USS E-2

For other ships with the same name, see USS Sturgeon.

USS E-2, ex-Sturgeon, underway prior to World War I
History
United States
Name	Sturgeon
Namesake	The sturgeon
Builder	Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts
Cost	$390,930.12 (hull and machinery) [1]
Laid down	22 December 1909
Launched	16 June 1911
Sponsored by	Miss Margaret Nelson Little
Commissioned	14 February 1912
Decommissioned	13 March 1916
Recommissioned	25 March 1918
Decommissioned	20 October 1921
Renamed	E-2 (Submarine No.25), 17 November 1911
Stricken	20 October 1921
Identification	Hull symbol: SS-25 Call sign: NTJ
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 19 April 1922
General characteristics [2]
Class & type	E-class submarine
Displacement	287 long tons (292 t) surfaced 342 long tons (347 t) submerged
Length	135 ft 3 in (41.22 m)
Beam	14 ft 7 in (4.45 m)
Draft	11 ft 8 in (3.56 m)
Installed power	700 hp (522 kW) (diesel) 600 hp (447 kW) (electric)
Propulsion	2 × NELSECO diesel engines 2 × Electro Dynamic electric motors 2 × 60-cell batteries 2 × Propellers
Speed	13.5  kn (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph) surfaced 11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) submerged
Range	2,100  nmi (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) at 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph) surfaced 100 nmi (190 km; 120 mi) at 5 kn (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth	200 ft (61 m)
Capacity	8,486 US gal (32,120 L; 7,066 imp gal) fuel
Complement	1 officer 19 enlisted
Armament	4 × 18 inch (450 mm) bow torpedo tubes (4 torpedoes)

USS Sturgeon/E-2 (SS-25), also known as "Submarine No. 25", was an E-class submarine of the United States Navy.

Construction

Sturgeon was laid down on 22 December 1909, by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company, in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on 16 June 1911, sponsored by Miss Margaret Nelson Little. She was renamed E-2 on 17 November 1911; and commissioned on 14 February 1912. ^[3]

Service history

Serving in the Atlantic Submarine Flotilla, E-2 sailed out of Newport, Rhode Island, for developmental exercises and training. From 5 January–21 April 1914, she cruised to Guantanamo Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. She returned to Naval Station Newport, on 27 July, for training operations for the remainder of the summer and from February–May 1915 off Florida. ^[3]

On 19 June 1915, she entered New York Navy Yard, for overhaul. ^[3] While sitting in dry dock Number 2, ^[4] E-2 suffered a violent explosion and fire, on 15 January 1916, when hydrogen gas ignited during conditions of severe battery testing; tests made under the direction of the Edison Storage Battery Company. ^[3] At the time, E-2 was the test submarine for new nickel–iron battery designed to eliminate the danger from chlorine gas asphyxiation. There were 32 men aboard the submarine at the time of the explosion, consisting of both Navy and civilian electricians and mechanics making repairs. ^[4] Four men were killed and seven injured. ^[3] The government investigation, led by then Lieutenant Chester W. Nimitz, pointed blame away from the submarine's commanding officer, then Lieutenant Charles M. Cooke, Jr. ^[5]

On 13 March, E-2 was placed out of commission for use as a laboratory, for exhaustive tests of the Edison storage battery. Recommissioned on 25 March 1918, E-2 served in training and experimental work at New London, until 16 May. Two days later she arrived at Norfolk, to operate against enemy submarines off Cape Hatteras. From 21 May–27 August, she made four war patrols, sighting a large enemy submarine for which she made extended submerged search on her last patrol. E-2 was commended by the Chief of Naval Operations for two of these anti-submarine patrols, which were exceptionally long for a submarine of her size. ^[3]

Returning to New London, on 31 August 1918, E-2 made two more patrols before the end of the war, then returned to training student officers and qualifying men for duty in submarines. ^[3]

Fate

She sailed from New London to Norfolk, on 19 April 1920, arriving two days later. There she was placed in commission in ordinary, on 18 July 1921. On 17 September, she sailed for Philadelphia Navy Yard, where she was decommissioned on 20 October 1921, and sold on 19 April 1922. ^[3]

References

1. Navy List 1921, p. 765.
2. Priolo.
3. Cressman 2022.
4. World 1916, p. 1.
5. New York Times 1916.

Bibliography

• "Table 21 - Ships on Navy List June 30, 1919". Congressional Serial Set. U.S. Government Printing Office: 764. 1921.
• Gary, Priolo. "Sturgeon / E-2 (SS-25)". Navsource.net. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
• Cressman, Robert J. (11 January 2022). "E-2". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command . Retrieved 24 September 2025. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• "2 Killed on U.S. Submarine Blown up in Brooklyn Dock". The Evening World. New York. 15 January 1916. p. 1. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
• "Naval Board of Inquiry proceedings regarding culpable explosion of the Edison battery installation". The New York Times. 16 February 1916. Retrieved 15 January 2016.

External links

• Photo gallery of USS E-2 at NavSource Naval History
• Video of the U.S.S. E-2 Underway Archived 2010-06-11 at the Wayback Machine