Salmon Class Submarine - Commissioning and Pre-war Service

Commissioning and Pre-war Service

Portsmouth proved to be quite efficient in their production methods and they managed to complete and commission both Snapper and Stingray before Electric Boat delivered the lead boat Salmon for commissioning. In fact, all three of the Government built boats of this class beat their commercially built counterparts into service.

After commissioning, these boats were very active in the fleet, operating initially with the Atlantic Fleet, conducting exercises in the Caribbean and around both sides of the Panama Canal. They transferred to the Pacific Fleet in late 1939, homeported out of San Diego, commanded by Admiral Wilhelm L. Friedell. In October 1941, as war clouds loomed on the horizon, the Salmons were all transferred to the Asiatic Fleet as part of a belated effort to reinforce U.S. and Allied forces in the Philippines. They operated out of Cavite in Manila Bay until the war commenced.