USS C-1

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USSOctopusSS9.jpg
Launching of Octopus, at the Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Quincy, Massachusetts, 4 October 1906
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameOctopus
NamesakeThe octopus
Builder Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Quincy, Massachusetts
Cost$253,119.81 (hull and machinery) [1]
Laid down3 August 1905
Launched4 October 1906
Sponsored byMiss F. Webster
Commissioned30 June 1908
Decommissioned14 February 1910
Recommissioned15 April 1910
Decommissioned4 August 1919
RenamedC-1 (Submarine Torpedo Boat No.9), 17 November 1911
Identification
FateSold for scrapping, 13 April 1920
General characteristics [2]
Class & type C-class submarine
Displacement
  • 238 long tons (242 t) surfaced
  • 275 long tons (279 t) submerged
Length105 ft 4 in (32.11 m)
Beam13 ft 11 in (4.24 m)
Draft10 ft 11 in (3.33 m)
Installed power
  • 480  bhp (360 kW) (gasoline)
  • 230 hp (170 kW) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 11  kn (20 km/h; 13 mph) surfaced
  • 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) submerged
Range
  • 776  nmi (1,437 km; 893 mi) at 8.13 kn (15.06 km/h; 9.36 mph) on the surface
  • 24 nmi (44 km; 28 mi) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Test depth200 feet (61.0 m)
Complement
  • 1 officer
  • 14 enlisted
Armament2 × 18-inch (450 mm) bow torpedo tubes (4 torpedoes)

USS Octopus/C-1 (SS-9), also known as "Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 9", was the lead ship of her class of submarines built for the United States Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.

Contents

Design

The C-class submarines were enlarged versions of the preceding B class; they were the first American submarines with two propeller shafts. They had a length of 105 ft 3 in (32.08 m) overall, a beam of 13 ft 10 in (4.22 m) and a mean draft of 10 ft 10 in (3.30 m). They displaced 238 long tons (242 t) on the surface and 275 long tons (279 t) submerged. They had a diving depth of 200 ft (61.0 m). The C-class boats had a crew of 1 officer and 14 enlisted men. [3]

For surface running, they were powered by two 240- brake-horsepower (179 kW) Craig gasoline engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 115-horsepower (86 kW) electric motor. They could reach 11  kn (20 km/h; 13 mph) on the surface and 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) underwater. On the surface, the boats had a range of 776  nmi (1,437 km; 893 mi) at 8.13 kn (15.06 km/h; 9.36 mph) and 24 nmi (44 km; 28 mi) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged. [3]

The 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]

Construction

Octopus was laid down, on 3 August 1905, by Fore River Shipbuilding Company, in Quincy, Massachusetts, under a subcontract from Electric Boat Company. Octopus was launched on 4 October 1906, sponsored by Miss F. Webster, and commissioned on 30 June 1908. [5]

Service history

Assigned to Submarine Flotilla 2 (SubFlot 2), Octopus operated out of Newport, Rhode Island, and New York City, until 9 October 1908. Tests and experiments, of both submarine design and the tactical use of her type, continued from Norfolk, Virginia, and Newport, until she was placed in reserve at Charleston, South Carolina, on 14 February 1910. [5]

Octopus was recommissioned on 15 April 1910, the submarine conducted experiments and served as training vessel at Newport, until 10 May 1913. She was renamed C-1, on 17 November 1911. C-1 was reassigned to Submarine Group 1, Torpedo Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet, and from 29 May – 7 December 1913, she operated out of Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. She served in Panamanian waters in training, and later, on patrol during World War I until August 1919. [5]

Fate

C-1 was decommissioned on 4 August 1919, at Coco Solo, in the Panama Canal Zone. Here, she was sold on 13 April 1920. [5]

References

Bibliography

Further reading

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