Early American Submarine Operations

Even before the United States entered World War I, in 1917, American fleet units were dispersed widely around the world to protect U.S. interests.  By that time submarines of the A-class had already been sent as far abroad as the Philippine Islands.

By 1906, with most of the fleet in the Atlantic, the Navy's General Board (later to become the Secretary of the Navy) recognized submarines as the principle way to defend the west coast of the United States if attacked. Thus, submarines were charged with coastal and harbor defense during their first two decades of service. Likewise, the Secretary of the Navy adopted the position that submarines also should be utilized to defend the vital fleet ports in the Philippines and the Hawaiian Islands, both being possessions of the United States, and by the spring of 1908 had ordered submarines to be positioned there.  That same year the Navy responded by sending the early A-class and B-class submarines to the Western Pacific, among these were the submarines GRAMPUS and PIKE.  These submarines were picked up by colliers and transported to the Philippine Islands, there to be launched overboard and thus becoming the first undersea craft to serve in Manila Bay. 

Ten years later, these early submarines would be dismantled and relieved by two divisions of the newer S-class submarines. The latter arrived on station at Cavite on December 1, 1931.  Likewise, the submarines of the C-class were sent to Panama to be the first submarines assigned to that area, but not until 1914.

Meanwhile, it would not be until the end of 1913 before a Submarine Base would be established on the West Coast -- its location, San Pedro, California.  The submarines of the F-class and H-class were the earliest submarines to be assigned to San Pedro.  The four submarines of the F-class were soon reassigned, replaced by the H-class submarines, after which the F-class went on to Honolulu to become the first submarines to be stationed out there.

Related Pages