Departing from New London, Connecticut, on 31 May 1921, S-17 sailed via the Panama Canal, California, Hawaii, and Guam to the Philippines, arriving at Cavite, Luzon, on 1 December.

Sailing from Manila on 15 May 1923, S-17 visited Shanghai, Yantai, and Qinhuangdao, before returning via Wusong and Amoy to Cavite on 11 September.

[1] Later in the day, the same or a different Marine Corps plane dropped a 100-pound (45.4 kg) bomb that landed within 50 yards (46 m) of her while she was on the surface.

[1] S-17 operated from Saint Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands, in March 1942 and in the Panama Canal area again from April to August 1942.

At 14:20 on 4 August 1942, a U.S. plane attacked her at 11°34′N 078°36′W / 11.567°N 78.600°W / 11.567; -78.600 with four 500-pound (227 kg) depth charges while she was operating on the surface in the Caribbean Sea, inflicting damage that prevented her from diving.