World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseUSS R-14 was commissioned into US Navy service in Oct 1919. After a shakedown cruise off the New England coast in northeastern United States, R-14 moved to New London, Connecticut, United States, where she prepared for transfer to the Pacific Fleet. In May 1920, she departed from New London, transiting the Panama Canal in Jul 1920, and arrived at Pearl Harbor in the US Territory of Hawaii in Sep 1920, where she would remain for nine years. During that time, in May 1921, under acting command of Lieutenant Alexander Dean Douglas, her fuel supplies ran unexpectedly low, while the ship lost radio communications. Engineering officer Roy Trent Gallemore designed a foresail made out of eight hammocks, a main sail made from six blankets, and a mizzen made from eight blankets, all hung from structures made from masts, pipe bunk frames, and torpedo loading cranes. The improvisation allowed the submarine to sail for 64 hours, reaching a point close enough to Hilo, Hawaii that the crew could use the small amount of remaining fuel to run the diesel engines and thus to charge the batteries, and arrive at Hilo. Douglas received a letter of commendation for the crew's innovative actions from the Submarine Division Commander Chester Nimitz. In Dec 1930, she departed Pearl Harbor for the Atlantic Ocean via the Panama Canal. Arriving in New London in Feb 1931, she served the majority of the 1930s as a training ship attached to the Submarine School. In the spring of 1941, she was relocated to Key West, Florida, United States. In the fall of 1941, she received a scheduled overhaul at New London, and returning to Key West in Nov 1941. In early May 1945, she arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States for decommissioning. She was sold to the firm Rossoff Brothers of New York, New York, United States for scrapping in Sep 1945, and which sold her again to the Northern Metals Company of Philadelphia. She was scrapped in 1946.

Submarine R-14 (SS-91) Interactive Map

Photographs

R-14 Operational Timeline