USS Cuttlefish/B-2 (SS-11), also known as "Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 11", was one of three B-class submarines built for the United States Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the cuttlefish, a 10-armed marine mollusk similar to the squid.
The B-class submarines, also known as the Viper-class, were enlarged versions of the preceding Plunger-class. They had a length of 82ft 5in (25.12m)overall, a beam of 12ft 6in (3.81m), and a mean draft of 10ft 7in (3.23m). They displaced145 long tons (147t) on the surface and 173 long tons (176t) submerged. The B-class boats had a crew of one officer and nine enlisted men. They had a diving depth of 150 feet (45.7m).[3]
For surface running, they were powered by one 240-brake-horsepower (180kW)gasoline engine that drove the single propeller shaft. When submerged the propeller was driven by a 115-horsepower (86kW)electric motor.[3] The boats could reach 9kn (17km/h; 10mph) on the surface and 8kn (15km/h; 9.2mph) underwater. On the surface, they had a range of 540nmi (1,000km; 620mi) at 9 kn and 12nmi (22km; 14mi) at 4kn (7.4km/h; 4.6mph) submerged.[4]
The B-class boats were armed with two 18 inch (450 mm)torpedo tubes in the bow. They carried two reloads, for a total of four torpedoes.[4]
Cuttlefish reported to the Second Submarine Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet. She operated along the Atlantic coast, running experiments, testing machinery and equipment, and conducting extensive training exercises until going into reserve at Charleston Navy Yard, on 30 November 1909. Recommissioned on 15 April 1910, she served with the Atlantic Torpedo Fleet until joining the Reserve Torpedo Group, at Charleston Navy Yard, on 9 May 1911. The boat was renamed B-2 on 17 November.[5]
During ensuing operations, she had close brushes with disaster. While the submarine was running submerged to conduct a battery test, soon after arriving in the Philippines, her commander suddenly observed through her periscope the grey side of a ship cross B-2's bow. He dove immediately to avoid a collision, but the submarine's periscope struck an Army ferry on a run from Corregidor to Manila. Although the mishap mangled the periscope rather severely, neither vessel suffered significant damage.[5]
After World War I erupted in Europe during the summer of 1914, B-2's duties were expanded to include patrols to enforce the neutrality of Philippine waters. She also continued to help devise and improve the techniques of submarine operations.[5]
Fate
Her service in the Philippines lasted through the Armistice, though her active career ended 19 months beyond the end of the Great War. B-2 was decommissioned on 12 December 1919, and she was subsequently sunk as a target during destroyer gunnery drills conducted off the entrance to Manila Bay. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 17 January 1922.
Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-85177-245-5.
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