Independence 2002 S-5 II

Welcome to the dive boat Independence, a 33-foot BHM that cruises at up to 25 knots. This boat is especially outfitted for deep wreck diving expeditions far offshore.

The S-5 is a U.S. Navy submarine sunk in 1920 when she submerged with her main induction and hull valves still open, flooding the vessel. With quick thinking, the crew was able to bring the stern to the surface by pumping out ballast and fuel. They were then spotted by two passing ships and rescued by cutting a hole in the stern. Two excellent accounts of the sinking of the S-5 and subsequent attempts at recovery can be found in Gary Gentile's Shipwrecks of Delaware and Maryland, and Mud, Muscle, and Miracles: Marine Salvage in the United States Navy by Capt. C.A. Bartholomew, USN, respectively. The S-5 now sits in 160 feet of water approximately 35 miles southeast of Cape May, New Jersey. Also see the 2001 pages of the Independence trip to the S-5, which contain excellent exterior pictures of the wreck.

The following pictures (all images from video) are from the voyage of the Independence to the S-5 on Tuesday, July 2, 2002 (continued from Page I).

We descend into the forward hatch and head towards the bow.
	There are still many light fixtures on the ceiling.
And some laying on the floor.
	Some fittings on the ceiling.
A small lobster hides underneath some debris.
	Passing through a bulkhead moving forward.
All sorts of machinery lies around.
	Hanging cables are one of the hazards.
Swimming aft again.
	These are batteries in the battery room
Some more batteries. They were used as the sub's primary means of propulsion when submerged.
	This hatch goes into the control room.