The submarine S-16 was built by Lake Torpedo Boat Co., Bridgeport, Connecticut.

She was laid down on March 19, 1918, launched on December 23, 1919, and commissioned on December 17, 1920.

She was attached to the Subdivision 18 and operated around California, the Hawaiian and Philippine islands. The S-16 was decommissioned on May 22, 1935. She was re commissioned on December 2, 1940, and made cruises to Bermuda, St. Thomas and the Panama Canal.

She was once again decommissioned on October 4, 1944, and was sunk by the Navy as an experiment on August 3, 1945, off Key West.