USS R-11

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USS R-11 with tug.jpg
USS R-11 (SS-88) arriving at the The Battery, in New York City, for the World's Fair, 29 April 1939, the mercantile tug Dalzellico is immediately behind her
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameR-11
Ordered29 August 1916
Builder Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Quincy, Massachusetts
Cost$630,423.33 (hull and machinery) [1]
Laid down18 March 1918
Launched21 July 1919
Sponsored byMiss Dorothy Batchelder
Commissioned5 September 1919
Decommissioned5 September 1945
Stricken11 October 1945
Identification
FateSold for scrap, 13 March 1946
General characteristics [2] [3]
Class & type R-1-class submarine
Displacement
  • 574 long tons (583 t) surfaced
  • 685 long tons (696 t) submerged
Length186 feet 3 inches (56.77 m)
Beam18 ft (5.5 m)
Draft15 ft 6 in (4.72 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed
  • 12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph) surfaced
  • 9.3 kn (17.2 km/h; 10.7 mph) submerged
Range4,700 nautical miles (8,700 km; 5,400 mi) at 6.2 kn (11.5 km/h; 7.1 mph), 7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) if fuel loaded into the main ballast tanks
Test depth200 ft (61 m)
Capacity18,880 US gallons (71,500  L; 15,720  imp gal) fuel
Complement
  • 2 officers
  • 27 enlisted
Armament

USS R-11 (SS-88), also known as "Submarine No. 88", was an R-1-class coastal and harbor defense submarines of the United States Navy commissioned after the end of World War I.

Contents

Due to space constraints, the boats built at the Fore River Shipbuilding Company yard, were laid down much later than the boats built at the Union Iron Works and the Lake Torpedo Boat Company yards. Because of this, none were commissioned before the end of WWI.

Design

The R-boats built by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company, R-1 through R-14, and the Union Iron Works, R-15 through R-20, are sometimes considered a separate class, R-1-class, from those built by the Lake Torpedo Boat Company, R-21 through R-27, R-21-class. [2]

The submarines had a length of 186 feet 3 inches (56.8 m) overall, a beam of 18 ft (5.5 m), and a mean draft of 15 ft 6 in (4.7 m). They displaced 574 long tons (583 t) on the surface and 685 long tons (696 t) submerged. The R-1-class submarines had a crew of 2 officers and 27 enlisted men. They had a diving depth of 200 ft (61.0 m). [2] [4]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 440- brake-horsepower (328 kW) NELSECO 6-EB-14 diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 467-horsepower (348 kW) Electro-Dynamic Company electric motor. They could reach 12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph) on the surface and 9.3 kn (17.2 km/h; 10.7 mph) underwater. On the surface, the R-1-class had a range of 4,700 nautical miles (8,700 km; 5,400 mi) at 6.2 kn (11.5 km/h; 7.1 mph), or 7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) if fuel was loaded into their main ballast tanks. [4]

The boats were armed with four 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They carried four reloads, for a total of eight torpedoes. The R-1-class submarines were also armed with a single 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber deck gun. [2] [4]

Construction

R-11's keel was laid down on 18 March 1918, by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on 21 July 1919, [5] sponsored by Miss Dorothy Batchelder, [6] and commissioned on 20 August 1919. [5]

Service history

1919–1930

R-11 remained inactive at the Boston Navy Yard, with a crew of only two men, for two months, following commissioning. With the new year, 1920, she commenced training cruises along the New England coast, and in April, to Bermuda. On completion of training cruises, she returned to New London, Connecticut, whence she sailed on 31 May, for the Pacific. [5]

When the US Navy adopted its hull classification system on 17 July 1920, she received the hull number SS-88. [3]

R-11 arrived at Pearl Harbor, on 4 August. Homeported there for the next ten years, she conducted operations in the Hawaiian area, searched for missing ships, including the seagoing tug Conestoga, and planes; participated in tactical exercises; and engaged in fleet maneuvers. [5]

1931–1946

On 12 December 1930, R-11 departed Pearl Harbor, for the last time, and steamed east to San Diego, California, whence she continued on through the Panama Canal, to New London. She returned to that Thames River base on 9 February 1931, and for the remainder of the decade served as a training ship primarily for the Submarine School, at New London, and occasionally for NROTC units in the southern New England area. [5]

Transferred to Key West, Florida, on 1 June 1941, R-11 continued her training ship duties throughout the remainder of her career. [5]

Fate

Decommissioned 5 September 1945, R-11 was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 11 October 1945; sold to Macey O. Smith, Miami, Florida, 13 March 1946; and scrapped in 1948. [5]

References

Bibliography

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