Occasionally, even well respected authors can be the victim of bad information. One of my prime research tools is Norman Friedman's book U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Appendix C of this book lists all U.S. Navy submarines built or authorized up to the end of WWII. It gives their name, hull number, dates of launching, commissioning, decommissioning, etc. He also tried to list the boats' ultimate fate if it was known.

One day while I was perusing this list, one entry caught my eye. It listed the USS H-4 (SS-147) as having been stricken from the navy list and sold (apparently to a private firm) in 1931. He went on to say that she was then used as an oil storage barge, having been run aground in Bremerton, Washington. Eventually the area around her was filled in and she was buried at the "end of Sheldon St."

Somewhat intrigued by the notion of a buried submarine, I ran the story by my good friend (and webmaster of this site) Ric Hedman, who happens to live in the area. He did some searching and came up with an article in the Kitsap Sun. Check out the following link:

http://web.kitsapsun.com/news/2000/april/0416a1b.html

You may have to register online with the paper in order to read it, but I would encourage you to do so as it explains the mystery.

Without completely rehashing the article, suffice to say the the buried ship is not the USS H-4, and Norm got it wrong. I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Friedman, but it really begs the question of where did he get the info to start with?

I have been unable to turn up any info on the H-4's ultimate fate. Does anyone know for sure what happened to her?

I should have posted this before, but here is a pic of what is really buried in the park in Bremerton, the USS Fox (Torpedo Boat #13).

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h98000/h98427.jpg

I remember that conversation but was interesting to reread the article.
Here is a google search for the location.


If you want to read the article you can go here:
http://web.kitsapsun.com/news/2000/april/0416a1b.html

Even checking the "US Naval Submarine Force Information Book" written by JIm Christley, the master of submarine trivia, states, " ...possibly the hull which was buried under a parking lot at the end of Sheldon St., Bremerton, WA The identity was not clear. Possibly sold for scrapping in Norfolk in 1931."