Design
They were generally similar to the C-class and D-class submarines built by Electric Boat, but larger at 400 long tons (406 t) submerged vs. 337 long tons (342 t) for the D class. They were single-hulled boats with circular sections laid along the longitudinal axis. Overall length was 142 ft 6 in (43.43 m) and the beam was 15 ft 5 in (4.70 m). The E-class and the F-class submarines were the first US submarines to have bow planes. Like the E class, their early-model diesels had problems and were replaced in 1915.
The hull contained three compartments separated by partial strength watertight bulkheads:
The two diesel engines were clutched to shafts that turned electric motors that could also be used as generators for charging the batteries. The shafts also turned the screws. For submerged operation, the diesels were de-clutched and shut down, with the battery providing all of the submarine's power. The batteries were an array of two sets of 60 cells in rubber-lined, open-topped, steel jars.
The small conning tower fairwater (also known as a sail) initially precluded any sort of bridge structure for surface cruising. For extended surface runs, a temporary piping-and-canvas structure was erected to give the topside watchstanders some protection from the elements. The considerable time required to dismantle that structure made crash diving the boat impossible, and that impediment remained until the introduction of permanent metal "chariot-style" bridge structures in 1917-1919. However, as the F-class served in the Pacific, they did not receive this upgrade.
The streamlined, rotating torpedo tube muzzle cap eliminated the drag that muzzle holes would otherwise cause. In the stowed position, the submarine appears to have no torpedo tubes, as the holes in the cap are covered by the bow stem. With the exception of the L-class and the one-off M-1, this feature remained standard for submarines designed by the Electric Boat Company, through the O-class, after which it was replaced with individual muzzle doors faired with shutters that remain standard through the modern day.
History
All four F-class submarines spent their careers in the Pacific Fleet, primarily based in San Pedro Submarine Base , San Pedro, California, with a stint in Hawaii. F-4 was lost off Hawaii, on 25 March 1915, due to a battery acid leak corroding the hull. F-1 and F-3 collided off San Diego, on 17 December 1917, and F-1 was lost. F-2 and F-3 survived to be decommissioned and scrapped, in 1922, to comply with the limits of the Washington Naval Treaty.
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