There’s a lot to see inside San Francisco’s historic USS Pampanito (SS-383). This World War II-era submarine was the first diesel-electric vessel in the US Navy, and it served in active duty from 1943 to 1982, when it was retired and placed on display as part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. The more than 1000 people who visit USS Pampanito every year can now explore its corridors, cabins, engine room, and mess hall thanks to a recent $2 million renovation project.
The Mess Deck
As you descend into the USS Pampanito submarine, the first thing that hits you is a pungent and persistent fishy odor. The next thing you see is a sea of tables that are set up for meals, with dishes still sitting on them.
This was where all of the crew ate their meals while they were out at sea. Looking up, there’s a shelf full of knives, forks, and spoons; cutlery that would have been used to eat their food.
The Officers’ Wardroom
The Officers’ Wardroom is a perfect example of the small, functional spaces that make up life on board a USS Pampanito submarine.
One of two wardrooms on board, it was originally intended as an officers’ dining room and lounge area. Today it serves as a museum showing how crews would have eaten, drank, and relaxed during their time off duty.
The Crew’s Quarters
The USS Pampanito engine room is arguably one of the most important parts of a submarine. It’s also one of the hardest to access. When entering, you’ll see beautiful old-fashioned steam engines as well as long pipes that are connected to them.
You’ll also notice that in USS Pampanito a few instruments and gauges are hanging on the walls. These gauges monitor things like water level, air pressure, and engine temperature. If any of these numbers get too high or low, an alarm will sound for someone to come over and fix it immediately.
The Engine Room
One of my favorite spots on board is the engine room. This USS Pampanito room is packed with all kinds of machinery, and it takes a little while to take it all in.
What I found most interesting about this room is that this submarine was using technology from World War II–it was one of the first submarines built in 1943, meaning that some parts are still original and haven’t been updated.
To be able to see how USS Pampanito submarines were designed back then gives me a glimpse into history and helps me understand how far we’ve come as well as what’s changed over time.
The Control Room
One of the most common areas that visitors are drawn to is the Control Room. Here, you will be able to see how the USS Pampanito’s submarine life was lived during WWII.
There’s plenty of equipment on display for you to explore and try out for yourself. The periscope, which was used for navigation by sight, and sonar, which was used for navigation by sound, were two indispensable pieces of equipment for submariners.
The Torpedo Room
The USS Pampanito torpedo room is one of the most important rooms on a submarine. It’s where torpedoes are stored and launched, and it’s also where they were repaired during World War II. The torpedoes were secured into racks that lined both sides of the room.
The torpedoes would be loaded onto this rack, then lowered by crane through an opening in the top of the submarine. Each rack could hold up to four torpedoes for launching or storing purposes.
The Galley
The galley was where the crew cooked and ate their meals. It consisted of a stove, a small sink, and storage cupboards. The USS Pampanito submarine’s diesel engine would heat water for tea or hot chocolate, which was served in cups made out of tin cans.
The galley also had a refrigerator and freezer that were powered by electricity generated by an emergency generator. The sink was used to wash dishes as well as prepare food.
The Battery Compartment
The Battery Compartment of a USS Pampanito submarine contains all the batteries for power. One battery can store up to 4 kilowatts of power, and these types of cells are used in navy vessels because they are lightweight and have a long life span.
In this compartment, three batteries stored 2.6 kilowatts each, and these were charged by the diesel engine generator that was also housed in this compartment.
The Radio Room
The USS Pampanito Radio Room is one of many locations inside an authentic World War II submarine. There are still original components, such as a transmitter and receiver. The USS Pampanito radio room is also noteworthy for being one of the few places on a U.S. naval vessel that was segregated by race during World War II.
Radio operators were white, while electronics technicians and African-American stewards were not allowed in this area.
The Conning Tower
The USS Pampanito conning tower is one of the most iconic parts of a submarine. In World War II, it was used by officers to look out and see what might be coming their way. The conning tower on board USS Pampanito is used for display purposes now, but there are two other submarines in San Francisco Bay open for touring that still have conning towers that you can go up into and see what life as an officer was like during wartime.
