When, as a result of the outbreak of hostilities in Europe which launched World War II, the President declaring a state of limited national emergency, on September 8, 1939, there were only fifty-five submarines in active commission in the United States Navy. 

Among this number were six submarines of the R-class: R-2, R-4, R-10, R-11, R-13, and R-14, twenty-six submarines of the S-class: S-18, S-20, S-21, S-22, S-23, S-24, S-25, S-26, S-27, S-28, S-29, S-30, S-34, S-35, S-36, S-37, S-38, S-39, S-40, S-41, S-42, S-43, S-44, S-45, S-46 and S-47, as well as the newer improved ARGONAUT, NAUTILUS, NARWHAL, DOLPHIN, CACHALOT, CUTTLEFISH, PORPOISE, PIKE, SHARK, TARPON, PERCH, PICKEREL, PERMIT, PLUNGER, POLLACK, POMPANO, SALMON, SEAL, SKIPJACK, SNAPPER, STINGRAY, STURGEON, and SARGO.  Many of these submarines were built here in California.

The submarine service also had the following attending surface craft. These were the RICHMOND Flagship; LITCHFIELD Tactical Flagship; HOLLAND, CANOPUS, BEAVER, SEAGULL, and KEOSANQUA Submarine Tenders; WIDGEON, FALCON, MALLARD, ORTOLAN, and PIDGEON Submarine Rescue Vessels; and SEMMES Experimental Ship.

This force may have been considered adequate for peacetime needs, but with the possibility that war would transverse the waters to America, it became imperative that steps be taken toward the expansion of the U.S. Fleet.

In all, nine Oclass boats were re-commissioned to serve as training submarines (O1 through O10, except for O5, which had been sunk after a collision in 1923.) Like the O-class boats and their various sister class submarines, many were returned to service in order to provide training platforms for a submarine force that was certain to grow by leaps and bounds.

With World War II looming on the horizon, the U.S. Navy began a massive construction program.  By April, 1941, twelve submarines of the new TAMBOR class were already nearing completion, and 73 GATO class boats were already on order.

By the time the U.S. Navy entered World War II in December, 1941, with several older submarines now re-commissioned, we entered it with 111 submarines Still these were mostly of the older "R" and "S" classes, short range vessels developed during and after World War I.

U.S. Submarines in World War II

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