USSS-3

USSS-3(SS-107)
History
United States
Name	USSS-3
Builder	Portsmouth Navy Yard
Laid down	29 August 1917
Launched	21 December 1918
Commissioned	30 January 1919
Decommissioned	24 March 1931
Stricken	25 January 1937
Fate	Scrapped
General characteristics
Class and type	S-classsubmarine
Displacement	876 long tons (890 t) surfaced 1,092 long tons (1,110 t) submerged
Length	131 ft (40 m)
Beam	21 ft 10 in (6.65 m)
Draft	13 ft 1 in (3.99 m)
Speed	15kn(17 mph; 28 km/h) surfaced 11 kn (13 mph; 20 km/h) submerged
Complement	38 officers and men
Armament	1 ×4 in (100 mm)/50deck gun 4 ×21 inch (533 mm)torpedo tubes

USSS-3(SS-107)was the prototype of the "Government-type"S-classsubmarinesof theUnited States Navy.(S-1was the "Holland-type"prototypeandS-2the "Lake-type".) Her keel was laid down on 29 August 1917 by thePortsmouth Naval Shipyard.She waslaunchedon 21 December 1918 sponsored by Mrs. William L. Hill, andcommissionedon 30 January 1919.

Following outfitting and trials,S-3began her career with training operations along theNew Englandcoast operating out ofPortsmouthandNew London, Connecticut.In 1920, she twice visitedHavana, Cuba:first in January, and again in December.

In July 1921, she was attached to Submarine Division 12 (SubDiv 12) which, along with SubDiv 18, was to rendezvous off Portsmouth for the longest voyage on record, at that time, for American submarines. The two divisions were assigned to theAsiatic Fleetas Submarine Flotilla 3 (SubFlot 3) at theCavite Naval Stationin thePhilippine Islands.They sailed via thePanama CanaltoPearl Harbor,whereS-3was detached and reassigned to operate on theWest Coast of the United StatesfromMare Island,California. The two divisions continued on and successfully completed the voyage, arriving at Cavite on 1 December.

S-3departed Pearl Harbor on 9 November and sailed to the U.S. West Coast where she operated until mid-July 1923. On 17 July, she took departure fromSan Francisco Bayto retransit the Panama Canal en route to New London.

Reaching New London on 5 September, she was attached to SubDiv 2,Atlantic Fleet,and assigned experimental duty at the Submarine School at New London, assuming the duties ofS-1,flagshipof SubDiv 2, which was conducting special experiments withaircraft.During the remainder of 1923 and the years following, into 1927, she ranged theEast Coast of the United Statesconducting training operations and evaluating new techniques in submarine development.

In July 1927,S-3andS-1formed SubDiv 4 and began a schedule which included operational cruises to the Panama Canal Zone in the spring months of 1928–1930. The remaining months of those years were spent in operations along the New England coast.

Early in 1931,S-3was ordered toPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania,for inactivation. She wasdecommissionedthere on 24 March and laid up. She was struck from theNaval Vessel Registeron 25 January 1937 and subsequently scrapped.

References

This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.The entry can be foundhere.