Through the Looking Glass - Submarine History 1900 to 1940

US Submarines ~ Pre WWI Submarines ~ WWI Submarines ~ Post WWI Submarines ~ 1920's Submarines ~ 1930's Submarines ~ Submarines in 1940

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The T-Boats

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USS AA-1 portrait taken circa late 1918. Location unknown. Her two trainable torpedo tubes located in the superstructure forward and aft of the conning tower are visible as darker rectangles on the hull. These were later removed. The space forward was taken up with the mounting of sponsons to enlarge the deck area for the placement of a 3'/50 caliber deck gun.

AA-1 (ex-SCHLEY) (Submarine No. 52) was laid down on 21 June 1916 at the Fore River Shipbuilding Co. yard in Quincy, Mass., by the Electric Boat Co. of New York; renamed AA-1 on 23 August 1917 to free the name Schley for Destroyer No. 103; launched on 25 July 1918; sponsored by Mrs. Lilian Hovey-King; and commissioned on 30 January 1920 at Boston, Mass.; Lt. Comdr. James Parker, Jr., in command.

AA-1 was one of three boats designed and constructed under a project charged with developing fleet submarines; that is, submarines possessing the sea keeping qualities and endurance capability required for long-range operations, as scouts for the surface fleet. On 17 July 1920, while the submarine was being fitted-out, the Navy adopted its modern system of alpha-numeric hull numbers, and the fleet submarine was designated SF-1. On 20 September, she was renamed T-1. Thus, by the time she began active service that fall, she was known as T-1 (SF-1).

From the Private collection of Ric Hedman.

USS AA-1 SS 52

USS AA-1 under construction at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincey, Mass. The photo is dated April 16, 1918. The sub is surrounded by scaffolding so little of the hull is seen but the four under deck mounted trainable torpedo tubes can be seen in front and behind the bridge fairwater. The tubes could be rotated to starboard or port and stopped at any angle. Torpedoes of the time where point and shoot and could not be set to run on a gyro angle as later torpedoes could. This was to allow a sub to fire at a target with out having to spend excess time trying to maneuver and maybe have the target sail out of range. At the bow the covers have not been installed over the bow planes rigging and rotating gears.

From the Private collection of Ric Hedman.

USS T-1 SS 52

USS T-1 SS 52 (ex-Schley, ex- AA-1). Photo taken Sept.8, 1919 off Provincetown, Mass. You can see that during her speed trials she had the pre-war pipe and canvas bridge shelter system rigged for this surface run. In the second photo down you will see that the metal chariot bridge structure, adopted by US submarines during World War I, has been installed. This was copied from the British and Germans who had learned the necessity of diving quickly and installed on our overseas submarines in Europe and the Azores.

USS AA-1 SS 52

USS T-1 SS 52 (ex-Schley, ex- AA-1)

USS T-1 SS 52

USS T-1 SS 52 (ex-Schley, ex- AA-1)in dry dock. Time frame is sometime between January 1920 and September 1920 when she was renamed "T-1". You can see that she still retains her trainable torpedo tubes in the superstructure but had the metal chariot bridge installed. Location is most likely the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia.

Photo provided by Rick Larson MMCM(SS) (ret.)

USS T-1 SS 52

USS T-1 SS 52 (ex-Schley, ex- AA-1)
Photo provided by Rick Larson MMCM(SS) (ret.)

USS AA-1 SS 52

USS AA-1 SS 52 (ex-Schley) under construction.
Photo provided by Rick Larson MMCM(SS) (ret.)

USS AA-1 SS 52

USS AA-1 SS 52 (ex-Schley) under construction.
Photo provided by Rick Larson MMCM(SS) (ret.)

USS AA-1 SS 52

USS AA-1 SS 52 (ex-Schley) under construction.
Photo provided by Rick Larson MMCM(SS) (ret.)

USS AA-1 SS 52

USS AA-1 SS 52 (ex-Schley) under construction.
Photo provided by Rick Larson MMCM(SS) (ret.)

USS AA-1 SS 52

USS AA-1 SS 52 (ex-Schley) post launch.
Photo provided by Rick Larson MMCM(SS) (ret.)

USS T-1 alongside the USS Fulton

USS T-1 alongside the USS Fulton
Photo provided by Rick Larson MMCM(SS) (ret.)

USS T-1 alongside the USS Fulton gun detail

USS T-1 alongside the USS Fulton, gun and crew detail.
Photo provided by Rick Larson MMCM(SS) (ret.)

USS T-1

USS T-1

USS T-2 launching

This photo is believed to be the launch photo of the
USS T-2 (AA-2), September 6, 1919.
This has been done by comparison with the photo below.
This could also be the T-3. I have no T-3 photos to compare with.
US Navy Photo

USS T-2 (AA-2) SS60

USS T-2 (AA-2) SS60
Many thanks to Charles R. Hinman, Education & Outreach, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park and the Bowfin Museum

USS T-3

USS T-3 at the Fore River Ship Yard

USS T-3 alongside the USS T-1

USS T-3 alongside the USS T-1

USS T-3 on sea trials

USS T-3 on sea trials.
Photo provided by Rick Larson MMCM(SS) (ret.)

Crew eating in the Control room of the USS T-3

Crew eating in the Control room of the USS T-3
This is just a best guess since the T-1, T-2 & T-3 were the only subs with a test depth of 150 feet
and that is what the depth guage is clibrated to in this picture. The submarine was in service until 1927.

Control room of the USS T-3

Control room of the USS T-3

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USS T-3 on December 23, 1925 with Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Douglas Robinson with wife Helen and three of their daughters aboard inspecting the submarine. Daughter, Alida, is looking at the camera. Daughters Helen and Elizabeth are behind Alida. Note the Christmas Tree laying on the deck waiting to be put up.

The T boats were all retired in 1922 due to poor performance. The T-3 was the first to go. On Armistice Day, November 11, 1922, she was decommissioned at Hampton Roads, Va., and berthed at the submarine base located there. Later, she was moved to Philadelphia. When a submarine was needed to test the performance of the M.A.N. German diesels. The T-1 was selected but no money was available and it was postponed. When funds were made available it was the T-3 that was chosen.

She was re-engined and on On 1 October 1925, T-3 was recommissioned at Philadelphia. For the following 21 months, she tested her newly installed 3,000-horsepower M.A.N. diesel engines for the Bureau of Engineering. Early in the summer of 1927, she completed the tests and, on 14 July 1927, was placed out of commission at Philadelphia. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 19 September 1930 and her hulk was broken up, and the materials sold for scrap on 20 November 1930.

Library Of Congress Photo.

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USS T-3 on December 23, 1925 with Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Douglas Robinson and wife Helen aboard inspecting the submarine, seen here with three of their daughters. Daughter, Alida, is looking at the camera. Daughters Helen and Elizabeth are behind Alida

Theodore "Teddy" Robinson had deep roots in American politics and was directly and through marriage related to the Roosevelt's. He was also the great-great-grandnephew of James Monroe (1758-1831), fifth President of the United States; great-grandson of James Monroe (1799-1870); son of Douglas Robinson and Corinne (Roosevelt) Robinson (1861-1933; poet); nephew of Theodore Roosevelt; married 1904 to Helen Roosevelt, distant cousin of Franklin D Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt. Her father was a half brother of the late President Franklin D Roosevelt.

Library Of Congress Photo.

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