d-boats

The D-Boats

USS Narwhal (D-1)
Under construction. The date of the photo is May 9, 1908.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

To the left is the USS Narwhal (D-1) under construction.
To the right is the USS Grayling (D-2) under construction.
The date of the photo is Feb 7, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

USS Narwhal (D-1)
Under construction. The date of the photo is Feb 7, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

USS Narwhal (D-1) Torpedo Room
The date of the photo is June 12, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

USS Narwhal (D-1) Torpedo Room with torpedos in the tubes,
The date of the photo is June 12, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

USS Narwhal (D-1) Torpedo Room with torpedos in the tubes.
Notice the crew bunk triced up to the left in the photo.
The date of the photo is June 12, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

USS Narwhal (D-1) Diving planes control. The D-class only had stern planes.
Behind the ladder are the levers for opening the ballast tanks for diving.
Note behind the black stanchion and just above the drive chain
the portlight connecting with the after battery battery compartment. The
chain to hold it open is dangling from the overhead.
The ladder is access to the bridge and faces aft.
The date of the photo is June 12, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

USS Narwhal (D-1) helm station. Door is access to the forward battery compartment.
The square mirror is for the helmsman to read the compass mounted in the overhead.
The date of the photo is June 19, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

This is the controler for the electric steering gear.
The tag reads: "Steering Gear Control, Electric Boat Co"
The lights probably indicate what direction the gear is tracking.
The date of the photo is June 19, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The view is looking aft and port. The eye pieces for the periscope are seen.
The ladder faces aft and leads up to the bridge. The helm is behind the photographer.
The date of the photo is June 19, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The view is looking aft and starboard.
The Air and water trim manifolds are on the starboard side of the control room.
The ladder faces aft and leads up to the bridge. The helm is behind the photographer.
The date of the photo is June 19, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The view is looking starboard.
The Air and water trim manifolds are on the starboard side of the control room.
The date of the photo is June 19, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The view is looking starboard.
This is the air manifold on the starboard side of the control room.
The date of the photo is June 19, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The forward battery compartment with the view looking aft through the door into the control room.
The ladder to the bridge and the ballast tank kingstons are seen through the door..
The date of the photo is June 12, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The forward battery compartment with the view looking aft through the door into the control room.
The ladder to the bridge and the ballast tank kingstons are seen through the door.
The periscope can be seen at the top of the photo.
The date of the photo is June 12, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The after battery compartment with the view looking aft and port at the crews head or toilet.
A bar for a privacy curtain can be seen in the overhead.
The door leads to the engine and motor rooms.
The date of the photo is June 12, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The crews head or toilet.
The date of the photo is June 12, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

A view of the engine room of the USS D-1 SS-17 looking aft.
The two main diesel engines can be seen on each side of the compartment.
The battery driven electric motors can be seen at the far end of the compartment.
The USS Stingray SS-13 (E-1) was the first US sub to have diesel engines.
The date of the photo is June 12, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

A view of after end the engine room of the USS D-1 looking aft.
The battery driven electric motors can be seen at the port and starboard sides of the compartment.
The date of the photo is June 12, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

A view from the after end the engine room of the USS D-1 looking forward.
The battery driven electric motors can be seen at the port and
starboard sides of the compartment and the diesels can be seen beyond them.
The engine exhausts can be seen leading up through the top of the pressure hull.
The door to the after battery compartment can be seen in the center.
The date of the photo is June 12, 1909.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

Crew muster
USS Narwhal, Submarine No 17, later renamed D-1 attached to submarine April 15, 1910

Townsend, Julius C. - Lieutenant - age 29 - Born; Missouri
Beisel, Fred C. - Midshipman - age 24 - Born; Illinois
Allen, Charles L. - Chief Gunners Mate - age 27 - Born; Indiana
Davis, Fred - Gunners Mate 1Cl - age 28 - Born; New York - Mulatto
Milligan, Joseph A. - Gunners Mate 2Cl - age 23 - Born; North Carolina
Demont, Charles - Gunners Mate 2Cl - age 23 - Born; Minnesota
Crilley, Lawrence - Gunners Mate 3Cl - age 22 - Born; New Jersey
Powers, Richard J. - Chief MM - age 28 - Born; Connecticut
Bottleberghs, Frank J. - Machinists Mate 1Cl - age 27 - Born; Belgium
Grisler, Charles A. - Machinists Mate 1Cl - age 31 - Born; Pennsylvania
Herbert, John T. - Machinists Mate 2Cl - age 21 - Born; Maryland
Miller, Ariel W. - Machinists Mate 2Cl - age 22 - Born; Massachusetts
Kapp, Ernest E. - Chief Electrician - age 27 - Born; North Carolina
Blood, Walter H. - Electrician 1Cl - age 27 - Born; Pennsylvania
Peterson, Lars O. - Electrician 2Cl - age 22 - Born; Sweden
Lyons, William L. - Electrician 2Cl - age 25 - Born; Missouri

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

The USS D-1 at Key West, Flordia
The date of the photo circa 1915.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The USS D-2, D-3, E-2 and D-1 at Key West, Flordia
The date of the photo circa 1915.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The USS E-2, D-2, D-3 and D-1 at Key West, Flordia
The date of the photo circa 1915.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

USS D-1 (ex-Narwhal) SS 17, USS D-3 (ex-Salmon) SS 19

The USS D-1 SS 17 is the inboard boat seen in this photo. The boat closest to the camera is the USS D-3 SS19. The submarine seen in the background with the men on deck is believed to be a "G" class boat. Just barely seen in the smoke to the left side of the picture is possibly a "K" class boat backing out of the slip. The photo looks to have been taken at the Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut.

USS Grayling (D-2) SS 18. Location unknown.
Date is sometine between June 1909 (launch date)
and November 1911(when the name was changed to D-2).

USS Grayling (D-2) SS 18. Location unknown.
It looks like the Grayling, (D-2), was used as a test platform for bow planes.
These are fixed planes and could not be rigged in or out.
The date is before November 1911 when the name was changed to D-2.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

Crew muster
USS Grayling, Submarine No 18, later renamed D-2 attached to submarine April 15, 1910

Bingham, Donald C. - Lieutenant - age 27 - Born; Alabama
Jewell, Joseph W. - Ensign - age 23 - Born; New Hampshire
Stephens, William H. - Chief Gunners Mate - age 26 - Born; Ireland
Burnett, Arthur F. - Gunners Mate 1Cl - age 24 - Born; Massachusetts
Brooks, Lewis - Gunners Mate 2Cl - age 25 - Born; Ohio
Young, George S. - Gunners Mate 2Cl - age 23 - Born; Michigan
Rogers, James D. - Gunners Mate 3Cl - age 29 - Born; Ohio
Garrison, George W. - Chief Machinists Mate - age 47 - Born; Maryland
Singleton, Roy F. - Machinists Mate 1Cl - age 27 - Born; Pennsylvania
Wright, Lawrence A. - Machinists Mate 1Cl - age 27 - Born; New York
Drew, Walter H. - Machinists Mate 1Cl - age 29 - Born; Massachusetts
Blackburn, George - Machinists Mate 2Cl - age 22 - Born; Pennsylvania
Doyle, Fred - Machinists Mate 2Cl - age 37 - Born; Rhode Island
Truse, Leo S. - Machinists Mate 2Cl - age 20 - Born; Michigan
Thorpe, James E. - Machinists Mate 2Cl - age 21 - Born; Pennsylvania
Daniels, James H. - Chief Electrician - age 27 - Born; West Virginia
Gruber, Henry J. - Electrician 1Cl - age 23 - Born; New York
Wilson, Elmer E. - Electrician 1Cl - age 26 - Born; District of Columbia
Saunders, Sidney L. - Electrician 2Cl - age 23 - Born; Massachusetts
Van Etter, Allan - Electrician 2Cl - age 22 - Born; Ohio
Siedschlag, Harry M. - Gunners Mate 2Cl - age 23 - Born; Michigan

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

Crew on deck of D-3

Here we have all 3 D-boats and one of the two E-boats. The boat closest to the camera is the D-1. The E-boat is next to the pier and is most likely the E-2. Looks like the DivCom's pennant is flying at the top of the tallest mast so if any of you know what other boats were in Division 25 we can probably identify where the picture was taken. These boats were part of a sub fleet that made a cruise to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico from 1914 to 1915. (thanks to Kenneth Henry ENCS(SS) for this picture)

USS D-3 followed by her sister "D" boats

USS D-3 SS 19

USS D-3 in a Naval Review with other ships

USS D-3 Photographed from the Port bow.
Note dents in the rotating bowcap for the torpedo
tubes. This was a solid casting so those were hard hits.
Date is unknown but circa 1910 is probably close.
Photo from the Private Collection of Ric Hedman

Close-up of USS D-3 crew posing for photo.
Date is unknown but circa 1910 is probably close.
Photo from the Private Collection of Ric Hedman

Close-up of USS D-3 crew posing for photo.
Really rare shot of a black crewman on the D-3. Blacks had not been relegated to
cooking and serving positions yet by Presidents Wilson's segregation of the Navy.
There is one crewman sitting on the deck talking to the man in the lower right of photo.
Eleven of the D-3's crew are in the full picture.
Date is unknown but circa 1910 is probably close.
Photo from the Private Collection of Ric Hedman

USS D-3 March 30, 1910 National Archives photo.

The USS D-3 crew on deck while on her trip to Bermuda in 1910.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

A chief petty officer of the D-3 crew on her trip to Bermuda in 1910.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The USS D-3 crew on deck while on her trip to Bermuda in 1910.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The USS D-3 bridge crew on her trip to Bermuda in 1910.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The USS D-3 moored in Hamilton, Bermuda in 1910.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The USS D-3 crew on deck in the shade, Hamilton, Bermuda in 1910.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The USS D-3 crew on deck during a Naval Review circa 1912.
The D-3 has won an efficiency "E" for performance and readiness.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The USS D-3 bridge crew close-up during a Naval Review circa 1912.
The man just to the left of the periscope is the bridge helmsman.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The USS Salmon (D-3) moored circa 1910.
The Salmon had her name changed to D-3 on November 17, 1911.
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

The USS Salmon (D-3) Commemorative sign
Photo courtesy of The US Navy Submarine Force Museum

Length	134' 10"
Beam	13' 9"
Disp. Sur.	288 tons
Disp. Sub.	337 tons
Test Depth	200'
Crew	15
Armament	4 18" Torp Tube

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