USS N-1

Bow view of USS N-1, operating near the New London Submarine Base, Connecticut, in 1919
History
United States
Name	N-1
Builder	Seattle Construction and Drydock Company, Seattle, Washington
Cost	$474,118.32 (hull and machinery) [1]
Laid down	26 July 1915
Launched	30 December 1916
Sponsored by	Mrs. Mabel Davis
Commissioned	26 September 1917
Decommissioned	30 April 1926
Stricken	18 December 1930
Identification	Hull symbol: SS-53 (17 July 1920) Call sign: NZE
Fate	Scrapped, early 1931
General characteristics [2] [3]
Class & type	N-class submarine
Displacement	347 long tons (353 t) surfaced 414 long tons (421 t) submerged
Length	147 ft 3 in (44.88 m)
Beam	15 ft 9 in (4.80 m)
Draft	12 ft 6 in (3.81 m)
Installed power	480  bhp (360 kW) diesel 560 hp (420 kW) electric
Propulsion	2 × NELSECO 240V8FS Diesel engines 2 × Electro Dynamic electric motors 2 × 60-cell batteries, 2 × Propellors
Speed	13  kn (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph) submerged
Range	3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 11 kn surfaced
Test depth	200 ft (61 m)
Capacity	6,058 US gal (22,930 L; 5,044 imp gal) fuel
Complement	2 officers 23 enlisted
Armament	4 × 18 inch (450 mm) bow torpedo tubes (8 torpedoes)

USS N-1 (SS-53), also known as "Submarine No. 53", was the lead ship of her class of coastal submarines of the United States Navy commissioned during World War I. She spent the war patrolling off the coast of New England, and was decommissioned after less than ten years in service.

Design

The N-class boats designed by Electric Boat, N-1 throughN-3, also referred to as the N-1-class, were built to slightly different specifications from the other N-class submarines, which were designed by Lake Torpedo Boat, referred to as the N-4-class. The Electric Boat submarines had a length of 147 ft 3 in (44.9 m) overall, a beam of 15 ft 9 in (4.8 m), and a mean draft of 12 feet 6 inches (3.8 m). They displaced 347 long tons (353 t) on the surface and 414 long tons (421 t) submerged. The Electric Boat submarines had a crew of 2 officers and 23 enlisted men. They had a diving depth of 200 ft (61.0 m). ^[2]

For surface running, the Electric Boat submarines were powered by two 240- brake-horsepower (179 kW) NELSECO 240V8FS diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 280-horsepower (209 kW) Electro Dynamic electric motor. They could reach 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) on the surface and 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph) underwater. On the surface, the boats had a range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 11 kn and 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi) at 5 kn (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged. ^[2]

The boats were armed with four 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They carried four reloads, for a total of eight torpedoes. ^{[2] [4]}

Construction

N-1's keel was laid down on 26 July 1915, by the Seattle Construction and Drydock Company, in Seattle, Washington. She was launched on 30 December 1916, sponsored by Mrs. Mabel Davis, and commissioned on 26 September 1917. ^[5]

Service history

Designed as a coast defense submarine,N-1 was fitted out at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, in Bremerton, Washington, and then departed on 21 November 1917, for San Francisco, California, in company with her sisters, N-2 and N-3. Reassigned to the East Coast, she departed San Francisco, on 13 December, for Balboa, in the Panama Canal Zone, and thence proceeded via Cristobal, Jamaica, Key West, Florida, and Norfolk, Virginia, to New London, Connecticut, arriving on 7 February 1918. ^[5]

Reporting for duty to Commander, First Naval District, the submarine began her first patrol on 23 June 1918, by hunting for a U-boat reported in the vicinity of Cape Cod. After an intensive search, N-1 continued her patrol off the New England coast. For the remainder of the war and until early 1922, N-1 continued her operations in the area from New London to Bar Harbor. ^[5]

Placed in reduced commission on 1 May 1922, N-1 became a training submarine for the Submarine School, New London. She continued this duty until ordered to Philadelphia Navy Yard on 9 December 1925. ^[5]

Fate

Arriving at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 18 December, she was decommissioned on 30 April 1926. Struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 18 December 1930, N-1 was scrapped in early 1931. ^[5]

References

1. Navy List 1921, p. 768.
2. Friedman 1995, p. 307.
3. Mohl & N-1.
4. Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 129.
5. Cressman 2025.

Bibliography

• "Table 21 - Ships on Navy List June 30, 1919". Congressional Serial Set. U.S. Government Printing Office: 768. 1921.
• Mohl, Michael. "N-1 (SS-53)". Navsource.net. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
• Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   1-55750-263-3.
• Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   0-85177-245-5.
• Cressman, Robert J. (16 July 2025). "N-1 (Submarine No. 53)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command . Retrieved 24 October 2025. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

External links

• Photo gallery of USS N-1 (SS-53) at NavSource Naval History