The Lake Torpedo Boat Company of
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the List of cities by population in New England, fifth-most populous ...
, was an early builder of
submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
s for the
United States Navy in the early 20th century.
History
Founded by
Simon Lake in 1912, the company was located at the east end of Seaview Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Most of the submarines completed by Lake Torpedo Boat were completed from 1918 to 1922.
The firm competed with the
Electric Boat Company until financial difficulties led to the company's demise in 1924. The Navy ceased awarding contracts to Lake shortly before that time, partly because , the company's entry in the
S-class submarine design competition, was not selected for further production. Only nine S-boats were built by Lake. Also, the yard was not physically able to build the large
submarine cruiser
A cruiser submarine was a very large submarine designed to remain at sea for extended periods in areas distant from base facilities. Their role was analogous to surface cruisers, cruising distant waters, commerce raiding, and scouting for the batt ...
s then envisioned, such as . The
Washington Naval Treaty's limits on submarines were also a major factor. At the time, the Navy wished to concentrate submarine construction at Navy Yards, particularly
Portsmouth Navy Yard in
Kittery, Maine.
The company completed 26 submarines for the US Navy, designed two US Navy submarines that were built in other yards, and built several other submarines for civilian use or that were not accepted by the Navy. Some of the submarines built by Lake for the Navy included several
G-class,
L-class,
N-class,
O-class, and
R-class submarines. The company designed the
Imperial Russian Navy's
''Osetr''-class submarines, the first of which was Lake's
''Protector''. The
''Kaiman''-class submarines were also designed for Russia.
[Gardiner and Gray, p. 314]
Submarines built by the Lake Torpedo Boat Company
U.S. Navy submarines built in Bridgeport
Years of service follow names.
*
USS G-2 (SS-27)
USS ''G-2'' (SS-27) was a United States G-class submarine, G-class submarine of the United States Navy. While the four G-boats were nominally all of a class, they differed enough in significant details that they are sometimes considered to ...
(1915–19) – Completed by
New York Navy Yard
The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York (state), New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a ...
. Sank after she was decommissioned.
*
USS G-3 (SS-31) (1915–21) – Completed by New York Navy Yard.
*
USS L-5 (SS-44)
USS ''L-5'' (SS-44) was an L-class submarine built for the United States Navy during the 1910s.
Description
The L-class boats designed by Lake Torpedo Boat (''L-5'' through ''L-8'') were built to slightly different specifications from the other ...
(1918–22)
*
USS N-4 (SS-56)
USS ''N-4'' (SS-56) was a N-class coastal defense submarine of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down on 24 March 1915 by Lake Torpedo Boat Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The N-boats built by Lake had slightly different specific ...
(1918–22)
*
USS N-5 (SS-57) (1918–22)
*
USS N-6 (SS-58)
USS ''N-6'' (SS-58) was a N-class coastal defense submarine of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down on 15 April 1915 by Lake Torpedo Boat Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The N-boats built by Lake had slightly different specific ...
(1918–22)
*
USS N-7 (SS-59)
USS ''N-7'' (SS-59) was a N-class coastal defense submarine built for the United States Navy during World War I.
Description
The N-class boats designed by Lake Torpedo Boat (''N-4'' through ''N-7'') were built to slightly different specifica ...
(1918–22)
*
USS O-11 (SS-72) (1918–30)
*
USS O-12 (SS-73)
USS ''O-12'' (SS-73) was an O-class submarine of the United States Navy. These later O-boats, ''O-11'' through ''O-16'', were designed by Lake Torpedo Boat to different specifications than the earlier Electric Boat designs. They performed poorl ...
(1918–24) – Converted and renamed ''Nautilus'' for an expedition to the North Pole.
*
USS O-13 (SS-74)
USS ''O-13'' (SS-74) was an ''O''-class submarine of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down on 6 March 1916 by the Lake Torpedo Boat Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
The later O-boats (''O-11'' through ''O-16'') were designed by L ...
(1918–24)
*
USS R-21 (SS-98) (1919–24)
*
USS R-22 (SS-99) (1919–25)
*
USS R-23 (SS-100) (1919–25)
*
USS R-24 (SS-101) (1919–25)
*
USS R-25 (SS-102) (1919–24)
*
USS R-26 (SS-103) (1919–25)
*
USS R-27 (SS-104) (1919–25)
*
USS S-2 (SS-106) (1920–29)
*
USS S-14 (SS-119) (1921–45)
*
USS S-15 (SS-120)
USS ''S-15'' (SS-120) was a second-group (''S-3'' or "Government") ''S''-class submarine of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down on 13 December 1917 by the Lake Torpedo Boat Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She was launched on 8 ...
(1921–46) – Last Lake submarine in service with the US Navy.
*
USS S-16 (SS-121) (1920–44) – Sunk as a target in 1945.
*
USS S-17 (SS-122) (1921–44) – Sunk as a target in 1945.
*
USS S-48 (SS-159) (1922–45)
*
USS S-49 (SS-160) (1922–27) – Used as a tourist attraction from 1931 to 1940.
*
USS S-50 (SS-161) (1922–27)
*
USS S-51 (SS-162) (1922–25) – Lost in collision with a merchant ship.
U.S. Navy submarines designed by Lake but built elsewhere
*
USS G-1 (SS-19½)
USS ''G-1'' (SS-19½) was the lead ship of her class of submarine of the United States Navy. While the four G-boats were nominally all of a class, they differed enough in significant details that they are sometimes considered to be four uniq ...
(1912–20) – Built by
Newport News Shipbuilding
Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is the largest industrial employer in Virginia, and sole designer, builder and refueler of United States Navy aircraft carriers and one of two providers of U.S. Navy ...
.
*
USS L-6 (SS-45)
USS ''L-6'' (SS-45) was an L-class submarine built for the United States Navy during the 1910s.
Description
The L-class boats designed by Lake Torpedo Boat (''L-5'' through ''L-8'') were built to slightly different specifications from the othe ...
(1917–22) – Built by
California Shipbuilding Company.
*
USS L-7 (SS-46) (1917–22) – Built by California Shipbuilding Company.
*
USS L-8 (SS-48)
USS ''L-8'' (SS-48) was an L-class submarine built for the United States Navy during the 1910s.
Description
The L-class boats designed by Lake Torpedo Boat (''L-5'' through ''L-8'') were built to slightly different specifications from the oth ...
(1917–22) – Built by
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
*
USS O-14 (SS-75) (1918–24) – Built by California Shipbuilding Company.
*
USS O-15 (SS-76) (1918–24) – Built by California Shipbuilding Company.
*
USS O-16 (SS-77) (1918–24) – Built by California Shipbuilding Company.
Experimental submarines built by Simon Lake
Note – these submarines were not necessarily built at the Lake Torpedo Boat Company.
*''
Argonaut Junior'' (1894)
*
''Argonaut 1'' (1897) – Built in Baltimore.
*
''Argonaut 2'' (1900) – Reconstruction of ''Argonaut 1''.
''Protector''(1901) – Built in Bridgeport.
(1907)
(1934) – built by the Forsberg Manufacturing Company in Bridgeport.
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
External links
Simon Lake Website
Further reading
*
{{Authority control
Submarines
Defunct shipbuilding companies of the United States
1912 establishments in Connecticut
1924 disestablishments in Connecticut
Defunct companies based in Connecticut
Economy of Bridgeport, Connecticut