USS S-38 (SS-143) was a S-class submarine of the United States Navy. Construction and commissioning S-38′s keel was laid down on 15 January 1919 by the Union Iron Works in San Francisco, California. She was launched on 17 June 1919, sponsored by Mrs. Grace M. Collins, and commissioned on 11 May 1923. Service history Fitted out at Mare Island, S-38 joined Submarine Division 17 (SubDiv 17) at San Pedro, California, on 24 May and immediately began preparations for a cruise to the Aleutian Islands. On 9 June, she moved north with submarine tenders , , and three other S-boats. On 21 June, they reached Dutch Harbor, whence the boats conducted evaluation tests and exercises for the next three and a half weeks. On 16 July, the force put into Anchorage, Alaska. On 17 July, while performing routine maintenance on S-38'''s motors, a crewman removed a valve cover, creating an opening to sea below the boat's waterline, flooding the motor room. The submarine was alongside her tender, , and no personnel were injured. She was easily raised, but the motors were crippled. Temporary repairs took until 23 July, when the boat was taken in tow by Ortolan. Asiatic FleetS-38 reached Mare Island on 1 August, remained there for repairs and alterations until April 1924, then returned to San Pedro, whence she conducted local exercises into the summer. In August, she prepared for duty with the Asiatic Fleet, and, in mid-September she headed west across the Pacific. She stood into Manila Bay on 4 November 1924 and, for the next 17 years, operated out of Cavite, with annual summer deployments to the China coast. Division operations occupied Asiatic Fleet submarines during most of the period; but, as hostilities intensified on the mainland, submarine schedules became more varied. Annual deployments and regular exercises of the boats as a division were shortened in length, while exercises and patrols of individual boats were increased in number, duration, and range. During these operations, the submarines cruised off the Philippines, along the Indo-China coast, and into the Netherlands East Indies. World War II In June 1940, S-38 completed her last cruise to China; and, from then into the fall of 1941, she conducted exercises, including joint Army-Navy war games, and practice war patrols in the waters off Luzon and neighboring islands. On 8 December 1941 (7 December east of the International Date Line), the attack on Pearl