Submarine torpedo boat USS A-3 was originally laid down as USS Grampus (Submarine Torpedo Boat Number 4) on 10 December 1900 at San Francisco, California, by the Union Iron Works, a subcontractor for the John P. Holland Torpedo Boat Company of New York. The submarine was christened by Mrs. Marley F. Hay, the wife of the superintendent of Construction at the Union Iron Works, and launched on 31 July 1902.

She was commissioned at the Mare Island Navy Yard on 28 May 1903 with Lieutenant Arthur MacArthur--the older brother of future General of the Army Douglas MacArthur--in command.

When commissioned, the Plunger Class submarine torpedo boat displaced 107 tons; was 63'10" in length; had a beam of 11'11"; drew 10'7" of water when on the surface in diving trim; could make 8 knots on the surface and 7 knots submerged; was manned by 7 officers and men; and was armed with one 18-inch torpedo tube.

Over the next three and a half years, USS Grampus operated out of the San Francisco area, principally in training and experimental work.

During this time, on 18 April 1906, men from her crew participated in relief efforts which followed the devastating earthquake and fire in the city of San Francisco. Decommissioned at Mare Island on 28 November 1906, USS Grampus remained inactive until recommissioned on 13 June 1908. Subsequently assigned to the First Submarine Division, Pacific Torpedo Flotilla, in January of 1910, and to the Pacific Fleet in March of 1911, the submarine torpedo boat operated locally off the California coast until assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet on 28 June 1912. Toward the end of this period of active service, on 17 November 1911, USS Grampus was renamed USS A-3.

The submarine torpedo boat remained inactive, at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, into 1915. On 16 February 1915, she was hoisted on board collier USS Hector, which sailed soon thereafter for the Philippine Islands with USS A-3 and her sistership, USS A-5 (Submarine TorpedoBoat Number 6) (ex-USS Pike), as deck cargo. USS Hector arrived at Olongapo on 26 March 1915, and launched USS A-3 on 10 April.

Commissioned at Olongapo a week later, on 17 April, USS A-3 was assigned to the First Submarine Division, Torpedo Flotilla, Asiatic Fleet, and remained in active service with that unit until decommissioned at Cavite on 25 July 1921.

During World War I, USS A-3 patrolled the waters off the entrance to Manila Bay.

On 17 July 1920, USS A-3 was given the alphanumeric hull number of SS-4.

Dismantled and used as a target by ships of the Asiatic Fleet,

USS A-3 (SS-4) was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 16 January 1922.