USS ''F-1'' (SS-20) was an F-class

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 ...

. She was named ''Carp'' when her keel was laid down by Union Iron Works of

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

, making her the first ship of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

named for the

carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...

. She was launched on 6 September 1911 sponsored by Ms. J. Tynan, renamed ''F-1'' on 17 November 1911, and commissioned on 19 June 1912.

Service history

Assigned to the First Submarine Group, Pacific Torpedo Flotilla, ''F-1'' operated in the

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

area on trials and tests through 11 January 1913, when she joined the flotilla for training at sea between

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

, California and San Pedro Submarine Base,

San Pedro, California San Pedro ( ; Spanish: " St. Peter") is a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles, California. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los Angeles in 1909. The Port of Los Angeles, a major international seaport, is partially located wi ...

, then in San Diego Harbor. USS F-1 Grounded 1912

In late 1912, the boat — which then held the world's deep diving record, descending to — slipped her mooring at Port Watsonville in Monterey Bay,

, and grounded on a nearby beach. While most of the crew of 17 safely evacuated, two men died in the incident. From 21 July 1914 – 14 November 1915, the Flotilla based at

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...

Naval Submarine Base Pearl Harbor Map of the five counties of the state of Hawaii Naval Base Hawaii was a number of United States Navy bases in the Territory of Hawaii during World War II. At the start of the war, much of the Hawaiian Islands was converted from tourism ...

for development operations in the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...

. ''F-1'' was in ordinary from 15 March 1916 – 13 June 1917. When she returned to full commission, she served with the Patrol Force, Pacific, making surface and submerged runs to continue her part in the development of submarine tactics. Her base during this time was San Pedro, California. On 17 December 1917, while maneuvering in exercises off

Point Loma, San Diego, California Point Loma (Spanish: ''Punta de la Loma'', meaning "Hill Point"; Kumeyaay: ''Amat Kunyily'', meaning "Black Earth") is a seaside community within the city of San Diego, California. Geographically it is a hilly peninsula that is bordered on the ...

, ''F-1'' and collided, the former sinking in ten seconds, her

port side A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

torn forward of the engine room. Nineteen of her men were lost; the remaining three were rescued by the submarines with which she was operating.

Notes

References

External links

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On Eternal Patrol: USS ''F-1''
{{DEFAULTSORT:F-1 United States F-class submarines World War I submarines of the United States Lost submarines of the United States United States submarine accidents Submarines sunk in collisions Shipwrecks of the California coast Maritime incidents in 1917 Ships built in San Francisco 1911 ships Ships built by Union Iron Works