Design: EB 73C
Built by: United Iron Works
Keel laid: 14 January 1919
Launched: 2 July 1919
Sponsor: Miss Clara M. Huber
Commissioned: 14 September 1923
First Skipper: LT James A. Scott
Decommissioned: was not decommissioned

The history of USS S-39:

5 November 1924 - Arrived Manila for operations with the Asiatic Fleet. Spent the next 17 years operating out of Cavite, with summer deployments to the China coast.

11 December 1941 - Already at sea when notified that war had started (LT James W. Coe commanding) and began patrolling the San Bernardino Strait which is the passage between Luzon and the island of Samar.

13 December 1941 - Fired four torpedoes at an estimated 5,000 ton unidentified merchantman during a daylight submerged periscope approach. Even though one solid hit was reported, unable to verify damage or sinking due to escort interference.

21 December 1941 - Patrol ended in Manila.

30 December 1941 - Underway from Manila Bay for second patrol to Tablas Strait.

24 January 1942 - Arrived in Soerabaja to conclude her second patrol, which was conducted while in route from Manila.

1 March 1942 - While on third patrol, landed personnel on Chebia Island, South China Sea, during an attempted rescue and search for 40 British refugees from Singapore. None were found.

4 March 1942 - During a daytime submerged periscope approach, Coe fired four torpedoes, scored three hits and sank the 6,500 ton tanker ERIMO. Following the attack, Coe headed south. USS S-39 was the last S-Boat out of the Java Sea.

18 March 1942 - Third patrol ended in Fremantle, Australia. She moved to New Fern Wharf in Brisbane by mid-April to prepare for the next war patrol with the assistance of the submarine tender USS GRIFFIN.

10 May 1942 - Underway for fourth patrol under LT F. E. Brown.

20 May 1942 - Reconnoitered Deboyne Island in the Louisiade Archipelago, then to operate in the Solomons.

6 June 1942 - Fourth patrol ends alongside USS GRIFFITH in Brisbane.

3 August 1942 - Departed Brisbane for fifth patrol.

14 August 1942 - During this patrol, S-39 became stranded on a submerged reef off Rossell Island, Louisiade Archipelago. Ballast tanks were ruptured by pounding. After the boat took a 60 degree list and lay on her side on the rocks, LT Brown ordered the ship abandoned. All hands were rescued and transported to Townsville, Australia by HMAS KATOOMBA. USS S-39 was destroyed by the sea; LT. F. E. Brown went on to USS S-44 where he was killed in action.

WAR PATROLS OF USS S-39 (SS 144)

1st war patrol ran from 8 Dec. to 21 Dec. 1941; the boat patrolled from CV S. Luzon to CV; duration 13 days; no sinkings.

2nd war patrol ran from 2 Jan. to 24 Jan. 1942; the boat patrolled from CV Transit to SJ; duration 23 days; no sinkings.

3rd war patrol ran from an unknown date in February to an unknown date in March 1942; the boat patrolled from S Java S to FA; duration 32 days; sank the tanker ERIMO.

4th war patrol ran from 10 May to 6 June 1942; the boat patrolled from BA Solomons to BA; duration 27 days; no sinkings

5th war patrol ran from 10 August 1942 departing from BA Coral and after 4 days, the boat was lost. No sinkings.

The Skipper for the first three patrols was J. W. Coe; for the last two was Francis E. Brown.

USS S-39 was awarded two BATTLE STARS in World War II

Fifth War Patrol

USS S-39 began her ill-fated fifth war patrol twice. She was forced to return to Brisbane from the first attempt because of major breakdowns and the Executive Office being on the sick list on 5 August. Two days later, it appeared he was developing pneumonia so Brown was directed to proceed to Townsville on the NW coast of Australia. On 10 August in the smooth waters of Townsville harbor, the officer was transferred for further medical treatment and S-39 once more got underway for her patrol area off the SE coast of New Ireland.

Over the night of 13/14 August 1942, S-39 struck a submerged reef off Rossel Island in the Louisiade Archepelago. The ship took a port list of 30 to 35 degrees and was jolting heavily due to heavy following seas breaking over the deck. Backing the screws had little effect, even after all possible fuel and ballast tanks had been blown dry. The ship began swinging broadside to the sea and was being washed farther up on the rocks, so all fuel and ballast tanks were again flooded to hold her steady.

At high tide on the morning of 14 August the screws were backed and twisted until the low voltage limit on the batteries was reached. The ship backed about 50 feet, but again listed about 30 degrees to port and pounded heavily on the rocks. Ballast tanks ruptured by the rocks were again flooded in an effort to ease the pounding. In the afternoon word came from Australia that HMAS KATOOMBA would arrive the following morning to lend aid.

Throughout the day, breakers 15 to 20 feet high broke over the ship. Efforts were made to charge batteries, but several cells had been reversed and only the after battery could be charged. Shortly after dawn on the 15th, the torpedoes were inactivated and fired.

Again Brown tried backing on the after battery, but the screws were too high and had little effect. With the termination of backing efforts, the ship rapidly rolled over until the list was 60 degrees port. Fearing the seas would roll the ship entirely over, the Skipper gave permission for anyone who desired to swim to a nearby reef, although he was not ready to abandon ship. No one ventured into the water, but LT C. N. G. Hendrix volunteered to swim to the reef with a line and then to haul the two mooring lines to the reef as a riding line for the rest of the crew.

When Hendrix reached the reef and was having a difficult time with the lines due to the heavy seas, W. L. SCHOENROCK (2076-1991) offered to swim ashore and help. The two men pulled the lines and secured them to one of the torpedoes which was resting on the reef. Thirty-two men reached the reef via the line, and twelve remained aboard when HMAS KATOOMBA arrived shortly after noon.

By 1000 hours, the boats from KATOOMBA had made three trips to shore and all hands were safely aboard the ship. It was felt that S-39 would soon be broken up by the pounding seas, and no attempt was made to shell her from KATOOMBA. The S-39 crew members arrived in Townsville, Australia on 19 August 1942 and were assigned further duties in submarines. Her Skipper, F. E. Brown was eventually promoted to Lt. Cdr and given command of USS S-44. He was lost when that boat attacked surfaced what they thought was a small merchant ship that turned out to be a Japanese destroyer.

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