 USSSeal afloat after launching, off theNewport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company shipyard,Newport News, Virginia, 8 February 1911 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | G class |
| Builders |
|
| Operators |  United States Navy |
| Preceded by | F class |
| Succeeded by | H class |
| Built | 1909–1913 |
| In commission | 1912–1921 |
| Completed | 4 |
| Retired | 4 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 157–161 ft (48–49 m) |
| Beam | 13–17 ft (4.0–5.2 m) |
| Draft | 11–12 ft (3.4–3.7 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 200 ft (61 m) |
| Complement |
|
| Armament |
|
TheG-class submarines were a class of fourUnited States Navysubmarines. While the four G boats were nominally all of a class, they differed enough in significant details that they are sometimes considered to be four unique boats, each in a class by herself.[1] They were the result of agitation (presumably from industry and Congress) for competition in submarine design; all previous US submarines were designed byElectric Boat.[2]G-1,G-2, andG-3, were designed bySimon Lake, of theLake Torpedo Boat Company, whileG-4 was designed byAmerican Laurenti.G-1 andG-2 were built byNewport News,G-3 by Lake, completed at theNew York Navy Yard due to Lake's temporary dissolution,[3] andG-4 byCramp.[2]
G-1,G-2, andG-4 were the lastgasoline engine powered submarines in theUS Navy. The Lake-designedG-1 was equipped with three sets ofdiving planes spaced along the midships part of the hull, and no bow planes. This was to facilitate level diving, which Lake thought was safer than the angle diving of the numerous Electric Boat designs. DuringWorld War I,G-1,G-2, andG-3 were fitted with "chariot" bridge shields for improved surface operation in rough weather,[4] although they were not deployed overseas.
G-1 was built under a contract with such high performance specifications that the Navy expected Lake to fail, so as a result the boat was not initially assigned ahull number. When Lake did eventually complete the boat, the awkwardness of the situation caused the Navy to assign the boat hull number 19½, an unprecedented move.[5] By the time the Navy's designation system was overhauled in 1920,F-1 had been lost, soG-1 became SS-20 at that time.[2]G-1 had four18 inch (450 mm)torpedo tubes: two in thebow, and two in two trainable mounts in the superstructure. These mounts could only fire at angles abeam, not directly ahead or astern.[6]
G-2 had four 18-inch torpedo tubes: two bow internal, one bow external, and one stern external, with 8 torpedoes. She had four engines installed, in tandem, two on each shaft with a clutch between them. This would create severe vibrations in operation, as it was impossible to perfectly synchronize the engines, a problem the laterAA-1-class submarines experienced.[7][8]
G-3 had six 18-inch torpedo tubes: two bow internal, two bow external, and two stern external, with 10 torpedoes. She was the only one of the class withdiesel engines. While being completed at theBrooklyn Navy Yard, she was fitted withsponsons to improve stability.[4][9]
G-4 had two bow and two stern 18-inch internal torpedo tubes, with 8 torpedoes. By commissioning date she was the first US submarine with a stern tube.[10] Four engines were installed, in tandem as inG-2, except there was no clutch between them. This created severe vibrations in operation, as it was impossible to perfectly synchronize the engines, a problem the laterAA-1 class experienced.[11]
The following ships of the class were constructed.[12][13][14][15]
| Ship name | Hull class and no. | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comm. | Decomm. | Renamed | Rename date | Reclass. hull no. | Reclass. hull no. date | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seal | Submarine No. 19 1/2 | Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.,Newport News, Virginia | 2 February 1909 | 8 February 1911 | 28 October 1912 | 6 March 1920 | G-1 | 17 November 1911 | SS-19 1/2 | 17 July 1920 | Sunk as a target, 21 June 1921 |
| Tuna | Submarine No. 27 | Lake Torpedo Boat Company,Bridgeport, Connecticut | 20 October 1909 | 10 January 1912 | 6 February 1915 | 2 April 1919 | G-2 | SS-27 | Sunk at her moorings | ||
| Turbot | Submarine No. 31 | 30 March 1911 | 27 December 1913 | 22 March 1915 | 5 May 1921 | G-3 | SS-31 | Sold for scrapping, 19 April 1922 | |||
| Thrasher | Submarine No. 26 | William Cramp & Sons,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 9 July 1910 | 15 August 1912 | 22 January 1914 | 5 September 1919 | G-4 | SS-26 | sold for scrapping, 15 April 1920 |
Media related toG class submarines at Wikimedia Commons