Lake Torpedo Boat

Lake Torpedo Boat Company
Industry	Submarines
Founded	1912
Founder	Simon Lake
Fate	Dissolved 1924
Headquarters	Bridgeport, Connecticut
Products	Submarines

Last updated August 06, 2023

The Lake Torpedo Boat Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut, was an early builder of submarines for the United States Navy in the early 20th century.

History

Founded by Simon Lake in 1912, the company was located at the east end of Seaview Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Most of the submarines completed by Lake Torpedo Boat were completed from 1918 to 1922.

The firm competed with the Electric Boat Company until financial difficulties led to the company's demise in 1924. The Navy ceased awarding contracts to Lake shortly before that time, partly because USS S-2 (SS-106), the company's entry in the S-class submarine design competition, was not selected for further production. Only nine S-boats were built by Lake.^[1] Also, the yard was not physically able to build the large submarine cruisers then envisioned, such as USS Argonaut (SM-1).^[2] The Washington Naval Treaty's limits on submarines were also a major factor. At the time, the Navy wished to concentrate submarine construction at Navy Yards, particularly Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine.^[3]

The company completed 26 submarines for the US Navy, designed two US Navy submarines that were built in other yards, and built several other submarines for civilian use or that were not accepted by the Navy. Some of the submarines built by Lake for the Navy included several G-class, L-class, N-class, O-class, and R-class submarines.^[4] The company designed the Imperial Russian Navy's Osetr-class submarines, the first of which was Lake's Protector.^[5] The Kaiman-class submarines were also designed for Russia.^[6]

Submarines built by the Lake Torpedo Boat Company

U.S. Navy submarines built in Bridgeport

Years of service follow names.

USS G-2 (SS-27) (1915–19) – Completed by New York Navy Yard. Sank after she was decommissioned.
USS G-3 (SS-31) (1915–21) – Completed by New York Navy Yard.
USS L-5 (SS-44) (1918–22)
USS N-4 (SS-56) (1918–22)
USS N-5 (SS-57) (1918–22)
USS N-6 (SS-58) (1918–22)
USS N-7 (SS-59) (1918–22)
USS O-11 (SS-72) (1918–30)
USS O-12 (SS-73) (1918–24) – Converted and renamed Nautilus for an expedition to the North Pole.
USS O-13 (SS-74) (1918–24)
USS R-21 (SS-98) (1919–24)
USS R-22 (SS-99) (1919–25)
USS R-23 (SS-100) (1919–25)
USS R-24 (SS-101) (1919–25)
USS R-25 (SS-102) (1919–24)
USS R-26 (SS-103) (1919–25)
USS R-27 (SS-104) (1919–25)
USS S-2 (SS-106) (1920–29)
USS S-14 (SS-119) (1921–45)
USS S-15 (SS-120) (1921–46) – Last Lake submarine in service with the US Navy.
USS S-16 (SS-121) (1920–44) – Sunk as a target in 1945.
USS S-17 (SS-122) (1921–44) – Sunk as a target in 1945.
USS S-48 (SS-159) (1922–45)
USS S-49 (SS-160) (1922–27) – Used as a tourist attraction from 1931 to 1940.
USS S-50 (SS-161) (1922–27)
USS S-51 (SS-162) (1922–25) – Lost in collision with a merchant ship.

U.S. Navy submarines designed by Lake but built elsewhere

USS G-1 (SS-19½) (1912–20) – Built by Newport News Shipbuilding.
USS L-6 (SS-45) (1917–22) – Built by California Shipbuilding Company.
USS L-7 (SS-46) (1917–22) – Built by California Shipbuilding Company.
USS L-8 (SS-48) (1917–22) – Built by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
USS O-14 (SS-75) (1918–24) – Built by California Shipbuilding Company.
USS O-15 (SS-76) (1918–24) – Built by California Shipbuilding Company.
USS O-16 (SS-77) (1918–24) – Built by California Shipbuilding Company.

Experimental submarines built by Simon Lake

Note – these submarines were not necessarily built at the Lake Torpedo Boat Company.

Argonaut Junior (1894)
Argonaut 1 (1897) – Built in Baltimore.
Argonaut 2 (1900) – Reconstruction of Argonaut 1.
Protector (1901) – Built in Bridgeport.
Defender (1907)
Explorer (1934) – built by the Forsberg Manufacturing Company in Bridgeport.

Related Research Articles

The New York Shipbuilding Corporation was an American shipbuilding company that operated from 1899 to 1968, ultimately completing more than 500 vessels for the U.S. Navy, the United States Merchant Marine, the United States Coast Guard, and other maritime concerns. At its peak during World War II, NYSB was the largest and most productive shipyard in the world. Its best-known vessels include the destroyer USS Reuben James (DD-245), the cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35), the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), the nuclear-powered cargo ship NS Savannah, and a quartet of cargo-passenger liners nicknamed the 4 Aces.

United States S-class submarine Submarine class

The United States' S-class submarines, often simply called S-boats, were the first class of submarines with a significant number built to United States Navy designs. They made up the bulk of the USN submarine service in the interwar years and could be found in every theater of operations. While not considered "Fleet Submarines" in the traditional sense of that term, they were the first submarines in the USN designed for open ocean, blue water operations. All previous submarines had been intended for harbor or coastal defense. These boats were intended to have greater speed and range than previous classes, with improved habitability and greater armament.

USS R-23 (SS-99) was an R-class coastal and harbor defense submarine built for the United States Navy during World War I.

USS R-21 (SS-98) was an R-class coastal and harbor defense submarine of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down on 19 April 1917 by the Lake Torpedo Boat Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut; the R-boats built by Lake Torpedo Boat are sometimes considered a separate class from those built by Fore River Shipbuilding and Union Iron Works. She was launched on 10 July 1918 sponsored by Mrs. Dallas C. Laizure and commissioned on 17 June 1919.

USS R-23 (SS-100) was an R-class coastal and harbor defense submarine built for the United States Navy during World War I.

USS R-24 (SS-101) was an R-class coastal and harbor defense submarine built for the United States Navy during World War I.

USS R-26 (SS-103) was an R-class coastal and harbor defense submarine built for the United States Navy during World War I.

USS R-25 (SS-102) was an R-class coastal and harbor defense submarine built for the United States Navy during World War I.

USS R-27 (SS-104) was an R-class coastal and harbor defense submarine built for the United States Navy during World War I.

USS O-11 (SS-72) was one of 16 O-class submarines built for the United States Navy during World War I.

USS O-14 (SS-75) was one of 16 O-class submarines built for the United States Navy during World War I.

USS O-15 (SS-76) was one of 16 O-class submarines built for the United States Navy during World War I.

USS O-16 (SS-77) was one of 16 O-class submarines built for the United States Navy during World War I.

USS N-5 (SS-57) was a N-class coastal defense submarine of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down on 10 April 1915 by Lake Torpedo Boat Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The N-boats built by Lake had slightly different specifications from the ones built by Seattle Construction and Drydock and are sometimes considered a separate class.

USS N-7 (SS-59) was a N-class coastal defense submarine built for the United States Navy during World War I.

USS L-5 (SS-44) was an L-class submarine built for the United States Navy during the 1910s.

USS L-6 (SS-45) was an L-class submarine built for the United States Navy during the 1910s.

USS L-7 (SS-46) was an L-class submarine built for the United States Navy during the 1910s.

USS B-1 (SS-10) was the lead ship of her class of submarines built for the United States Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.

The United States Navy's sixteen O-class submarines were created out of the lessons learned from the L class. The O class were about 80 tons larger than the L class, with greater power and endurance for ocean patrols. Due to the American entry into World War I the O class were built much more rapidly than previous classes, and were all commissioned in 1918. O-1 through O-10 were group 1, designed by Electric Boat, O-11 through O-16 were group 2, designed by the Lake Torpedo Boat Company and sometimes considered a separate class. The group 2 boats entered service just before the end of World War I. Eight of the group 1 boats survived to serve in World War II as training boats when they were recommissioned in 1941.

References

Notes

↑ Gardiner and Gray, pp. 130-131
↑ Friedman, pp. 133, 343
↑ "The Demise of the Lake Torpedo Boat Company (from Weir)". Archived from the original on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
↑ Gardiner and Gray, pp. 128-130
↑ Gardiner and Gray, pp. 301, 313
↑ Gardiner and Gray, p. 314

Bibliography

Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 133, 343. ISBN 1-55750-263-3.
Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.

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