USS S-29 (SS-134)

USS S-29 (SS-134), was a first-group (S-1 or "Holland") S-class submarine of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down on 17 April 1919 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation's Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on 9 November 1922 sponsored by Mrs. Ronan C. Grady, and commissioned on 22 May 1924 with Lieutenant James P. Conover, Jr., in command.

USS S-29 in December 1936.
History
United States
Name:	USS S-29
Builder:	Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
Laid down:	17 April 1919
Launched:	9 November 1922
Commissioned:	22 May 1924
Decommissioned:	5 June 1942
Stricken:	26 January 1946
Fate:	Transferred to the Royal Navy, 5 June 1942 Returned, 26 January 1946 Sold for scrap, 24 January 1947 Scrapped in 1986/1987
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS P556
Acquired:	5 June 1942
Fate:	Returned to the US Navy, 26 January 1946
General characteristics
Class and type:	S-class submarine
Displacement:	854 long tons (868 t) surfaced 1,062 long tons (1,079 t) submerged
Length:	219 ft 3 in (66.83 m)
Beam:	20 ft 8 in (6.30 m)
Draft:	15 ft 11 in (4.85 m)
Speed:	14.5 knots (16.7 mph; 26.9 km/h) surfaced 11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h) submerged
Complement:	42 officers and men
Armament:	1 × 4 in (100 mm)/50 deck gun 4 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes

After duties in the northeast United States, operating from New London, Connecticut, in 1924, S-29 visited Hawaii from 27 April to 30 May 1925. Operating mainly from Mare Island, San Diego, California, and San Pedro, California, into 1931, S-29 visited Hawaii in the summers of 1927, 1928, and 1930. She also served in the Panama Canal area from February into March 1926, and during February 1929. Sailing from Mare Island on 14 February 1931, she arrived at Pearl Harbor on 23 February. From then into 1939, S-29 operated at Pearl Harbor. Departing from there on 16 June 1939, S-29 returned to New London on 23 August.

Following duty in the U.S. northeast area and also at Key West, Florida, from December 1940 into May 1941, S-29 served in the Panama Canal area from late December into March 1942. Returning to New London, Connecticut, on 1 April, S-29 decommissioned there on 5 June 1942, and was transferred on that date to the United Kingdom.

In the Royal Navy she became HMS P556. While in British service she suffered a battery explosion at Weymouth. Returned to the U.S. Navy on 26 January 1946, S-29 was struck from the Naval Vessel Register that year and sold on 24 January 1947 to H. G. Pound, Great Britain, for scrapping.

By 1982 the hulk of the submarine (minus the conning tower) was still visible at the Pounds scrapyard near Portsmouth. The boat was scrapped in Spain between 1986 and 1987.[1][2]

References

1. Pigboats.com, The S-boats, page 2, retrieved 8 January 2011
2. USS S-29 (SS-134) at FleetSubmarine.com, retrieved 8 January 2011

• After the Battle, issue no. 37, Plaistow Press, London, UK, 1982
• Photo gallery of S-29 at NavSource.org
• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.