USS Stingray, (S5)186 sliding down the ways on October 6, 1937 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine. Looks to have been a pretty gray day to first taste the water. Stingray hit the water with port and starboard anchors as seen here. This anchor was later removed leaving her with her port anchor only.

USS Stingray shown in the 1939 - 1940 time frame while she was was operating with Submarine Squadron 6 out of San Diego, Ca.

USS Stingray shown with an unidentified background. Looks to be lots of sand dunes, maybe Cape Cod.

USS Stingray diving off San Diego while operating with Submarine Squadron 6. The USS Sturgeon SS 187 can be seen diving with her in the background. This was part of a larger fleet exercise with other submarines of Submarine Squadron 6. The wakes of two other just dived submarines (USS Seal (SS-183) and USS Salmon (SS-182)) can be seen behind Sturgeon and ships of the surface fleet can be seen on the horizon.

The USS Stingray surfaces in formation with the USS Seal (SS-183), USS Salmon (SS-182) and Uss Sturgeon (SS-187) behind her.

Back to front the submarines are USS Seal (SS-183), USS Salmon (SS-182), USS Sturgeon (SS-187) and the USS Stingray (SS-186) in the foreground during fleet exercises off San Diego in 1939.

USS Stingray seen with an unidentified shoreline in the background. The photo was originally identified as being off Pearl Harbor but there is too much residential neighborhoods for Hawaii of that time. I'm inclined to think this is San Francisco or San Diego in the back. circa 1940.

USS Plunger (SS-179) is backing clear of a nest of submarines, alongside their tender in San Diego harbor, California, in 1940. USS Salmon (SS-182), USS Seal (SS-183); and USS Stingray (SS-186) are among those in the nest in this pre-war photo.

Ancient Order of the Deep Certificate issued to Henry Brogden Jones MM 2/c. This is also known as a Shellback Certificate for crossing the equator which they did at the 118º 51 Minutes East Longitude. Jones had been a crewman on the USS Sealion SS 195 when it was bombed at Cavite on Dec 10th. He was transferred to the Stingray after the destruction of his vessel.

Henry Brogden Jones MM 2/c while still aboard the USS Sealion.

Henry Brogden Jones as a MMC later in the war.

USS Stingray off Mare Island Shipyard on October 2, 1942 after undergoing a refit and the addition of two external torpedo tubes over the forward torpedo room. These proved to be cumbersome and ineffective and were later removed.

USS Stingray off Mare Island Shipyard on October 2, 1942 after undergoing a refit and the addition of two external torpedo tubes over the forward torpedo room. These can be seen just above the anchor. These proved to be cumbersome and ineffective and were later removed. The dots in the sky are barrage balloons.

A bow on shot of the USS Stingray off Mare Island Shipyard on October 2, 1942 after undergoing a refit and the addition of two external torpedo tubes over the forward torpedo room. These proved to be cumbersome and ineffective and were later removed. A Shipyard chase boat can be seen behind the Stingray.

USS Stingray at Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco Shipyard on a rainy January 26, 1944 eighteen months after her last visit. The photos were taken by the Mare Island yard. This overhaul removed the under deck external torpedo tubes, cut more of her conning tower superstructure away, moved her deck gun from the aft deck to the foredeck and updated her radars and electronics. In the photo can be seen a truck in the foreground that has two torpedo "shapes" these are hollow and float and are used to test the torpedo expulsion systems. One is being loaded into the forward torpedo room on the right of the photo.

USS Stingray at Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco Shipyard on a rainy January 26, 1944 eighteen months after her last visit. This overhaul removed the under deck external torpedo tubes, cut more of her conning tower superstructure away, moved her deck gun from the aft deck to the foredeck and updated her radars and electronics. A truck on the right has torpedo "shapes" used to test the torpedo expulsion systems. One is seen being being loaded into the forward torpedo room. Men can be seen working on a piece of equipment under the tarps on the dock.

USS Stingray showing off her new profile with cutaway conning tower and added 20MM gun mounted on the new forward gun deck. The main 4"/50 deck gun has been moved to the foredeck. The strange shape forward of the bridge and aft of the periscope shears are canvas covers to keep spray off the 20MM guns.

USS Stingray SS 186. Photo taken at the same time as the one above but from forward of the beam. The aft 20MM gun has been lowered from vertical to a normal firing position.

USS Stingray off the Bethlehem Steel, San Francisco Shipyard doing trials. A stern view. The smoke from the engines may mean they had just been started. This smoke is typical of exhaust from cold engines.

USS Stingray bow on photo. The two superstructure mounted torpedo tubes have been removed. Looking closely on either side of the bow you can see the curved plates welded over the former openings for those tubes just below the deck line. Note the anchor has been readied for dropping in case of engine failure.