USS Bonita (SS-165)

History
United States
BuilderPortsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine
Laid down16 November 1921
Launched9 June 1925
Commissioned22 May 1926
Decommissioned4 June 1937
Commissioned5 September 1940
Decommissioned3 March 1945
Stricken10 March 1945
FateSold for breaking up, 4 October 1945
General characteristics
Class & typeV-1 (Barracuda)-class composite direct-drive diesel and diesel-electric submarine
Displacement2,119 tons (2,153 t) surfaced, 2,506 tons (2,546 t) submerged
Length341 ft 6 in (104.09 m)
Beam27 ft 6+58 in (8.398 m)
Draft15 ft 2 in (4.62 m)
Propulsion
  • (as built) 2 × Busch-Sulzer direct-drive main diesel engines, 2,250 hp (1,680 kW) each
  • 2 × Busch-Sulzer auxiliary diesel engines, 1,000 hp (750 kW) each, diesel-electric drive
  • Auxiliary engines replaced with BuEng MAN engines 1940, main engines removed 1942-43 on conversion to a cargo submarine
  • 2 × 60-cell Exide batteries
  • 2 × Elliott electric motors, 1,200 hp (890 kW) each
  • 2 shafts
Speed21 knots (39 km/h) surfaced, 9 knots (17 km/h) submerged
Range6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km) @ 11 knots (20 km/h), 11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) @ 11 kn with fuel in main ballast tanks
Endurance10 hours @ 5 knots (9 km/h)
Test depth200 ft (60 m)
Complement7 officers, 11 petty officers, 69 enlisted
Armament

USS Bonita (SF-6/SS-165), a Barracuda-class submarine and one of the "V-boats," was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the bonito. Her keel was laid down by the Portsmouth Navy Yard. She was launched on 9 June 1925 as V-3 (SF-6), sponsored by Mrs. L.R. DeSteiguer, wife of Rear Admiral DeSteiguer, and commissioned on 22 May 1926, Lieutenant Commander Charles A. Lockwood, Jr. in command. Like her sisters, Bonita was designed to meet the fleet submarine requirement of 21 knots (39 km/h) surface speed for operating with contemporary battleships.