USSS-25

USSS-25in 1923 or 1924, possibly offNew London,Connecticut.
History
United States
Name	USSS-25
Builder	Fore River Shipyard,Quincy,Massachusetts
Laid down	26 October 1918
Launched	29 May 1922
Sponsored by	Mrs. Vera Hobart Schlabach
Commissioned	9 July 1923
Decommissioned	4 November 1941
Fate	Transferred toUnited Kingdom4 November 1941
Royal NavyUnited Kingdom
Name	HMSP.551
Acquired	4 November 1941
Fate	Loaned toPolish government-in-exile4 November 1941
Poland
Name	ORPJastrząb
Namesake	Hawk
Acquired	4 November 1941
Commissioned	4 November 1941
Fate	Sunk 2 May 1942
General characteristics
Class and type	S-classsubmarine
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	14.5knots(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 (102 mm)/50deck gun 4 ×21 inch (533 mm)torpedo tubes

USSS-25(SS-130)was a first-group (S-1or "Holland" )S-class submarineof theUnited States Navy.

Construction and commissioning

S-25waslaid downon 26 October 1918 by theFore River ShipbuildingCorporation inQuincy,Massachusetts.She waslaunchedon 29 May 1922. sponsored by Mrs. Vera Hobart Schlabach, wife of Ross P. Schlabach,USN,andcommissionedon 9 July 1923.

Service history

U.S. Navy

OperatingNew London,Connecticut,in 1923,S-25participated in winter maneuvers in theCaribbean Seaand thePanama Canal Zonearea from January to April 1924. Then transferred to theUnited States West Coast,she operated primarily in the waters offSouthern Californiauntil 1931.Fleet Problemsanddivisionexercises during that period took her back to thePanama Canalarea from March to May 1927, toHawaiiin 1927 and 1928, to the Panama Canal area again in February 1929, and toHawaiiagain in 1930.

Transferred again,S-25departedSan Diego,California,on 15 April 1931 and arrived atPearl Harbor,Hawaii, on 25 April 1931. She operated inHawaiian watersuntil 1939.

S-25cleared Pearl Harbor to return to theUnited States East Coaston 16 June 1939 and arrived at New London on 25 August 1939. Voyage repairs followed, and in February 1940 she was assigned to a test and evaluation division at New London. In December 1940 she was detached and ordered toKey West,Florida,where she provided training services until May 1941. She then returned to New London to prepare for transfer to theUnited Kingdomunder the terms of theLend-Leaseagreement. She was decommissioned on 4 November 1941.

Royal Navy

On the day of her decommissioning,S-25was transferred to the United Kingdom, which renamed her HMSP.551.Later the same day, however, theRoyal Navyloaned her to thePolish Navy.

Polish Navy

Main article:ORP Jastrząb

Polish NavyLieutenant CommanderBolesław RomanowskiacceptedP.551on behalf of thePolish government-in-exile.The Polish Navy commissioned her immediately asORPJastrząbforWorld War IIservice.

While traveling in anAlliedconvoynearNorway,Jastrzabstrayed some 100 nautical miles (190 km; 120 mi) off her proper course,and on 2 May 1942 was mistakenly sunk byfriendly fireby the BritishdestroyerHMSSt Albans(ex-USSThomas(DD-182)) andminesweeperHMSSeagull.

References

This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.The entry can be foundhere.