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USS Dolphin SS 169 (ex-V-7)
Exterior Photos | Interior Photos

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001

The USS Dolphin just beginning her slide down the ways at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on March 8, 1932. Her hull superstructure is only completed from the bow to about the Conning Tower area.

There are smatterings of Navy crew in amongst the shipyard worker riding the submarine down the ways. At the bow the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Banner is flying. It reads backwards because the back of the banner is only seen by the camera. You may notice that in subsequent photos that there are anchors on both bows. This was later reduced to only one anchor per submarine.

There seems to be a distinct lack of bunting and ceremony involved in this launch. Perhaps due it being several years into the Great Depression and the government needed to show signs of austerity.

Interesting to note that there are reports of extensive use of "electric welding" used in the construction of the pressure hull. What this "extensive use" was in the percentage of the hull construction wasn't explained in the reference. We know from statements made by Electric Boat, that built Cuttlefish (V-9), using welding to build 40% of her pressure hull while riveting the rest. Perhaps Dolphin was the same mixture.

US Navy Photo

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002

The newly launched Dolphin floating free of her builders cradle at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard March 8, 1932. The incomplete state of her superstructure aft of the conning tower is evident. The large "barrels" on her aft deck are the huge mufflers for her main diesel engines. Not yet installed is the after escape trunk. It is a brisk, windy day!

US Navy Photo In the Private Collection Of Ric Hedman

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003

The newly launched Dolphin in close up and floating free of her builders cradle at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard March 8, 1932. The incomplete state of her superstructure aft of the conning tower is evident. The large "barrels" on her aft deck are the huge mufflers for her main diesel engines. Not yet installed is the after escape trunk. It is a brisk, windy day!

US Navy Photo In the Private Collection Of Ric Hedman

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004

The newly launched Dolphin being warped to the pier at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard March 6, 1932.

US Navy Photo

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005

Launch crew pose for photos after the Dolphin has been warped into the pier.

The Officers seen here are from Left to Right: Executive Officer, Lt Robert Eugene Blue; Commanding Officer; Lt John B. Griggs jr; Ltjg David E. Roth and Ensign J. B. Johnson. The place the men are standing is sloped up to the right so that is why the photo looks strange. The cameraman "leveled" the picture to the deck.

US Navy Photo In the Private Collection Of Ric Hedman

USS Dolphin SS 169 On Sea Trials 1932

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006

The USS Dolphin performing diving tests off Provincetown, Mass during sea trials circa June 1932. Interesting to see the unpainted condition of the submarine and the lack of decking over the raised section aft of the Fairwater. Note the spray from the open vent on the top of a ballast tank. Also note the abbreviated cigarette deck later to be lengthened. Even the "D1" are sheet metal letters and screwed on not painted.

Wire Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

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007

The USS Dolphin, almost fully submerged performing diving tests off Provincetown, Mass during sea trials circa June 1932. This photo taken a few minutes after the one seen above.

Wire Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

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008

The USS Dolphin doing trial runs off Provincetown ,Massachusetts circa June 1932. Here she is just doing photo ops for the camera but she would have also done surface and submerged speed runs demonstrating depth and endurance. Crew are on deck taking advantage of a bit of fresh air.

Note the short raised deck aft of the conning tower fairwater. It is half the length it will become after her 1933 refit. The fairwater will also be lengthened at that time.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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009

In this photo the USS Dolphin is going the other direction on her trial runs off Provencetown ,Massachusetts circa June 1932. Here she is just doing photo ops for the camera but she would have also done surface and submerged speed runs demonstrating depth and endurance. Crew are on deck taking advantage of a bit of fresh air.

US Navy Photo

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010

The USS Dolphin performing diving tests off Provincetown, Mass during sea trials.

Wire Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

USS Dolphin SS 169 Dry Dock September 1932

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011

Commissioned on July 1, 1932 the Dolphin sits in drydock on September 30, 1932, after her initial sea trials in summer of 1932. Her four bow torpedo tubes can be clearly seen and the bow diving planes are rigged out as if she was submerged. The purpose of the bumpers on each tube outer door will become apparent in the photos below.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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012

In this view the bow planes are rigged in in surface cruising mode and the torpedo tube outer doors are open.

In these two photos you can clearly see both of the Dolphins anchors. As the US entered WW II and material was getting scarcer it was decided that only one anchor was necessary on submarines and many times extra anchors were removed from a submarine with two and given to a new construction submarine.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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013

View of the port side torpedo tubes with the outer doors open. The outer (muzzle) door is a two-piece affair. The round door sits against the knife edge of the tube when shut and seals the tube making it water-tight.

The second piece is a hydrodynamic fairing attached via a hinge to the outer door. When shut this fairing provides a smooth flow of water. When open it partially retracts into the superstructure to get out of the way of the weapon as it exits. The bumper on the fairing prevents the weapon from hanging up on or hitting the superstructure. As you can see there is also a bumper on the inside of the circular outer door for the same purpose.

The mechanism for opening and closing these tube fairings was fairly complicated and would have most likely caused the boat some maintenance problems.

The oval cutouts above the tubes are called limber holes and they allow rapid flooding and/or draining of this portion of the superstructure, which is open to the sea. The pressure hull is buried inside the outer hull to the right of this picture and can not be seen.

The numbers running vertically above the tubes are draft marks, used to tell the crew how deep in the water the boat is sitting while in port. Each number is 6 inches tall and there are 6 inches from the bottom of one number to the top of the next. The bottom "0" actually corresponds to 10 feet, meaning that when the water line is at the bottom of the 0 the hull directly below this number is 10 feet under the water. The "1" corresponds to 11 feet, and so on.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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014

View of the outer hull, port side, looking aft. One of the two anchors can be seen, along with the bottom edge of the free flooding superstructure in the middle of the photo. On the bottom of the hull on the right can be seen the port side bilge keel, a slat like device designed to lessen the effects of wave induced rolling while on the surface.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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015

Forward port Kingston closed. Note the riveted hull plating but the welded bilge keel. A mix of construction styles.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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016

Forward port Kingston open. Note the riveted hull plating but welded rolling chock. A mix of construction styles.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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017

View of the boat in drydock at Portsmouth Navy Yard, 30 September 1932. The aft torpedo tubes can clearly be seen, just below and aft of the angle-steel propeller guards.

The stern diving planes are mounted to the rudder stock and are aft of the propellers (properly called a screw). The stern planes are used to control the angle of the boat while submerged.

On the main deck the aft escape trunk can be seen, and just forward of that are two raised platforms that cover the large mufflers for the main propulsion diesel engines. Just below the muffler platform is a circular opening in the side of the superstructure. This is the exhaust pipe leading out from the muffler. Further forward you can just see the exhaust pipe outlet for the starboard side generator diesel.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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018

Close up of the conning tower fairwater, starboard side looking forward. This is the original configuration of the fairwater, with a stepped configuration that leads down to an enclosure for one of the two liberty launches.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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019

Close up of the after deck showing details of the escape trunk, muffler platforms, and engine exhaust. Someone spilled a paint bucket!

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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020

Starboard side from aft, down in the drydock showing details of the stern.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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021

View from directly aft, with details of the after torpedo tube muzzle doors. By 1941 the Navy had shifted to more efficient four bladed propellers.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

The next series of 14 photos were all taken at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine in July 1933 at the conclusion of a post shakedown overhaul. In addition to correcting mechanical problems revealed by the cruise to San Diego and back, several significant exterior changes were made based on recommendations of the ship's crew and the Navy.

USS Dolphin SS 169 Topside Photos Portsmouth 1933

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022

The USS Dolphin fore deck as viewed from the bridge. The location is just outside the dry dock at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Picture was taken July 5, 1933.

The heavy dual cables on either side of the photo were a combination of medium range radio aerial and mine clearance cable. The lower cable was the aerial and it can be seen connecting to an internal fitting right at the forward edge of the bridge fairwater.

This heavy cable was supported on the forward and after decks by tri-pod masts and in the center by rectangular stanchions on either side of the bridge fairwater. At the very top of the picture can be seen the much thinner long range aerial which is supported in the center by an extendable mast, the extra height obtained by the mast used to pick up long range comms.

Seen in the lower left of the photo is the under deck storage for one of the the ships launches. On deck a dungaree chief can be seen talking with another person, probably a civilian yard worker. Though chiefs had dress uniforms they had no working uniforms (Khaki) at this time and just wore dungarees the same as lower rates just adding their chief hat.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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023

The Forward rescue marker buoy looking aft. This is a feature installed on all boats in the aftermath of the USS S-4 disaster and would later prove to be a key factor in the successful rescue of 33 men from the sunken USS Squalus.

Seen at the top of the photo and just to the right of the Tri-Pod leg you can see the outline for the under deck boat storage.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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024

Forward messenger buoy The USS Dolphin. The sign says: "Submarine Sunk Here Telephone Inside" and the cover plate is opened by unscrewing the wingnuts to reach the telephone.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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025

View topside looking aft from the "Cigarette Deck" aft of the bridge. The raised platform that the crewmen are sitting on contains a 2nd liberty launch at the forward end, and three storage (non-firing) torpedo tubes (called "coffins" by Norman Friedman in his book, "Submarines through 1945") at the aft end of this structure.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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026

View looking forward from the so-called "Cigarette Deck" (so named as it was a great spot to catch a smoke while underway) towards the Bridge.

Directly underneath the photographer's feet would be the large, man-sized mushroom shaped main air induction valve, used to draw air into the engine rooms for the diesel engines.

The telescoping radio aerial mast can be seen in the foreground, and in the background is the covered weather bridge.

The hatch seen on the left leads up from the after end of the conning tower just aft and outside the deck access door located at the aft end of the conning tower (see interior conning tower photos).

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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027

The USS Dolphin enclosed bridge sometimes known as a weather bridge. It was used by the Officer of the Deck, helmsman, and lookout(s) while the boat is surfaced.

This is a free flooding area and many of the items located here were made of brass. In the center is the large helm wheel, connected mechanically to a similar unit in the conning tower and control room below.

Next to the wheel is the ship's magnetic compass binnacle, with two arms on each side supporting compensating spheres that zeroed out the effect on the compass of the steel hull.

On the far left and far right are the engine order telegraphs that were used to transmit speed orders for each shaft to the maneuvering room back aft. To the left of the binnacle are rudder angle indicators.

On the right of the binnacle is a curved pipe with a valve. This is the speaking tube down to the conning tower used to send voice commands to the personnel stationed below. The cone sitting on the deck attaches to the valve and concentrates the voice similar to a megaphone. Above the binnacle is a handle that when pulled down actuated the ship's air whistle. The whistle can also be actuated by the two levers attached to the aft end of the enclosure at the top.

The large tub on the top of the enclosure houses a compass with a 'pelorus', a rotating ring with folding 'peep sights' allowing bearings of objects used in targeting and or navigation relative to the submarine. It is watertight and pressure proof and is opened by turning the handle on the right.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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028

Conning tower fairwater and amidships superstructure. The conning tower itself is a separate pressure proof hull mounted to the top of the main pressure hull and enclosed by this section of the superstructure and the fairwater, which is all free flooding when submerged.

On the forward end of the fairwater can be seen the ship's bell, and two horns for the air whistle. The thick medium range radio aerial wire can be clearly seen here, and the thinner long range aerial is seen supported by the extended mast.

The "D1" on the fairwater is called a class identifier and is used to provide long range visual ID of the boat while it is surfaced, D1 meaning the first boat of the D-Class (as it turned out there was only one boat in this class). Once large numbers of fleet boats began entering surface the use of class identifiers became unwieldy and they were replaced with the boat's hull number in 1939.

The vertical opening just forward of the D1 is the boat's starboard running light. Directly above the "1" can be seen the upper end of one of the boat's periscopes, and above that is a fork shaped bracket for a search/signal light.

Just forward of the civilian in the sport coat and white hat is a doorless oval opening leading into the interior of the fairwater. This allows crewmen access to the main deck after exiting the conning tower through a watertight door in its aft end.

There are two doored accesses in the fairwater forward (near the two workers), one on the port side and one on the starboard, with the port door being open. The two workers are readying the newly installed accommodation ladder for opening (see photos below).

Note telephone cable running from bridge to the dock to allow submarine to shore communications while in port. The shore phone usually sat in the Control Room or in the Conning Tower.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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029

This is a good view of the boat's 4"/50 caliber Mk 9 deck gun. This was a rugged and well-liked weapon that was a good compromise between ease of use and hitting power.

Its bore was made watertight by a removable tampion in the muzzle end and a Smith-Asbury type side swing breech. Even with being watertight the weapon required constant and detailed maintenance or the repeated dunkings in salt water would quickly render it unusable due to corrosion.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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030

A closer view of the USS Dolphin Conning Tower fairwater. The three round circles are artifacts of the developing process.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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031

The USS Dolphin Side Steps added after the subs return from her 5500 mile Oct 1932 to March 1933 trial trip to the west coast. Photos from 1932 do not show these steps where the 1933 refit do show these installed and were photographed in detail. There is an identical set on the port side of the deck.

This close up view of the opened accommodation ladder, allowing easy access to the main deck from a small boat alongside. In the 1930's submarines frequently anchored out while in port, or moored to an anchored tender, necessitating the use of the ship's liberty launches to ferry the crew ashore. Just to the left of the ladder the curved hull of the conning tower can barely be seen, inside the superstructure.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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032

This outtake from the 1937 movie "Submarine D-1" shows the use of the Portside ladder by crew boarding a Liberty Launch in San Diego.

The movie itself has some pretty nice exterior film of the Dolphin in action but interior cinematography was done on either "S" or "R" boats or constructed movie sets. Some exterior footage is obviously a repainted "S" boat pretending to be Dolphin. Over all it has some nice drama, a hokie romance triangle and is a great bit of Navy Submarine Service publicity. They tried very hard to be accurate when it pertained to Navy regulation and doctrines. If you get a chance to watch it, do so but a great bit of work it isn't.

Outtake from Movie "Submarine D-1"
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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033

Non-firing torpedo storage tubes at the aft end of the raised deck. These tubes were not part of the original design and were added in the 1933 overhaul. (These were called "coffins" by Norman Friedman in his book, "US Submarines through 1945") The idea of deck stored torpedoes and external torpedo tubes was revived during WW II though these proved not popular with skippers. By the end of the war most of these had been removed.

Since the internal torpedo capacity was reduced from 21 to 18 these tubes augmented what was carried below in the two torpedo rooms. The weapons would be pulled out of these tubes and moved below via circular deck hatches in each torpedo rooms. The deck alongside the fairwater was wide enough to allow the torpedoes to be moved forward if necessary. This must have been a harrowing experience in any kind of seaway moving a one ton torpedo around the moving decks.

The open hatch is located at the forward end of the Engine Room. The Generator Room was directly below the raised deck area.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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034

After escape trunk and torpedo loading hatch. The flared top of the trunk is designed to allow a McCann Rescue Chamber to mate to it and provide a water tight seal. This allowed trapped crewmen to exit the boat directly to the rescue chamber via the top hatch.

If the rescue chamber was not available or could not be used the crew would make an escape using Momsen Lungs. In this case the top hatch would remain shut and after entering the trunk and shutting the lower hatch the crewmen would flood the trunk to the level of the top of the side door.

This left a small air bubble at the top of the trunk. They would then open the side door, push themselves out, and float to the surface using the Momsen Lung to breathe on the way up.

Crewmen inside the boat would then shut the door via a hydraulically operated arm, drain the trunk, then set it up for another use.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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035

Close up. The circular hatch in the back of the trunk is the torpedo loading hatch. With this hatch and the side door open torpedoes were carefully winched down on an angle into the after torpedo room. There is a similar trunk on the forward deck leading into the forward torpedo room, but this trunk is less apparent visually because the depth of the superstructure forward allows the top hatch to be flush with the walking deck.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

USS Dolphin SS 169 Trial Run

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036

The USS Dolphin leaving for a trial run. The date is July 7, 1933. She is seen here traveling down what is most likely the Piscataqua River

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

USS Dolphin SS 169 Panama

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037

Bonita (SS-165) & Dolphin (SS-169) at Balboa, Panama Canal, 1934. The presence of the newly installed side steps for small boat boarding firmly dates this photo after her 1933 West Coast return to her new home port of San Diego, Ca.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

USS Dolphin SS 169 California

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038

The USS Dolphin off an unidentified shoreline. We have seen other copies of this photo describing it as in Hawaii circa 1940 but that is not a Hawaiian coastline. With the presence of the Side Steps seen in this photo this has to have been taken after her August 1933 return to the west coast. The shoreline looks to be more of a California coast than a New England Shore or Hawaii.

The sub has D-1 on her conning tower and bow. According to Submarine Historian David Johnston, by March of 1939 that had been removed plus she had been painted black as were most of the west coast submarines starting in 1934. She was used in the movie "Submarine D-1" in 1937 and had been painted black by that time.

Also, the crew are in Blue uniforms. These are worn from September 1 to May 31 in temperate climates. Hawaii is in the tropics and whites are worn all the time.

The submarine seems to be preparing to moor up to another vessel. The man all the way forward is getting ready to raise the Union Jack and the man all the way aft is ready to raise the American Flag. The underway colors are flying from the aft end of the conning tower fairwater. The man just left of the man at the bow is standing by with a heevy (a weighted line for tossing) to toss to the ship to haul the mooring lines across. Line handlers are standing by along the submarines decks.

US Navy Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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039

The USS Dolphin at gunnery practice circa 1937. The gun crew has just fired a round and the smoke from that can be seen at the left, in front of the submarines bow. The gun crew is busy loading another round for the next shot. The Dolphin carried a 4"/50 caliber as her main gunnery weapon.

Just below the cluster of men manning the deck gun you can see the port side accommodation ladder.

News Photo Contributed by Roger Torgeson

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039a

The USS Dolphin at gunnery practice circa 1937. The gun crew has just fired a round and the smoke from that can be seen at the left.

The crew is busy loading another round for the next shot. The round was passed by hand from crewman to crewman from the Magazine below Control up to the Conning Tower and then to the men on deck.

Photo In The Private Collection Of Ric Hedman

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040

The USS Dolphin, again circa 1937 seen in San Diego Harbor some time prior to her departure for Hawaii on December 1, 1937.

US Navy Photo

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041

The USS Dolphin in the last scene from the movie "Submarine D-1". A dramatic high speed run through some large swells.

Outtake from the Movie "Submarine D-1"
Captions by Dave Johnston and Ric Hedman

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