. ▁St ark , ▁Chief ▁of ▁the ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Or dn ance , ▁and ▁commission ed ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁December ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁with ▁Lieutenant ▁F . ▁O . ▁Johnson ▁in ▁command . ▁ ▁Pre - World ▁War ▁II ▁service ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 0 ▁May ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁Sn apper ▁depart ed ▁Port sm outh , ▁New ▁Ham pshire , ▁for ▁her ▁sh aked own ▁cru ise , ▁visited ▁Cuba , ▁the ▁Pan ama ▁Canal ▁Zone , ▁Peru , ▁and ▁Chile , ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁Port sm outh ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁July . ▁There , ▁she ▁conducted ▁final ▁accept ance ▁tri als ▁and ▁under w ent ▁post - sh aked own ▁over ha ul . ▁ ▁On ▁ 3 ▁October , ▁Sn apper ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁Sub marine ▁Squadron ▁( Sub R on ) ▁ 3 ▁based ▁at ▁Bal boa , ▁Canal ▁Zone , ▁where ▁she ▁participated ▁in ▁training ▁and ▁fleet ▁exer cis es ▁until ▁ 1 5 ▁March ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁when ▁she ▁set ▁sail ▁for ▁rep airs ▁at ▁the ▁Port sm outh ▁Navy ▁Y ard . ▁Depart ing ▁Port sm outh ▁on ▁ 9 ▁May , ▁she ▁stopped ▁at ▁New ▁London , ▁Connecticut , ▁and ▁then ▁got ▁under way ▁for ▁the ▁West ▁Coast , ▁arriv ing ▁at ▁San ▁Diego , ▁California , ▁on ▁ 2 ▁June . ▁On ▁ 1 ▁July , ▁the ▁sub marine ▁set ▁sail ▁for ▁Pear l ▁Har bor ▁and ▁man eu vers ▁in ▁the ▁Hawai ian