USS S-27 SS 132

USS S-27 SS 132 S-1 Class

June 19, 1942. Ran aground No men lost.

From: Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

S-27
SS-132
Displacement:
Surfaced: 854 t.
Submerged: 1,062 t.
Length: 219'3"
Beam: 20'8"
Draft: 15'11" (mean)
Speed:
Surfaced: 14.5 k.
Submerged: 11 k.
Complement: 42
Armament: 1 4"; 4 21" torpedo tubes
Class: S-1

On June 12, 1942, S-27 left Dutch Harbor in the Aleutians with orders to patrol in the Kuluk Bay area and to reconnoiter Constantine Harbor, Amchitka. On the night of June 16 - 17, she was ordered to deploy to Kiska. On June 18, she reconnoitered Constantine Harbor, finding no enemy activity. She then proceeded to Kiska. When S-27 surfaced that night to re-charge her batteries, heavy fog unknowingly caused her to drift five miles from her estimated position. She eventually grounded on rocks off St. Makarius Point on June 19. All attempts to right the boat were unsuccessful. The entire crew was safely transferred to Constantine Harbor on the 20th, and a camp was set up using the buildings and heating equipment which had survived a Japanese bombing. The entire crew was eventually rescued by PBY aircraft. All equipment, classified material, and guns aboard S-27 was destroyed. Only the submarine's hulk remained.

S-27 did not sink any enemy vessels. An interesting first-hand account by a S-27 crew member is posted at the Commander Subamrines Pacific Fleet website.