1925 — Sep 25, Sub USS S-51 hit by steamer City of Rome and sinks off Block Island, RI–33

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-21-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–33  Clancy, Shipwrecks of New England.

–33  Galveston Daily News  (TX).  “900 Men Have Died At Bottom of Sea…,” May 24, 1939.

–33  US Dept. Navy. “Casualties: US Navy…Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured…”

–33  Wallen. “The Tragic 1925 Sinking of the Submarine USS S-51.” Smallstatebighistory.com

Narrative Information

 U.S. Navy: “USS S-51 (SS-162) sank off Block Island, N. Y. after collision with SS City of Rome. 33 drowned. 25 Sept. 1925.”  (US Dept. Navy. “Casualties: US Navy…Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured…”)

Clancy, Shipwrecks of New England: Three survivors. 

Galveston Daily News: “A collision…sent the S-51 to the bottom off Block Island, Rhode Island, in 1925.  Thirty-three died.” (Galveston Daily News  (TX). “900 Men Have Died At Bottom of Sea…,” 24 May 1939)

Wallen. “The Tragic 1925 Sinking of the Submarine USS S-51.” Smallstatebighistory.com:

“….On the chilly, clear night of September, 25, 1925, about fourteen miles southeast of Block Island and ten miles south of Newport, S-51 was riding low on the surface under peacetime conditions, with all watertight doors open. The merchant steamer SS City of Rome, sailing to Boston from New York, spotted a single white masthead light and assumed it was a rumrunner (a common sight during these times of Prohibition). The brightly lit steamer thought the other vessel could see her and would alter course, especially since rumrunners did not encourage company. The City of Rome captain ordered a course change anyway. Meanwhile, S-51 had spotted the larger ship’s masthead and green sidelights, but held her course under the maritime Rules of the Road—the Navy crew thought it had been recognized as a military vessel and so expected it would have the right of way. At the last minute, with a collision imminent, both ships took evasive action, but it was too late. Twenty-two minutes after first spotting the submarine’s masthead light, the steamer rammed S-51 and tore a 30-foot long gaping hole just forward of the conning tower on the port (left when facing the bow) side. The steamer then drove the sub underwater. Oceanwater poured into S-51. Since it was not under battle conditions, the inrushing sea tore through the boat’s open watertight compartments. A handful of men, including the submarine’s commander, Lieutenant Rodney Dobson, managed to escape  but, lightly clad, most of them, including Dobson, quickly drowned in the chilly waters. Only three of the sub’s thirty-six men survived to be picked by the steamer’s launch. The S-51 went down in less than a minute, and after dropping 132 feet it settled on the ocean floor.

“The City of Rome was not badly damaged and its crew immediately radioed for help. Arriving on scene, the US Navy destroyer USS Putnam spotted a makeshift buoy, indicating that there might be survivors trapped in the sunken sub. Tapping sounds, initially heard from within the wreck ceased after forty-eight hours (when the crew’s air supply would have run out). When the rescue ship USS Falcon and other ships reached the site, their work was confined to salvage….

“The sinking of the S-51 and the tragic deaths of thirty-three sailors touched the nation, as evidenced by the headlines of the newspapers of the day. A ballad “Sinking of the Submarine S-51” became a popular hit….”

Newspaper

Sep 26, AP: “New York, Sept. 26. – (A.P.) – Thirty-four officers and men of the United States submarine S-51 apparently perished last night when the coastwise steamer City of Rome rammed and sank the submarine 14 miles east of Block Island, Rhode Island. Only three men – Dewey Kile, M. Lira and A. Greer – are reported by naval communication to have escaped. If they are the only members of the personnel rescued it will mean that Lieut. Rodney H. Dobson, commander, and all his officers went to the bottom with their craft.

“The first intimation of the disaster was the receipt early this morning by the submarine abase at New London of a message from  the City of Rome, bound from Savannah for Boston. The message said: ‘Collided with sunken submarine S-51, three men saved.’ No details of the collision were forthcoming at an early hour this morning from the City of Rome or any other source….” (Associated Press. “Submersible Goes Down Off The Rhode Island Coast.” The Racine Journal-News, WI. 9-26-1925, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Submersible Goes Down Off The Rhode Island Coast.” The Racine Journal-News, WI. 9-26-1925, p. 1. Accessed 3-21-2025 at:

https://newspaperarchive.com/racine-journal-news-sep-25-1925-p-31/

Clancy, Dave.  Shipwrecks of New England, City of Columbus. Accessed 11-15-2008 at: http://www.wreckhunter.net/

Galveston Daily News, TX. “900 Men Have Died At Bottom of Sea in Last Century,” 5-24-1939, p. 1. At:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=45239546

United States Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center. See “Casualties: US Navy and Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured in Selected Accidents and Other Incidents Not Directly the Result of Enemy Action.” Washington, DC: Washington Navy Yard. Accessed at:  http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/NHC/accidents.htm

Wallen. Brian L. “The Tragic 1925 Sinking of the Submarine USS S-51.” Smallstatebighistory.com. Accessed 3-21-2025 at:

The Tragic 1925 Sinking of the Submarine USS S-51