Design: EB 73 C
Built by: United Iron Works
Keel laid: 15 January, 1919
Launched: 17 June, 1919
Sponsor: Mrs. C. Collins
Commissioned: 11 May, 1923
First Skipper: LT Clifford H. Roper
Decommissioned: 14 December 1944

The history of USS S-38:

17 July 1923 - While moored alongside USS ORTOLAN in Anchorage Bay in Alaska, USS S-37 settled by the stern until the water came up to the conning tower platform aft. The sinking was caused by an inexperienced man having removed the nuts holding the bonnet of the after trim tank sea valve for cleaning. Towed to shoal water, pumped out

8 December 1941 - When notified the war had started, ComSubDiv 201 dispatched USS S-38 to patrol the Verde Islands Passage between Luzon and Mindoro. Lt. Wreford G. ‘MOON’ Chapple commanding.

12 December 1941 - visually fired one torpedo at an unidentified transport during a night-surface attack. A bright red explosion was suddenly seen at the end of the track; it looked and sounded like a hit. Following a short dive to make sure no other ships were in the area, USS SS-38 surfaced to find herself running through flotsam normally left by a sinking ship. However, postwar records did not reveal a ship sunk in that position & at that time therefore, the sinking was never confirmed.

22 Dec 1941 - After entering Lingayen Gulf, fired four torpedoes at four selected targets. All missed; the start of problems with the Mark 10 torpedo! During the ensuing chase, Chapple was able to reload and fire three more torpedoes at two additional targets. One of these accounted for the sinking of HAYO MARU, a 5,445 ton cargo vessel.

23 December 1941 - Suffered an explosion of the after battery that seriously injured three men. One of these men, Chief Machinist’s Mate Earl Harbin, died of these injuries while a prisoner of war on 2 October 1942.

26 December 1941 - Returned to Manila Bay from first war patrol

The second patrol was during transit between Cavite and Soerabaja.

14 January 1942 - Arrived for operations out of Dutch base on Soerabaja, as Cavite is no longer accessible.
25 January 1942 - Conducted third war patrol in Makassar Strait.
16 February 1942 - Terminated third patrol in Soerabaja
22 February 1942 - Underway for fourth patrol.
26 February 1942 - The first US submarine bombardment mission of WWII. LT Henry G. “HANK” Munson commanding, ordered the firing of 72 rounds of four inch at the probable position of the radio station at Sangapura, Bawean Island, in the Java Sea.

28 February 1942 - The first open-sea rescue in World War II by a US submarine. they picked up 54 survivors of HMS ELECTRA, which was sunk by a Japanese destroyer during the battle of the Java Sea.

2 March 1942 - Fired four torpedoes at an unidentified light cruiser during night-submerged-periscope approach. One hit was recorded, causing an unidentified amount of damage to the estimated 7,500 ton Man-O-War.

13 March 1942 - Fourth patrol terminates in Fremantle, Australia.
15 April 1942 - Relocated to Brisbane for operations.
28 April 1942 - Underway for fifth war patrol off the Papuan coast and Jomard Passage.
24 May 1942 - Arrived Brisbane from fifth war patrol for repairs and testing.
24 June 1942 - Departed for the Solomon Islands for sixth patrol.
7 July 1942 - Patrol terminated at Brisbane with numerous engineering and technical problems.
28 July 1942 - Underway for seventh war patrol in the New Britain, New Ireland area.
8 August 1942 - LCDR ‘HANK’ Munson commanding, sinks the 5,628 ton transport vessel MEIYO MARU with two hits from two torpedoes fired. This was the key vessel in the Japanese expeditionary force enroute to Guadalcanal from Rabaul. After she went down with the loss of 342 lives, the remaining five vessels were recalled and the Japanese attack was delayed.

22 August 1942 - Patrol ends in Brisbane.
21 September 1942 - Underway for San Diego for overhaul. Patrol en route in the Gilberts, off Tarawa, reconnaissance at Makin and a stop at Pearl Harbor, arriving 6 Nov. 1942.

15 April 1943- Underway after overhaul for Pearl Harbor for patrol assignment; arrived on 29 April.
26 June 1943 - After repairs & testing, underway for the Marshalls for her final war patrol while enroute to New Hebrides in the South Pacific.

7 July 1943 - LCDR C. Doug Rhymes commanding, reconnoitered Uturik, Taka & Kwajalein Atolls in Marshalls, plus Nauru.
27 July 1943 - Arrived at Espiritu Santo to begin training duties with ASW forces that lasted into the summer of 1944.
27 August 1944 - Departed for San Diego and decommissioning; arriving on 7 September.
14 December 1944 - Decommissioned at San Diego.
20 January 1945 - Struck from the Navy List.
20 February 1945 - Sunk as a target by aerial bombing.

USS S-38 claimed two vessels of 11,073 tons, sunk.

USS S-38 received three BATTLE STARS in World War II.

WAR PATROLS OF USS S-38 (SS 143)

1st war patrol ran from 8 December to 26 December 1941; the boat patrolled from CV N. Luzon to CV; duration 18 days; sank the 5,445 ton transport HAYO MARU.
2nd war patrol ran from 25 January to 16 February 1942; patrolled from BJ Makassar to BJ; duration 21 days; no sinkings.
3rd war patrol ran from 27 February to 13 March 1942; patrolled from SJ Java to FA; duration 14 days; no sinkings.
4th war patrol ran from 28 April to 24 May 1942; patrolled from BA Solomons to BA; duration 26 days; no sinkings.
5th war patrol ran from 24 June to 7 July 1942; patrolled from BA Solomons to BA; duration 13 days; no sinkings.
6th war patrol ran from 28 June to 22 August 1942; patrolled from BA Solomons to BA; duration 25 days; sank the 5,627 ton transport MEIYO MARU.
7th war patrol ran from 21 September to 10 October 1942 patrolled from BA Transit to PH; duration 19 days; no sinkings.
8th war patrol ran from 26 June to 27 July 1943; patrolled from PH Marshalls to ES; duration 31 days; no sinkings.

Thanks to Chief KEN HENRY (1468-1990) for a lot of the details that go into these histories of the S-Boats.