c-boats

The C-Boats

A Lock full of Submarines.

All 5 "C" boats together in Panama Canal

A Dry Dock full of Submarines.

Of the five submarines in this Norfolk, VA dry dock, four are "C" class submarines. The one in the middle in the very front of the dry dock could be a "D" or "E" class submarine. No identifying names can be found to know which submarines these are. All five "C" class submarines were built by the Fore River Ship Building Company
USS C-1(ex-Octopus) SS 9

USS C-1 (Octopus) SS 9

USS C-1 (Octopus)

USS C-1

USS C-1 interior showing battery and torpedo tubes.
The battery cells were open and filled with acid and then planked over
and covered with heavy canvas coated with green shellac to make it water proof.

USS C-1 torpedo tubes.
The cables that can be seen running behind the locking wheels are part of
loading process of the torprdoes. A crank was turned above the tubes and the
torpedo was pulled into the the entrance and then loasded by hand.

USS C-1 muzzle cap wheel.
The "steering wheel" was used to rotate the muzzle cap to allow a torpedo to be fired.
The directions for rotation can be seen to the right of the wheel. A muzzle cap location
indicator is seen to the right of that. At the top are "clinometers" to show the angle of
list the vessel has to port or starboard. The cable reel for the torpedo loading winch is
seen just to the left and above the muzzel cap wheel.

USS C-1 main ballast vent.
At the very top of the photo showing the battery cells and torpedo tubes is this valve.
This is the "Forward Main Ballast Vent". Ballast tanks on the early "Holland" boats were
internal tanks. The large piping, maybe as large as 6 inches, can be seen running to the
port and starboard ballast tanks. This valve was opened to allow air to escape from the tanks
so sea water could fill the tank and make the sub negatively buoyant to be able to submerge..

USS C-5(ex-Snapper) SS 16, USS C-1(ex-Octopus) SS 9

USS C-2 (ex-Stingray) SS 13

Crew muster
U.S.S. Stingray Submarine No. 13 was renamed C-2 on Nov 17, 1911
Hesskamp Clarence N. - Ensign - age 25 - Born: Wisconsin
Dailey Clarence A. - Ch. Gunners Mate - age 27 - Born: New York
Zeraphe Anton J. - Gunners Mate 2Cl - age 28 - Born: Germany
Salesbury Leslie W. - Gunners Mate 1Cl - age 23 - Born: Ohio
Hartmann Fred - Gunners Mate 2Cl - age 27 - Born: New York
Sullivan E****t - Gunners Mate 3Cl - age 23 - Born: New York
Mc Pherson William J. - Ch. Machinists Mate - age 47 - Born: Maine
Nelson Harry S. - Machinists Mate 1Cl - age 28 - Born: California
Murphy Thomas K. - Machinists Mate 1Cl - age 22 - Born: North Carolina
Saxton Albert B. - Machinists Mate 1Cl - age 28 - Born: New York
Nyland Thomas F. - Machinists Mate 2Cl - age 25 - Born: England
Grosskopf Charles J. - Machinists Mate 2Cl - age 32 - Born: Wisconsin
Meyer Frederich *. - Chief Electrician - age 26 - Born: Connecticut
Kr*c Edward J. - Electrician 1Cl - age 22 - Born: Illinois
Mosley James W. - Electrician 2Cl - age 23 - Born: Georgia
Walling Arthur R. - Electrician 2Cl - age 22 - Born: Illinois

Thank you to Linda Talbott of the US GenWeb Census Project^®for providing this information.
* = unknown letter

A photo of the USS C-3 taken in 1912.
Photo courtesy of John Marsh whose father Lt. John Rodney Marsh
was a commanding Officer of the C-3 in 1918 in Panama.

Lt. John Rodney Marsh, CO of the USS C-3 in 1918, Panama.
Photo courtesy of John Marsh whose father Lt. John Rodney Marsh
was a commanding Officer of the C-3 in 1918 in Panama.

USS C-3 crew on deck Panama, 1918.
Lt Marsh is standing at end of gangplank fifth man from the left in this photo.
Caption says that two crews are shown in this photo.
That would explain the number of men shown here.
Photo courtesy of John Marsh whose father Lt. John Rodney Marsh
was a commanding Officer of the C-3 in 1918 in Panama.

Back of photo reads in red as follows:
USS C-3 returning from dive, Nov. 11, 1918. Word had just been
recieved of signig of Armistice and whistle was tied down. (the ships
whistle was tied open and allowed to blow in celibration of the end of the war)
On the bridge, left to right JRM (Marsh), West, Sea (seaman),
Locke E1 (RO) (electrician / radio operator), on deck, Babcock GM2 (gunnersmate 2),
Drury CGM (chief gunnersmate), Bailey, GM3 (gunnersmate 3), Cormier, Sea (seaman)
Photo courtesy of John Marsh whose father Lt. John Rodney Marsh
was a commanding Officer of the C-3 in 1918 in Panama.

USS C-3 (ex-Tarpon) SS 14

USS C-3 SS 14 in the Panama Canal

Crew muster
U.S.S. Tarpon Submarine No. 14 was renamed C-3 on Nov 17, 1911

Bassett Prentiss P. - Lieutenant - age 26 - Born: Washington, D.C.
Nye Ray - Chief Gunners Mate - age 26 - Born: Ohio
Mc Dougal John - Gunners Mate 1Cl - age 28 - Born: Maine
Cook Robert H. - Gunners Mate 2Cl - age 21 - Born: North Carolina
Eadie Thomas - Gunners Mate 3Cl - age 23 - Born: Scotland
Evans John K. - Ch. Machinists Mate - age 30 - Born: Ohio
Pf***ing William C. - Machinists Mate 1Cl - age 23 - Born: Indiana
Mitchell Frank R. - Machinists Mate 1Cl - age 24 - Born: New Hampshire
Behrens Gro**r C. - Machinists Mate 1Cl - age 24 - Born: Ohio
Mc Inard Peter P. - Machinists Mate 2Cl - age 20 - Born: Massachusetts
Du Charme Charles H. - Machinists Mate 2Cl - age 27 - Born: New Hampshire
Emerson Alfred J. - Chief Electrician - age 26 - Born: New York
De Rusha Joseph P. - Electrician 1Cl - age 23 - Born: New York
Proctor Joseph W. - Electrician 2Cl - age 23 - Born: England
Grimes Otto - Electrician 2Cl - age 22 - Born: Kentucky

Thank you to Linda Talbott of the US GenWeb Census Project^®for providing this information.
* = unknown letter

USS C-3 torpedo tubes
Photo provided by Rick Larson MMCM (SS) (ret.)

USS C-3 engine room. Photo most likely taken looking aft.
Photo provided by Rick Larson MMCM (SS) (ret.)

This is a photo from the bridge showing the wake of a torpedo
being fired from the port (number 2) torpedo tube of the C-3.
Photo provided by Rick Larson MMCM (SS) (ret.)

USS C-4 (ex-Bonita) SS 15

Crew muster
USS Bonita, Submarine No 15, later renamed C-4 attached to submarine April 15, 1910

Danenhower, Sloan - Ensign; - age 25 - Born; Maryland, Later becoming Captain of the Nautilus of the Wilkins-Ellsworth Trans Arctic Submarine Expedition fame.
Fletcher, Arnold N. - Ch. Gunners Mate; - age 21 - Born; Indiana
Prince, Charles - Gunners Mate 1Cl - age 27 - Born; New York
Richards, Thomas C. - Gunners Mate 1Cl - age 35 - Born; ****** Island
Albee, Harry L. - Gunners Mate 3Cl - age 28 - Born; District of Columbia
Tubbs, Guy L. - Ch. MMate - age 34 - Born; Iowa
Maynard, George A. - Ch. MMate - age 28 - Born; Massachusetts
Enders, John J. - MMate 1Cl - age 27 - Born; New York
Hughes, Irving H. - MMate 1Cl - age 25 - Born; New York
Young, Arthur F. - MMate 2Cl - age 23 - Born; Massachusetts
Linford, Stanley L. - MMate 2Cl - age 25 - Born; Pennsylvania
Rich, Charles H. - MMate 1Cl - age 25 - Born; Massachusetts
Green, Benjamin A. - MMate 2Cl - age 24 - Born; Indiana
Lehman, Clyde W. - Chief Electrician - age 31 - Born; Missouri
Willard, B. - Electrician 1Cl - age 27 - Born; New York
Lemcke, Elmer J. - Electrician 2Cl - age 22 - Born; Missouri
Kluck, Walter H. - Electrician 2Cl - age 22 - Born; Wisconsin

Thank you to Linda Talbott of the US GenWeb Census Project^® for providing this information.

USS Bonita, C-4, moored along side the freighter "SS Everett"
A passenger liner is moored beyond.

USS C-5 (ex-Snapper) SS 16

Crew muster
U.S.S. Snapper Submarine No 16, renamed C-5 on Nov 17, 1911

Nimitz Chester W. - Lieutenant - age 25 - Born; Texas
Enos George - Ch. Gunner's Mate - age 22 - Born; Massachusetts
Ripley Leroy H. - Gunner's Mate 2C - age 22 - Born; New York
Mc Dowell James - Gunner's Mate 2C - age 23 - Born; Massachusetts
Nelson George F. - Gunner's Mate 3C - age 21 - Born; Massachusetts
Flint Philip S. - Ch. Machinists Mate - age 26 - Born; Michigan
Fisher Charles B. - Machinists Mate 1C - age 31 - Born; Maine
Hardy William P. - Machinists Mate 1C - age 25 - Born; Massachusetts
Sh** Ralph D. - Machinists Mate 1C - age 25 - Born; Massachusetts
Jacobs Oscar H. - Machinists Mate 2C - age 24 - Born; Missouri
Maloney James A. - Machinists Mate 2C - age 26 - Born; Minnesota
Miller Adolph A. - Chief Electrician - age 29 - Born; Minnesota
Orth Paul *. - Electrician 1Cl - age 25 - Born; North Dakota
Pinninger Frank E. - Electrician 2Cl - age 24 - Born; Ohio
Grunser Louis - Electrician 1Cl - age 27 - Born; Texas

Thank you to Linda Talbott of the US GenWeb Census Project^®for providing this information.
* = unknown letter

The following sequence of events is a practice recovery of a sunk submarine
by the USS Tonopah and using a "C" class sub as the sunk boat.
The date isn't known but the time is probably 1915 and probably after the
sinking of the USS F-4 with the loss of all hands. The rigging of the recovery
crane is shown here and the method of attaching the lifting equipment
to the submarine hull.
For a larger version of the photos just click on the picture.
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An unknown C-Boat with crew on deck at sea.

Unknown crew portrait, C-boat

Unknown C-boat on the building ways,
Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Mass. Circa 1908-09

Unknown C-boat close up torpedo tube outer doors

Unknown C-boat on the building ways,
Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Mass. Circa 1908-09

Unknown C-boat close up on the stern planes and rudder.

Length	105' 4"
Beam	13' 9"
Disp. Sur.	238 tons
Disp. Sub.	275 tons
Test Depth	200'
Crew	15
Armament	2 18" Torp Tube

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