Info on R class boats and a bit on life there on

Since 08-29-05

Updated 08-31-05

Here is a info on R class boats and a bit on life on R class and other boats of that time, with photo links below:

The "R" class boats were designed by Simon Lake with a larger conning tower to serve as the commanding officer's battle station and house the periscope equipment and incorporated the new 21-inch torpedo tube which was re-evaluated in 1915 but had been a long standing demand of submarine crews. These would fire the Mk10 torpedo which could travel 5,000 yards at 30 knots (later 3,600 yards at 36 knots) with a 500-lb warhead. On 29 August 1916 Congress approved 58 coastal submarines (SS-78 to 135) which would ultimately comprise 27 "R" boats and 30 "S" boats, and a "Neff" boat (SS-108) which never was constructed.

R-1 thru 20 were built at Union Iron Works and at Fore River Shipbuilding. R-21 thru 27 (which would form a separate class) were built at Lake Torpedo Boat Company. The "R" boats were laid down April 1917 to November 1918 and commissioned July 1918 to December 1919.

Early submarine classes such as E, H, K, L, M, N, O, and R, known as "pig boats" or "boats" because of their unusual hull shape and foul living conditions, ranged in displacement from 287 to 510 tons. The fastest "boats" achieved top surface speeds of 14 knots under diesel power. During World War I, US submarines were divided into two groups according to mission. Boats of the N and O classes, as well as some of the E type, patrolled American coasts and harbors in a defensive role. Some K, L, O, and E class boats conducted offensive, open-sea operations from the Azores and Bantry Bay in Ireland. They supported the Allied effort to maintain open sea lanes along the European coast and in the approaches to the British Isles.

In May 1931, the Navy decommissioned eleven R-1 (SS-78) class boats with two following in 1932 and another in 1934. R-8 was expended as a target in aerial bombing test off Cape Henry, VA in August 1936. Thirteen reserve boats were recommissioned April 1940 to March 1941 in the pre World War II US naval buildup. The "R" boats were stationed at New London CT and Key West FL as training submarines during World War II and were decommissioned in 1945 then sold for scrap.

R-3 was transferred to the Royal Navy under lend lease in November 1941 with R-19 and R-20 following in March 1942 - all were to serve as training submarines. R-19 was lost, shortly after her transfer to Britain, in June 1942 when rammed by HMCS Georgian in the Western Atlantic. R-12 was lost 12 June 1943 off Key West FL with the loss of 42 men including several Brazilian observers.

NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
R-25 (SS-102) http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08102.htm 

R-21 Class Submarine: Laid down, 26 April 1917, at Lake Torpedo Boat Co., Bridgeport, CT.; Launched, 15 May 1917; Commissioned, USS R-25, 23 October 1919; Redesignated USS R-25 (SS-102), 17 July 1920; Decommissioned, 21 June 1924, at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA.; Laid up in the Reserve Fleet at League Island, PA.; Struck from the Naval Register, 9 May 1930; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 30 July 1930

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 510 t., Submerged: 583 t.; Length 175' ; Beam 16' 8"; Draft 13' 11"; Speed, surfaced 14 kts, submerged 11 kts; Depth Limit, 200'; Complement 2 Officers, 27 Enlisted; Armament, four 18" torpedo tubes forward, 8 torpedoes, one 3"/50 deck gun; Propulsion, diesel electric engines, Busch Sulzer Brothers Diesel Engine Co., diesel engines, HP 1,000, Fuel Capacity, 17,922 gals., Diehl Manufacture Co., electric motors, HP 800, Battery Cells 120, twin propellers.

R-25

(Submarine No. 102: displacement 495 (surfaced), 576 (submerged); length 175'; beam 16'8"; draft 13'11" (mean); speed 14 knots (surfaced), 11 knots (submerged); complement 29; armament 1 3", 4 21" torpedo tubes; class R-21)
R-25 (Submarine No. 102) was laid down 26 April 1917 by the Lake Torpedo Boat Co., Bridgeport, Conn.; launched 15 May 1919; sponsored by Mrs. Richard H. M. Robinson; and commissioned 23 October 1919, Lt. Comdr. Charles A. Lockwood, Jr., in command.

At the end of November, R-25 got underway for her homeport, Coco Solo, C.Z. Arriving 11 January 1920, she was designated SS-102 in July and, except for overhaul periods at Balboa and on the east coast, operated in the waters off the Canal Zone until the fall of 1923. In November of that year she arrived at Philadelphia; underwent inactivation overhaul and on 21 June 1924 was decommissioned and laid up at League Island. She was struck from the Navy list 9 May 1930 and sold for scrap the following July.

R-1 (SS-78)
http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08078.htm

The R-Boats photos including R-25
http://www.rddesigns.com/subs/r-boats.html 

United States R class submarine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_R_class_submarine

World War II U.S. Submarine List O, R, S, etc subs
http://www.fleetsubmarine.com/sublist.html

From: pete [mailto:psundstrom@cfl.rr.com]
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2005 7:30 PM
Subject: When you were offline (via Bravenet HumanClick)

I'm looking for photos of any crew members of the R-25. My granddad served aboard in 1920 and 1921. Charles Lockwood was his first skipper. Granddad was 2/c em (radio). He lost his sense of taste and smell from exposure to chlorine gas on feb 20, 1920 when boat took on 51 inches of water in a dive on feb 20, 1920. I have checked out the Rboat website. Would like to get more info on life and conditions on the Rboats. Thanks.

From: Pete Sundstrom [psundstrom@cfl.rr.com]
 Sent: Monday, August 29, 2005 8:20 PM
To: J. R. Santos
Subject: Re: When you were offline (via Bravenet HumanClick)

Hi Jim

Thanks for the fast reply:

I just typed this posting on another site: I am looking for photo's of the R-25 and any of the crew. My granddad served aboard from Jan 1920 til Sep 1921. Charles Lockwood was his first skipper. My Granddad lost his sense of taste and smell from exposure to chlorine gas when the ship took a dive on Feb 20, 1920, they had 51 inches of water resulting when someone had failed to secure a valve when all had been reported rigged for dive.

The R-25 was operating out of Coco Solo. My granddad rode the R-22 down to Coco Solo from CT. Also, If any one knows how guys were recruited during that time. I don't think he went to bootcamp..

He enlisted September 8th, 1919 and reported directly on board the R-22 that day and is listed as a apprentice seaman elec reporting from the recruiting station New Haven Ct

Then he was granted 4 days leave on September 19 listed as Elec 3rd cl (R). I think that he might have been a telegrapher for western union and must have gained some knowledge about electricity.

He was 18 when he signed up and never finished high school. What was the pay in 1919? I believe they also got a dollar per dive and a 25% premium to regular pay and was the death benefit 6 months of pay?

Jim: I went to the National Archives 2 years ago and checked out the log books for the R22/R25 and O15 and got a lot of exciting info (to me). It's a probably long shot that I will get in contact with anyone that had crew pictures back then.

I think my dad had 2 pictures of my granddad in uniform and none him on the boat.

I'm a retired SCPO/retired in 1991 as NCCS - served as a RM from 1968-1979.

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