USS S-27 (SS-132)

S-27 was an S-1 class submarine completed in January of 1924 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Company in Quincy, MA.

On 18 June 1942, S-27 was surfaced after long daylight hours in order to recharge her battery. Because of the poor visibility, no one noticed that the currents had pushed the boat five nautical miles toward the shore. S-27 moved ahead slowly but at 00:43 on 19 June, she was on a solid rock reef. Attempts to free the boat were not successful. With breakers crashing over the boat, the captain ordered the crew to abandon ship. At 15:50, the last group left the boat after destroying classified materials.

The 49-man crew all reached safety in groups of six using one small rubber boat. They then found an abandoned village. Members of the crew returned to the boat to retrieve supplies until chlorine gas from the battery prevented further recovery. They remained in the village until being spotted by a PBY flying-boat (a large seaplane) on 24 June. That aircraft, along with others, rescued all of the crew over the course of two days.

The crew was reassigned throughout the submarine force. LT Jukes would later have success as captain of the USS Kingfish (SS-234).

S-27 was based in New London until she was transferred to the Pacific at the end of 1924. After fleet exercises, She arrived at San Diego in June of 1925. She operated from there until she was transferred to Pearl Harbor in February of 1931. In June of 1939, S-27 returned to San Diego, often providing services for the Underwater Sound Training School. In November of 1941, she proceeded to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard for an overhaul.

At the outbreak of WW2, S-27 was still undergoing the overhaul. When the overhaul was completed, S-27 was again assigned to the sound school in San Diego for training missions. On 20 May 1942, she was assigned to Dutch Harbor as part of the force patrolling the Aleutian Islands.

S-27 was lost on her first war patrol and had no sinkings to her credit.