USS ''E-1'' (SS-24) was an E-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 ...

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 ...

. Originally named ''Skipjack'', the boat was launched on 27 May 1911 by the

Fore River Shipyard Fore River Shipyard was a shipyard owned by General Dynamics Corporation located on Weymouth Fore River in Braintree and Quincy, Massachusetts. It began operations in 1883 in Braintree, and moved to its final location on Quincy Point in 1901 ...

Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy ( ) is a coastal U.S. city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county and a part of Greater Boston, Metropolitan Boston as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in 2020 was 1 ...

; sponsored by Mrs. D. R. Battles; renamed ''E-1'' on 17 November 1911; and commissioned on 14 February 1912,

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Chester W. Nimitz in command. She was the first American submarine to be powered by diesel engines.

Service history

Six days after commissioning, ''E-1'' sailed from

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for

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

via Newport and

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. Off the

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, she underwent tests through April. Her engines were overhauled at

New London New London may refer to: Places United States *New London, Alabama *New London, Connecticut *New London, Indiana *New London, Iowa *New London, Maryland *New London, Minnesota *New London, Missouri *New London, New Hampshire, a New England town ** ...

, and she began operations off southern New England. On 28 September, she arrived at

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for alterations, repairs, and installation of a

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, for which she became a pioneer underwater test ship. She also experimented with submerged radio transmission. ''E-1'' conducted tests of these and other important developments under the direction of Commander, Submarine Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet, Lieutenant (and future Fleet Admiral) Chester W. Nimitz. Throughout his career, Nimitz played a progressive and leading role in the incorporation into the Navy of the vast scientific and technological developments of this century, many of them pioneered by the Navy. Nimitz's appreciation of the capabilities of submarines contributed to them becoming a decisive factor under his command in the

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during

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. On 14 October ''E-1'' proudly passed in review with the fleet in the North River before

Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...

George von L. Meyer George von Lengerke Meyer (June 24, 1858 – March 9, 1918) was a Massachusetts businessman and politician who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, as United States ambassador to Italy and Russia, as United States Postmaster Gener ...

. ''E-1'' continued important experimental development and training with the Atlantic Fleet for the next five years. In 1916 she became the first American submarine to cross the Atlantic. This was in response to the crossing of the Atlantic by the German submarines and earlier that year. On 4 December 1917, when she left Newport for the

Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...

and different duty. From 12 January 1918, she patrolled between

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and Horta, protecting the islands from German attack and use as a haven by

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...

s. She returned to New London on 17 September. After overhaul, ''E-1'' trained new submariners and tested experimental listening gear. Placed in commission in reserve on 20 March 1920, ''E-1'' arrived at Norfolk on 22 April. There she was placed in commission in ordinary on 18 July 1921, and on 17 September sailed for

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, where she was decommissioned on 20 October and sold on 19 April 1922.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:E-1 (SS-24) E-1 E-1 Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts 1911 ships