United States L-class submarine

USS L-1 (SS-40) lead ship of her class during running trials.
Class overview
Name	L class
Builders	Electric Boat (Gp 1 design), Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Quincy, Massachusetts (L-1 to L-4, L-9 to L-11) Lake Torpedo Boat Company, Bridgeport, Connecticut (Gp 2 design) (L-5) California Shipbuilding Co., Long Beach, California (L-6 & L-7) Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine (L-8)
Operators	United States Navy
Preceded by	K class
Succeeded by	USS M-1
Built	1914–1917
In commission	1916–1923
Completed	11
Retired	11
Preserved	0
General characteristics
Type	Submarine
Displacement	Group 1: 450 long tons (457 t) surfaced 548 long tons (557 t) submerged Group 2: 456 long tons (463 t) surfaced 524 long tons (532 t) submerged
Length	Group 1: 167 ft 5 in (51.03 m) Group 2: 165 ft (50 m)
Beam	Group 1: 17 ft 5 in (5.31 m) Group 2: 14 ft 9 in (4.50 m)
Draft	Group 1: 13 ft 7 in (4.14 m) Group 2: 13 ft 3 in (4.04 m)
Installed power	Group 1: 1,300 hp (970 kW) (diesel engines), 800 hp (600 kW) (electric motors) Group 2: 1,200 hp (890 kW) (diesel engines), 800 hp (600 kW) (electric motors)[1]
Propulsion	Diesel-electric Group 1: 2 × NELSECO Diesel engines, 2 × Electro Dynamic electric motors, 2 × 60-cell batteries, 2 × shafts Group 2: 2 × Busch-Sulzer Diesel engines, 2 × Diehl electric motors, 2 × 60-cell batteries, 2 × shafts
Speed	14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) surfaced 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) submerged
Range	4,500 nmi (8,300 km) at 7 kn (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) (surfaced) 150 nmi (280 km) at 5 kn (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) (submerged)
Test depth	200 ft (61 m)
Complement	28 officers and men
Armament	4 × 18 inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes, 8 torpedoes 1 × 3"/23 caliber retractable deck gun

The United States L-class submarines were a class of 11 submarines built 1914–1917, and were the United States Navy's first attempt at designing and building ocean-going submarines. At the time there was a significant gap in long-range submarine design compared with other major navies. The Group 2 L-boats designed by Lake Torpedo Boat Company (L-5 through L-8) were built to slightly different specifications from the other Group 1 L-boats (which were designed by Electric Boat) and are sometimes considered a separate L-5 class.

Service[]

After service in the Atlantic Flotilla by the Group 1 boats, most required extensive refits at Philadelphia after the USA's entry into the First World War, which reflected the US Navy's then-limited experience in submarine ocean operations. In December 1917, the seven boats were sent to Bantry Bay as Submarine Division 5 for convoy escort and anti-U-boat patrols. The four new Group 2 L-boats later deployed to the Azores in November 1918 as Division 6 to reinforce four K-class submarines sent there in October 1917. While forward deployed, US L-class submarines displayed "AL" pennant numbers to avoid confusion with British L-class submarines.

US submarines did not sink any U-boats in World War I. The class was generally under-powered, but they enjoyed good endurance for patrols in the North Atlantic and in British waters. After the war, the L class were involved in trials of new torpedoes and hydrophone equipment on both the east and west coasts before decommissioning in 1922 and 1923. At least L-3, L-9, and L-11 were re-engined with Busch-Sulzer diesels removed from Lake-built N-boats in 1921.^[2] Three Group 1 boats were scrapped in 1922, the four Group 2 Lake boats were scrapped in 1925, and the remainder were scrapped in 1933 under the London Naval Treaty limiting naval armament.

L-8 sunk as a target off Newport Rhode Island May 1926

Design[]

As in previous US designs, the sail was kept small for reduced drag when submerged. For extended surface runs, the sail was augmented with a temporary piping-and-canvas structure (see photo) which took considerable time to deploy and dismantle. This remained standard through the N class, commissioned 1917–1918. Experience in World War I showed that this was inadequate in the North Atlantic weather, and earlier submarines serving overseas in that war (E class through L class) had their bridge structures augmented with a "chariot" shield on the front of the bridge. Starting with the N class, built with lessons learned from overseas experience, US submarines had bridges more suited to surfaced operations in rough weather. Also, in the L class the rotating cap over the torpedo tubes was replaced by shutters that remained standard through the 1950s.^[3]

This was the first US submarine class equipped with a deck gun, in this case a 3-inch/23 caliber (76 mm) partially retractable design. L-9 was the first boat built with the gun; L-1 through L-8 had theirs added some time after completion. The gun was retracted vertically, with a round shield that fit in a well in the superstructure that projected into the pressure hull. Most of the barrel protruded from the deck, resembling a stanchion.^[4][5]

Boats in class[]

The 11 submarines of the L class were:

Group 1 (Electric Boat design)

Group 2 (Lake Torpedo Boat Company design)

See also[]

• List of submarine classes of the United States Navy

References[]

Notes[]

Sources[]

• Hutchinson, Robert, Submarines, War Beneath The Waves, From 1776 To The Present Day
• Gardiner, Robert, Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921 Conway Maritime Press, 1985. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
• Friedman, Norman "US Submarines through 1945: An Illustrated Design History", Naval Institute Press, Annapolis:1995, ISBN 1-55750-263-3.
• Silverstone, Paul H., U.S. Warships of World War I (Ian Allan, 1970), ISBN 0-71100-095-6.
• Navsource.org early diesel submarines page
• Pigboats.com L-boats page
• ShipbuildingHistory.com Craig Shipbuilding page
• DiGiulian, Tony Navweaps.com 3"/23 caliber gun
• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to L class submarines of the United States.