Through the Looking Glass - Submarine History 1900 to 1940

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The E-Boats

USS E-1 with retreived torpedo

USS E-1 with retrieved torpedo.
Time was that submarines had to retrieve their own practice torpedoes
after they had fired them. Later, torpedo retrieving boats were built and used
for this since so much time was involved with retrieval at sea.

USS E-1 coming along side

USS E-1 coming along side with retrieved torpedo. She is mooring up to
possibly a "K" class submarine. Location is unknown but the E-1 seems to
have been in squadron or flotilla 21 since that is the numbers on the side of
her conning tower fairwater. These numbers were written over under so were
not confused with hull numbers that were sometimes painted there.

Submarine E-1

USS E-1 SS 24
The USS E-1 was sent to the Azores to join a flotilla of K boats during WW I.

Sub E-1

USS E-1 followed by her sister ship the USS E-2

Sub E-1 Captain Lt. Eric Barr

USS E-1 Captain, Lt. Eric Barr and crew member on patrol off the Azores during WW I.

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USS E-1 October 14, 1912. During the Presidential Review of 1912 on the Hudson River, New York City. The crew is "manning the rails" as they pass in review with the upper Manhattan skyline in the background.

Library of Congress Photo

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Crew close-ups USS E-1 October 14, 1912. During the Presidential Review of 1912 on the Hudson River, New York City. The crew is "manning the rails" as they pass in review with the upper Manhattan skyline in the background. There appears to be two chiefs and an officer on the bow.

Library of Congress Photo

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Crew close-ups USS E-1 October 14, 1912. During the Presidential Review of 1912 on the Hudson River, New York City. The crew is "manning the rails" as they pass in review with the upper Manhattan skyline in the background. On the bridge are the helmsman and the Commanding Officer. A chief is standing fourth man from the right.

Library of Congress Photo

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Crew close-ups USS E-1 October 14, 1912. During the Presidential Review of 1912 on the Hudson River, New York City. The crew is "manning the rails" as they pass in review with the upper Manhattan skyline in the background. There appears to be a stiff wind blowing up the river by the condition of the flag. Note the flow of cooling water coming from the port diesel engine exhaust.

Library of Congress Photo

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USS E-1 and E-2 circa 1912. We are unable to know which submarine is which. Location is unknown but it does seem to be a lot of open water and very breezy. From the dress of the men it is possibly around summer. The closest man on the right side seems to be reading a magazine.

Phote provided by Mike Mohl at Navsource

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USS E-1 and E-2 shown on May 10, 1915. (the side of the D-2 can be seen to the right and the USS Tonopah, Monitor #8, is on the left) The view is on the upper westside of New York city and the moorage is at the 135th Street piers. They were part of the Presidential Review for President Wilson along with much of the Atlantic Fleet.

Library of Congress Photo

USS E-1 & E-2

From the back to front, USS E-1 & E-2 USS L-10 & L-4
Sept 10, 1920, Newport News, VA

E-1

Conning Tower with the USS E-1 name painted on it behind sailor.
The sailor is really on the deck of the USS L-10 moored in front of the E-1

USS E-1 & E-2

Conning Towers of the USS E-2 & E-1 left to right.
Men in foreground are on the USS L-10 and L-4

Bridge USS E-1

Bridge USS E-1. Photos taken Sept 10, 1920 at Newport New, VA

Crew, USS E-1 Sept 10, 1920

Crew, USS E-1 Sept 10, 1920

Crew, USS E-1 Sept 10, 1920

Crew, USS E-1 Sept 10, 1920

Crew, USS E-1 Sept 10, 1920

Crew, USS E-1 Sept 10, 1920

USS E-2

USS E-2 SS 25

Crew, USS E-2 Sept 10, 1920

Crew, USS E-2 Sept 10, 1920

Crew, USS E-2 Sept 10, 1920

Four Crewmen of the USS E-2 Sept 10, 1920.
Men behind are standing on the deck of the E-1.
Chief on left is on the deck of the L-10

USS E-2 crew

Crewmen of the USS E-2 pose for the camera. circa, WW I
The man on the far right side of photo on the deck level
with the beard is Robert D. Greene, Electricians mate, of Weymouth, MA

On June 26, 1919 the E2 dove for a three hour submerged run at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Robert Greene was the switchboard operator on the dive.

An angle was ordered for the boat by the Captain and a 10 degree dive angle was placed on the boat. After the periscope had been submerged for 41 seconds the captain order the dive checked at 45 feet.

The captain asked how much power was being used by the battery and Greene responded 850 Amps on a side. The E2 was running a bit heavy forward but a good trim all-in-all.

The crew was upbeat about the dive. Many of the crew were relaxing and napping. The E2 was traveling at 9 knots at 45 feet. At 7:40 PM, an hour and a half after the dive, there was a grating crash as the E2 hit bottom.

Reports say that the canvas covered wooden grating floor of the forward torpedo room heaved up and a hiss of high pressure air ensued. The bottoming had crushed the hull and ruptured several lines from the #3, #4, & #5 high pressure air flasks.

The hull was filling with that high-pressure air. E boats had no interior bulkheads and watertight doors that could contain the air and the crew realized that the high pressure could become deadly. The captain ordered that the mid ballast tanks be blown and this was done.

As the extreme pressure in the boat rose eardrums were bursting and almost every man was in agony by the time the boat began to raise to the surface. A crewman climbed into the conning tower access and was ready to crack the bridge hatch once the boat reached the surface.

Once the hatch cleared the surface he managed to crack the hatch and the high-pressure air began to escape with a hissing screech. The mans' shirt was torn from his body do to the force of escaping air and he was lifted off his feet that were on the ladder rungs. The man who opened the hatch held on to the hatch to keep it from opening too far.

Photo courtesy of Bob Greene, grandson of Robert D. Greene, E2 crew member

USS E-2 crew

Crewmen of the USS E-2 pose for the camera. circa, WW I
Photo courtesy of Bob Greene, grandson of Robert D. Greene, E2 crew member

USS E-2 crew

Crewmen of the USS E-2 pose for the camera. circa, WW I
Photo courtesy of Bob Greene, grandson of Robert D. Greene, E2 crew member

USS E-2 crew

Crewmen of the USS E-2 pose for the camera. circa, WW I
Photo courtesy of Bob Greene, grandson of Robert D. Greene, E2 crew member

USS E-2 crew

Crewmen of the USS E-2 pose for the camera. circa, WW I
Electrician Robert D. Greene is in the lower right corner of the photo.
Photo courtesy of Bob Greene, grandson of Robert D. Greene, E2 crew member

USS E-2 crew

Crewmen of the USS E-2 pose for the camera. circa, WW I
Photo courtesy of Bob Greene, grandson of Robert D. Greene, E2 crew member

USS E-2 crew

Crewmen of the USS E-2 pose for the camera. circa, WW I
Photo courtesy of Bob Greene, grandson of Robert D. Greene, E2 crew member

Crew, USS E-2 Sept 10, 1920

Crew, USS E-2 Sept 10, 1920

Crew, USS E-2 Sept 10, 1920

Crew, USS E-2 Sept 10, 1920

Submarine E-2

USS E-2 followed by her sister ship the USS E-1

USS E-2

USS E-2

USS Sturgeon (E-2)

USS Sturgeon (E-2) running at speed

USS E-2 with crew on deck

USS E-2 with crew on deck. I count 20 men.

Length	135'
Beam	15'
Disp. Sur.	287 tons
Disp. Sub.	342 tons
Test Depth	200'
Crew	20
Armament	4 18" Torp Tube

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