United States B-class submarine


The B-class submarines were three United States Navy submarines built by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company, in Quincy, Massachusetts, under a subcontract from the Electric Boat Company. They were eventually stationed in the Philippines, an American possession, beginning in 1912–1915. They were shipped there on colliers. All three were stricken and expended as targets 1919–1922.

Design

These were the last submarines designed directly by John Philip Holland. In a series of business organizational moves, Holland had essentially been forced out of Electric Boat, by Isaac Rice and Elihu Frost, and he resigned from the company on 28 March 1904. They were also the last submarines in the US Navy with a single, axial mounted propeller until the experimental submarine, of 1953.
These vessels introduced some features intended to increase underwater speed, including a small sail and a rotating cap over the torpedo tube muzzles. The streamlined 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.
For extended surface runs, the small sail was augmented with a temporary piping-and-canvas structure. Tactical doctrine for harbor defense submarines dictated that quick "crash dives" would not be necessary, thus the considerable time it took to dismantle this structure and stow it below was not considered a liability. Experience in World War I showed that this was inadequate in the North Atlantic weather, and earlier submarines serving overseas in that war had their bridge structures augmented with a "chariot" shield on the front of the bridge. Starting in 1918-1919, with lessons learned from overseas experience US submarines had bridges more suited to surfaced operations in rough weather.

Boats in class

The following ships of the class were constructed.
Ship nameBuilderLaid downLaunchedRenamedRename dateFate
ViperSubmarine No. 10Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts5 September 190530 March 190718 October 19071 December 192117 November 1911SS-1017 July 1920Sunk as a target
CuttlefishSubmarine No. 11Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts30 August 19051 September 190618 October 190712 December 191917 November 1911SS-1117 July 1920Sunk as a target
TarantulaSubmarine No. 12Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts5 September 190530 March 19073 December 190725 July 192117 November 1911SS-1217 July 1920Sunk as a target
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