Submarine USS R-1 (SS-78)

Submarine USS R-1 (SS-78) was authorized to be built by the United States Congressional Act of 29 August 1916 which stated in part: "....The President of the United States is hereby authorized to undertake prior to July first, nineteen hundred and nineteen, the construction of....

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"Nine fleet submarines." Fifty-eight coast submarines, of which number three to have a surface displacement of about eight hundred tons each, to cost, exclusive of armor and armament, not to exceed $1,200,000 each, and twenty-seven, which shall be the best and most desirable and useful type of submarine which can be procured at a cost, exclusive of armor and armament, not to exceed $700,000 each, shall be begun as as soon as practical; and the sum of $8,217,000 is hereby appropriated for the construction of said submarines, to be available until expended. Not less than twelve of the submarines herein authorized to be begun as soon as practical shall be built on the Pacific coast: PROVIDED, That the cost of construction on the Pacific coast does not exceed the cost of construction on the Atlantic coast, plus the cost of transportation from the Atlantic to the Pacific."

The keel of USS R-1 (Submarine Number 78) was laid down on 16 October 1917 by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company at Quincy, Massachusetts...under a subcontract from the Electric Boat Company of New York. The submarine was christened by Mrs. George W. Dashiell and launched on 24 August 1918. Commissioning took place at the Boston Navy Yard at Boston, Massachusetts, on 16 December 1918 with Commander Conant Taylor in command.

When commissioned, the R-1 Class coastal and harbor defense submarine was 186'2" in length overall; had an extreme beam of 18'; had a normal surface displacement of 569 tons, and, when in that condition, had a mean draft of 14'6". Submerged displacement was 680 tons. The submarine was of riveted construction. The designed compliment was two officers and twenty-seven enlisted men. The boat could operate safely to depths of 200 feet. The submarine was armed with four 21-inch torpedo tubes installed in the bow. Eight torpedoes were carried. One 3-inch/50 caliber deck gun was installed. The full load of diesel oil carried was 18,880 gallons, which fueled 1,200 designed brake horsepower diesel engines manufactured by the New London Ship and Engine Company at Groton, Connecticut...which could drive the boat via a direct drive system at 13.5 knots on the surface. Submerged propulsion was provided by a 120-cell main storage battery manufactured by the Electric Storage Battery Company (EXIDE) at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ... which powered 934 designed brake horsepower main propulsion electric motors manufactured by the Electro Dynamic Company at Bayonne, New Jersey...which turned propeller shafts ...which turned propellers...which could drive the submarine at 10.5 knots for a short period of time when operating beneath the surface of the sea. Slower submerged speeds resulted in greater endurances before the batteries needed to be recharged by the engines and generators.

After shakedown in New England waters, USS R-1 (Submarine Number 78) was assigned to Submarine Division Nine of the United States Atlantic Fleet...and was based at the United States Naval Submarine Base at New London/ Groton, Connecticut. The submarine got underway on 4 December 1919 for Norfolk, Virginia, and winter exercises with her division in the Gulf of Mexico...and returned to New London/Groton on 18 May 1920 for four months of summer operations with USS R-2 (Submarine Number 79) and USS R-3 (Submarine Number 80) before transiting on 13 September 1920 for Norfolk and overhaul.

Designated SS-78 during July of 1920, USS R-1 (SS-78) was ordered to the Pacific on 11 April 1921. The R-boat transited the Panama Canal in late May, and arrived on 30 June 1921 at her new base at San Pedro, California. The submarine took part in fleet exercises off Central America from 5 February through 6 April of 1923. She returned to San Pedro on 10 April; and, on 16 July 1923, was transferred, along with Submarine Division Nine, to Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, where, for the next eight years, she trained submarine crews and developed submarine tactics.

Departing San Diego, California, on 5 January 1931, USS R-1 transited to the Philadelphia Navy Yard at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, via the Panama Canal...arriving there on 9 February 1931. On 1 May 1931, USS R-1 was decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and placed in the reserve fleet at that Navy yard.

On 23 September 1940, USS R-1 (SS-78) was recommissioned, "in ordinary," at Groton, Connecticut. The R-boat was overhauled and commissioned "in full" on 16 October 1940.

USS R-1 got underway with Submarine Squadron Three, Submarine Division Forty-two, on 10 December 1940, for the Panama Canal Zone. Stationed at Coco Solo for a year, the submarine was reassigned to Submarine Division Thirty-one during June of 1941, ordered to New London/Groton during October of 1941 for a refit, and transferred to Submarine Squadron Seven.

At the New London/Groton submarine base on the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor (7 December 1941), USS R-1 remained in the southern New England area for the first days of American participation in World War II. On the 9th and 10th, the R-boat patrolled the sealanes leading to New England, and on the 11th, arrived at Bermuda, whence, with other Submarine Squadron (SubRon) Seven submarines, she joined the hunt for enemy German U-boats preying on maritime traffic along the North American coast. Although limited in cruising range, the R-boats, operating out of Ordnance Island, continued their patrols through the Nazi submarine offensive of early 1942.

During February of 1942, the submarines established a patrol line between Bermuda and Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. On that patrol line, some 300 miles northeast of Bermuda, USS R-1 sighted, attacked, and probably damaged a surfaced German U-boat on 16 April 1942.

USS R-1 continued patrols out of Bermuda until returning to New London/Groton on 20 July 1942 for upkeep and subsequent coastal patrols. At the end of September of 1942, the submarine resumed operations out of Bermuda. Through November of 1944, USS R-1 rotated between Bermuda and New London/Groton, and, at the latter, in December of 1944, underwent an extensive conversion to enable her to participate in the development of antisubmarine warfare (ASW) equipment and tactics. Emerging from New London/Groton on 26 February 1945, the R-boat transited to the New York Navy Yard at Brooklyn, New York, on the 28th; then headed south to Florida for three weeks of operations off Port Everglades, Florida. During April of 1945, USS R-1 returned to New London/Groton. The submarine then transited to Casco Bay, Maine, for further ASW tests. Returning to the Thames River submarine base in Connecticut on 29 June 1945, the submarine headed south again on 7 July...and at mid-month reported for duty to the Fleet Sonar School at the United States Naval Station at Key West, Florida...where she served for the remainder of her naval career.

World War II ended on 2 September 1945.

USS R-1 (SS-78) decommissioned at Key West on 20 September 1945 and was struck from the Navy List on 10 November 1945. Still at the southernmost city in the continental United States, awaiting disposal, on 21 February 1946, the overage submarine sank in 21 feet of water.

Raised three days later, she was sold for scrap on 13 March 1946 to Macey O. Smith of Miami, Florida.

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