United States R-class submarine


The R-class submarines were a class of United States Navy submarines active from 1918 until 1945. With the first of the class laid down following the American entry into World War I, they were built rapidly. Although R-15 through R-20 were completed July–October 1918, they did not serve overseas, and the bulk of the class were not completed until after the Armistice.

Design

;Group 1: The R-1 through R-20 boats, designed by Electric Boat and built by Fore River Shipyard and Union Iron Works, were known as the R-1-class submarines. These single-hull boats were structurally very similar to the preceding O class, but larger and therefore with more powerful machinery to maintain the required speed. For the first time in a US submarine class, 21 inch torpedo tubes were fitted, a tube diameter that is still standard worldwide. A more powerful fixed 3-inch /50 caliber deck gun replaced the retractable 3-inch/23 caliber gun found on previous classes.
;Group 2: R-21 to R-27, which were slightly smaller and faster than the R-1s, were designed and built by Lake Torpedo Boat Co. and are sometimes regarded as a separate class, the R-21 class. Compared with the Lake-designed O-class group, these featured a double hull and had their diving planes more conventionally positioned fore and aft, but retained the Lake O-class' characteristic wide stern and 18 inch torpedo tubes. They were equipped with the same 3-inch/50 deck gun as the Group 1 boats. Their smaller size compared with Group 1 allowed Lake to repeat the machinery of their O-class boats, which probably resulted in cost savings. Some Group 2 boats were fitted with a bow fairing to improve reserve buoyancy. This probably housed expanded ballast tanks. Unlike the Group 1 boats, most of which survived to serve in World War II, the Group 2 boats were scrapped in 1930 as part of the Navy's compliance with the London Naval Treaty. The Lake company's demise in 1924 and the obsolescent 18-inch torpedo armament probably also contributed to this.

Service

The Group 1 boats were decommissioned in 1931, but were recommissioned in 1940, patrolling in the Caribbean or being used as sonar targets at Key West, Florida, also patrolling between Submarine Base New London, Connecticut and Bermuda. At least two R-boats unsuccessfully fired torpedoes at German U-boats on the Bermuda patrols. Three were transferred to the United Kingdom's Royal Navy as,, and in 1941-1942. P.514 was lost on 21 June 1942 in a collision with the Canadian minesweeper due to being mistaken for a U-boat. R-12 was lost on 12 June 1943 in an accident off Key West.
At some point between the wars the US R class were modified for improved rescue ability in the event of sinking. A motor room hatch was added, the motor room being the aftermost compartment. The tapered after casing became a step as a result of this modification.
At least one R-class submarine can be seen briefly in the 1943 movie Crash Dive, filmed at the New London submarine base.
Electric Boat built four R-class boats for the Peruvian Navy. Built after World War I using materials assembled from cancelled S-class submarines, they were refitted in 1935–36 and 1955–56, and renamed Islay, Casma, Pacocha, and Arica in 1957. They were discarded in 1960.

Ships in class

The 27 submarines of the R class were:



Group 1

Ship name and Hull no.BuilderLaid DownLaunchedCommissionedDecommissionedFate
Fore River Shipbuilding16 October 191724 August 191816 December 191820 September 1945Scrapped 1946
Fore River Shipbuilding16 October 191723 September 191824 January 191910 May 1945Scrapped 1946
Fore River Shipbuilding11 December 191718 January 191917 April 1919transferred to United Kingdom 4 November 1941Scrapped 1948
Fore River Shipbuilding16 October 191726 October 191828 March 191918 June 1945Scrapped 1946
Fore River Shipbuilding16 October 191724 November 191815 April 191914 September 1945Scrapped 1946
Fore River Shipbuilding17 December 19171 March 19191 May 191927 September 1945Scrapped 1946
Fore River Shipbuilding6 December 19175 April 19191 May 191914 September 1945Scrapped 1946
Fore River Shipbuilding4 March 191817 April 191921 July 19192 May 1931, sank at moorings 1936Raised and expended as target 1936
Fore River Shipbuilding6 March 191824 May 191930 July 191925 September 1945Scrapped 1946
Fore River Shipbuilding21 March 191828 June 191920 August 191918 June 1945Scrapped 1946
Fore River Shipbuilding18 March 191821 July 19195 September 19195 September 1945Scrapped 1946
Fore River Shipbuilding28 March 191815 August 191923 September 1919N/ALost 12 June 1943, cause unknown
Fore River Shipbuilding27 March 191827 August 191917 October 191914 September 1945Scrapped 1946
Fore River Shipbuilding6 November 191810 October 191924 December 19197 May 1945Scrapped 1946
Union Iron Works30 April 191710 December 191727 July 191817 September 1945Scrapped 1946
Union Iron Works26 April 191715 December 19175 August 191816 July 1945Scrapped 1946
Union Iron Works5 May 191724 December 191718 August 1918transferred to United Kingdom 9 March 1942Scrapped 1945
Union Iron Works16 June 19178 January 191811 September 191819 September 1945Scrapped 1946
Union Iron Works23 June 191728 January 19187 October 1918transferred to United Kingdom 9 March 1942Lost in a collision 21 June 1942
Union Iron Works4 June 191721 January 191826 October 191827 September 1945Scrapped 1946

Group 2

Ship name and Hull no.BuilderLaid DownLaunchedCommissionedDecommissionedFate
Lake Torpedo Boat Co.19 April 191710 July 191817 June 191921 June 1924Scrapped 1930
Lake Torpedo Boat Co.19 April 191723 September 19181 August 191929 April 1925Scrapped 1930
Lake Torpedo Boat Co.25 April 19175 November 191823 October 191925 April 1925Scrapped 1930
Lake Torpedo Boat Co.9 May 191721 August 191827 June 191911 June 1925Scrapped 1930
Lake Torpedo Boat Co.26 April 191715 May 191923 October 191921 June 1924Scrapped 1930
Lake Torpedo Boat Co.26 April 191718 June 191923 October 191912 June 1925Scrapped 1930
Lake Torpedo Boat Co.16 May 191723 September 19183 September 191924 April 1925Scrapped 1930