Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer!

[Friedmann]

My favourite US submarine. In fact I don't play the others at all because of the joys of the Sugar Boat.

I love being the underdog and patrolling early war in that thing definitely gives me the underdog feel. Later in the war? Not so much.

[AVGWarhawk]

I like chugging around in the S.

[walrusbomb]

did the aft lookout really have no guard-rail? it doesn't look very safe.

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

Yeah, you know how many times we have to fish him out of the drink? I like the S-42 with the twin AA Gun and 4xo.50 cal deck gun and SJ and SD radars- The Super Sugarboat! It takes 4 minutes to submerge though.

[CinC Battleforce]

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 Mare Island and Pudget Sound were kept busy keeping the Dutch Harbor boats equiped uptil the time they were totally withdrawn from the Pacific and sent to the Submarine School at New London.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.

[LukeFF]

They had brave crews, because by 1944 their fuel tanks were badly corroded, and their engines were prone to catch fire. Not to mention they were very cramped and extremely hot on the inside. Essentially, they were a stop-gap measure (like the German Type IIs) until sufficient fleet boats could be put into service. Certainly the real-world crews of the S-boats didn't have the romantic opinion of them that some players have of them.

[seafarer]

I always liked this, from a 2004 article in the magazine Sea Classics

"During and shortly after World War One, the US Navy built a large
number of coastal-type submarines which were simply known as the
S-class. They were simple designs that measured 219-ft in length;
had a 21-ft beam and displaced 1062-tons submerged. Armed with
four 21-in torpedo tubes, and a four-inch deck gun. They were
known for breakdowns, leaks and, above all, a smell unlike
anything experienced by mankind. As the S boats aged, so did the
musty, moss-like smell that pervaded every corner of the boat.
Many of these craft were transferred to the Asiatic Fleet where
they remained for many years or until the Pacific War began.

It was rumored (and probably true) that one night while an S boat
was moored at Cavite, a rather drunk first-class torpedo man came
stumbling down the gangway with a small cage. The duty officer
asked what he thought he was doing and then noticed that a
fully-grown and not so happy skunk was trapped in the cage. The
young OOD ordered and then pleaded with the drunken sailor to let
the skunk loose. He finally appealed to his good nature and asked
about the "smell." The sailor promptly replied, "Don't worry, the
skunk will get used to it soon enough just like all of the rest
of us!"

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by LukeFF

Not to mention they were very cramped and extremely hot on the inside.

Except for the ones in the Aleutians, which, according to Roscoe, were extremely cold on the inside.

[swdw]

Originally Posted by CinC Battleforce

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

Yeah, they are cool in a game, but if you had to patrol in a real one, you'd be dreaming of a fleet boat.

No AC, shorts from high humidity buildup in trpical waters, not enough heat to keep warm in arctic conditions. Damp to soggy wet matresses that never dry out in the tropics while on patrol. Having to wear extra clothing while sleeping in cold waters to keep from freezing.

Yeah, they were so much beter than fleet boats.:rotfl:

Originally Posted by CinC Battleforce

So when the navy found itself fighting in the Alutions, they had to fall back onto a tired class of boats, but those boats did their job well.

I prefer to believe it was the SAILORS that did their job well with a cantankerous, worn out, uncomfotable old boat held together in some cases by the shear ingenuity and creativeness of her crew (or spit and bailing wire if you so choose).


Oh, and BTW, it's Aleutians, not Alutions

That said, there is no doubt of the bravery, agressiveness, and skill of the men who served on the pigboats that were able to rack up such an honorable history with them.