally withdrawn from the Pacific and sent to the Submarine School at New London. Once the war passed the Alutions by, the sugar boats weren't able to conduct the offensive war patrols that were needed against Japan, so they sort of lost their porpuse for fighting. The campaign had swung from definsive to offensive and the boats at Dutch Harbor soon became fleet boats making runs to and from Northern Japan.