USS N-2

USS N-2 in Puget Sound, Washington, while fitting out in 1917. She is proceeding to sea for sea trials.
History
United States
Name	N-2
Builder	Seattle Construction and Drydock Company, Seattle, Washington
Cost	$469,207.33 (hull and machinery) [1]
Laid down	29 July 1915
Launched	16 January 1917
Sponsored by	Mrs. Evelyn Drake
Commissioned	26 September 1917
Decommissioned	30 April 1926
Stricken	18 December 1930
Identification	Hull symbol: SS-54 (17 July 1920) Call sign: NZF
Fate	Scrapped, 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-2 (SS-54), also known as "Submarine No. 54", was an N-class coastal submarine 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-2's keel was laid down on 29 July 1915, by the Seattle Construction and Drydock Company, in Seattle, Washington. She was launched on 16 January 1917, sponsored by Mrs. Whitford Drake, and commissioned on 26 September 1917.

Service history

After fitting out out and conducting sea trials in Puget Sound, N-2 departed the Puget Sound Navy Yard, 21 November 1917, and sailed for San Francisco, California, in company with her sister boats N-1 and N-3. Upon arriving at San Francisco, she was ordered to proceed to the East Coast, via the Panama Canal, for assignment to the Submarine Force, US Atlantic Fleet. ^[5]

She arrived at New London, Connecticut, on 7 February 1918, and almost immediately began to patrol along the New England coast, guarding against enemy submarines. Operating in this area for the remainder of the war, N-2 helped keep the sea lanes open. ^[5]

Following the end of World War I, N-2 continued her operations out of New London, serving as a training ship for the Submarine School. Beginning in late May 1921, the submarine also tested experimental Navy weapons, such as a radio-controlled torpedo, and evaluated its potential value in modern combat. Placed in reduced commission 22 April 1922, N-2 continued her training and experimental duties at New London. On 11 October, she aided the tanker Swiftstar, grounded on the southern end of Block Island. ^[5]

Fate

She remained in active service until decommissioned 30 April 1926, at Philadelphia Navy Yard. Struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 18 December 1930, N-2 was scrapped in early 1931. ^[5]

References

1. Navy List 1921, p. 768.
2. Friedman 1995, p. 307.
3. Priolo & N-2.
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.
• Priolo, Gary. "N-2 (SS-54)". Navsource.net. Retrieved 27 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. (21 July 2025). "N-2 (Submarine No. 54)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command . Retrieved 27 October 2025. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

External links

• Photo gallery of USS N-2 (SS-54) at NavSource Naval History