Editing Plunger-class submarine

{{Short description|United States Navy submarine class}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS Plunger - NH 42620 - cropped.jpg
|Ship caption=USS ''Plunger'' (SS-2)
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Builders=* [[Electric Boat]] (design)
* [[Crescent Shipyard]] (SS-2, -3, -5, -7, -8)
* [[Union Iron Works]] (SS-4, SS-6)
|Operators={{naval|United States}}
|Class before={{USS|Holland|SS-1|6}}
|Class after=[[United States B-class submarine|B class]]
|Subclasses=
|Built range=1900–1903
|In commission range=1903–1921
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=7
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=
|Total ships retired=7
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type= [[Midget submarine]]
|Ship displacement=107 tons
|Ship length={{convert|63|ft|10|in|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|11|ft|11|in|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft={{convert|10|ft|7|in|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=*1 × [[Otto engine|Otto]] [[gasoline engine]], {{convert|160|bhp|kW|lk=in|abbr=on}}
*1 × [[Electro-Dynamic Company|Electro Dynamic]] [[electric motor]], {{convert|150|bhp|kW|abbr=on}}
*60-[[Electrochemical cell|cell]] [[Battery (electricity)|battery]]
*1 shaft
|Ship speed=*{{convert|8|kn}} (surfaced)
*{{convert|7|kn}} (submerged)
|Ship range=
|Ship endurance=
|Ship test depth={{convert|150|ft|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship complement=7
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=One [[American 18-inch torpedo|18-inch (450 mm)]] [[torpedo tube]] (3 long or 5 short [[torpedo]]es)
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

[[File:USS Plunger - NH 45937.jpg|thumb|right|''Plunger'', ''Adder'', ''Moccasin'', ''Porpoise'', and ''Shark'' at New Suffolk, New York circa 1903.]]
[[File:USS A-4 - NH 57729-A.jpeg|thumb|right|A 1912 view of the breech of the sole [[torpedo tube]] of USS ''Moccasin'' / ''A-4''. Two [[torpedo]]es are on wooden skids in the foreground. The skids slid across the deck for loading.]]
The '''''Plunger'' class''' was an early class of [[United States Navy]] [[submarine]]s. In the first years of their service, they were used primarily as training and experimental vessels for the newly formed "silent service" to familiarize naval personnel with the performance and operations of such craft. They were known as the "A class" after being renamed to A-type designations (''A-1'' through ''A-7'') on 17 November 1911. All except ''Plunger'' ended up being stationed in the [[Philippines]], an American possession, prior to the outbreak of [[World War I]]. They were shipped there on [[collier (ship)|colliers]] (coal-carrying ships) and formed an integral part of the harbor defense system for Manila. In some instances, this class of submarines is referred to as the '''''Adder'' class''', as USS ''Adder'' was the first boat of the class to be completed.<ref name=Conways1>Gardiner, p. 127</ref><ref name=Friedman1>Friedman, pp. 27-31</ref>

== Design and construction ==

These boats were essentially an enlarged and improved version of the [[USS Holland (SS-1)|''Holland'']], with a much more powerful 4-cylinder, 160 bhp [[Otto engine]] and an enlarged battery. Their increased size allowed a crewman to stand upright inside the boat. They were designed by [[General Dynamics Electric Boat|Electric Boat]] under the direct supervision of [[John Philip Holland]] and were known to the company as design EB 7.<ref>Friedman, pp. 27 & 29</ref> The design was considered such an advance over the ''Holland'' that the company took the unusual step of ordering a prototype of the class using internal company funds. The prototype, named ''Fulton'', was built at [[Lewis Nixon (naval architect)|Lewis Nixon]]'s [[Crescent Shipyard]] in [[New Jersey]]. It was a fortunate move, as the ''Fulton's'' company trials turned up numerous deficiencies that needed to be corrected. These trials, along with the need to correct the noted deficiencies delayed the building of the ''Plungers''. On average the boats were delivered to the Navy two years late.<ref>Friedman, pp. 27-28</ref> Although ''Fulton'' eventually did quite well on trials, proving the capabilities of the ''Plungers'', there were no approved appropriations from the Navy to purchase her so she was sold to [[Russian Navy|Russia]], and renamed {{sclass|Som|submarine|5}}.

A single hull design, all ballast and fuel tanks were located internally. The battery had 66 cells located underneath the torpedo reloads and was 24% more powerful than the one installed on ''Holland''. The battery was open-topped, and when the decking was removed the battery acid could be seen sloshing around inside the cells. The top was shellacked wooden planks, with a layer of rubber above and finally a shellacked canvas covering.<ref>Christley, pp. 10</ref><ref name="PigBoats.COM A-boat Page">[https://pigboats.com/index.php?title=A-class PigBoats.COM A-class page]</ref> Holland's emphasis was on optimizing underwater performance, and thus the boats had very little superstructure topside and a very small [[conning tower]]. Since these boats were intended for harbor defense and would be operating in relatively calm waters, this was not initially considered a problem. They were not internally subdivided, there was essentially one large compartment from bow to stern. One man, a very busy Commanding Officer, stood on a raised platform amidships with his head up inside the conning tower so he could see out of the small deadlight windows there. Initially there were no [[periscope]]s. Several wheels and control levers were within reach of this station, with the Commanding Officer acting as both a [[helmsman]] and a [[diving plane]] operator. He kept track of his bearings and any potential target by periodically broaching the boat so he could see out of the deadlights. The designed test depth was 100 feet, although [[USS Porpoise (SS-7)|''Porpoise'']] survived an accidental grounding at 144 feet in 1904.<ref>Friedman, pp. 28-30</ref>

Builder's and Navy trials of the class noted several defects that needed to be corrected. Ventilation of the gasoline engine was poor, the main switchboard needed to be relocated, the 30-foot depth gauge was inadequate, the torpedo tube muzzle door was awkward to use, and periscopes were highly desired. Most notably, the lack of superstructure and the short conning tower made these boats prone to flooding when surfaced in even a moderate sea state. A modification program was drawn up and approved by the Navy and starting in January, 1905 the boats were taken in hand for the needed work.<ref>Friedman, pp. 30, 32-35</ref> Eventually most of the boats were fitted with two fixed height periscopes, with a taller conning tower that had a large [[Fairing (nautical)|fairwater]] built around it. A removeable bow fairing was put in place to increase seaworthiness, helping to push the bow wake away from the conning tower. Since the boats found themselves spending more time on the surface than originally thought, a surface steering station was added forward of the conning tower fairwater, connected by a shaft to the main steering mechanism below. A small, metal framework and canvas bridge structure could be erected topside for extended surface transits. It had to be disassembled and taken below before diving.<ref>Friedman, pp. 37</ref><ref name="PigBoats.COM A-boat Page"/> The diving process was quite lengthy and complicated, taking several minutes from being fully surfaced to fully submerged.<ref>Friedman, pp. 30</ref> The tactical environment that these boats operated in did not necessitate quick dives, thus the lengthy dive process was not seen as a liability.
   
At this point in their corporate history, Electric Boat was a design and engineering firm only. They did not have their own shipyard and thus sub-contracted out the construction of all their boats. The ''Plunger'' class was built at two different locations on both coasts of the United States. Five were built at the Crescent Shipyard in Elizabethport, New Jersey, while two more were built at [[Union Iron Works]] in [[San Francisco]].

== Service ==
The five East Coast boats were based at [[Holland Torpedo Boat Station]] at [[New Suffolk, New York]] from 1903 until 1905, allowing New Suffolk to claim to be the first submarine base in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cutchoguenewsuffolk.org/history.htm |publisher=cutchoguenewsuffolk.org |title=History of Cutchogue-New Suffolk |access-date=2007-11-04 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060429124418/http://www.cutchoguenewsuffolk.org/history.htm |archive-date=29 April 2006 }}</ref>   As of January 1905, ''Grampus'' and ''Pike'' were at the Mare Island Navy Yard, ''Plunger'', ''Porpoise'' and ''Shark'' were at the New York Navy Yard and ''Adder'' and ''Moccasin'' were assigned to Reserve Torpedo Flotilla in Norfolk, Virginia.  

In 1908 the ''A-2'', ''A-4'', ''A-6'' and ''A-7'' were moved on ships to [[Subic Bay]] in the [[Philippine Islands]], where they served through the First World War.  They were joined in 1915 by ''A-3'' and ''A-5''.  ''A-1'' (''Plunger'') served at [[Charleston, South Carolina]] until she was decommissioned in 1913.

After the initial deficiencies were worked out these boats served the Navy quite well for their entire service lives. They were considered pathfinders in submarine technology, and the design drew great interest from foreign navies. A slightly modified design, EB 7P, formed the basis for the first submarines of the British [[Royal Navy]], and the navies of [[Japan]], the [[Netherlands]], and [[Russian Empire|Imperial Russia]].<ref>Friedman, pp. 35-36</ref> However, the rapidly advancing military technology of the early 20th century quickly made these boats obsolescent, and by the end of [[World War I]] they were completely outmoded.<ref>Christley, pp. 13</ref>   ''A-2'' (''Adder''), ''A-4'' (''Moccasin''), ''A-6'' (''Porpoise'') and ''A-7'' (''Shark'') were all decommissioned in December 1919.

The class was given alphanumeric [[hull classification symbol]]s (SS-2, SS-3, etc.) on 17 July 1920, after all but ''Grampus'' (SS-4) and ''Pike'' (SS-6) had been decommissioned.  ''Grampus'' and ''Pike'' were decommissioned in July 1921.  All boats in the class, except ''Plunger'', were used as targets. They were stricken from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] on 16 January 1922 and sold for scrap.<ref name="Conways1"/>

== Boats in class ==
{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|+[[USS Plunger (SS-2)|USS ''Plunger'' (SS-2) / ''A-1'']]
| width="150" |Designation: || Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 2, SS-2 || rowspan="9" width="200px" |[[Image:USS Plunger - NH 85735 - cropped.jpg|200px]]
|-
| Builders: || [[Crescent Shipyard]] in [[Elizabethport, New Jersey]]
|-
| Laid down: || 21 May 1901
|-
| Launched: || 1 February 1902 ([[List of ship launches in 1902|List]])
|-
| Operator: || {{navy|United States}}
|-
| Commissioned: || 19 September 1903 ([[List of ship commissionings in 1903|List]])
|-
| Decommissioned: || 24 February 1913 ([[List of ship decommissionings in 1913|List]])
|-
| Fate: || Sold for scrap 26 January 1922
|-
| Operations: || Torpedo testing, training, [[Theodore Roosevelt]] tour.  Second US Navy submarine to be decommissioned.
|}

{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|+[[USS Adder (SS-3)|USS ''Adder'' / ''A-2'']]
| width="150" | Designation: || Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 3, SS-3 || rowspan="9" width="200px" |[[Image:USS Adder - NH 57722.jpeg|200px]]
|-
| Builders: || [[Crescent Shipyard]] in [[Elizabethport, New Jersey]]
|-
| Laid down: || 3 October 1900
|-
| Launched: || 22 July 1901 ([[List of ship launches in 1901|List]])
|-
| Operator: || {{navy|United States}}
|-
| Commissioned: || 12 January 1903 ([[List of ship commissionings in 1903|List]])
|-
| Decommissioned: || 12 December 1919 ([[List of ship decommissionings in 1913|List]])
|-
| Fate: || Sunk as a target ship
|-
| Operations: || Torpedo testing, training, peace time patrol.  Moved to Philippines in 1909.
|}

{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|+[[USS Grampus (SS-4)|USS ''Grampus'' / ''A-3'']]
| width="150" | Designation: || Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 4, SS-4 || rowspan="9" width="200px" |[[Image:USS Grampus (SS-4).jpg|200px]]
|-
| Builders: || [[Union Iron Works]] in [[San Francisco, California]]
|-
| Laid down: || 10 December 1900
|-
| Launched: || 31 July 1902 ([[List of ship launches in 1902|List]])
|-
| Operator: || {{navy|United States}}
|-
| Commissioned: || 28 May 1903 ([[List of ship commissionings in 1903|List]])
|-
| Decommissioned: || 25 July 1921 ([[List of ship decommissionings in 1921|List]])
|-
| Fate: || Struck 16 January 1922 and sunk as a target ship
|-
| Operations: || [[San Francisco earthquake of 1906]] relief efforts.  Moved to Philippines in 1915.
|}

{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|+[[USS Moccasin (SS-5)|USS ''Moccasin'' / ''A-4'']]
| width="150" | Designation: || Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 5, SS-5 || rowspan="9" width="200px" |[[Image:USS Moccasin (SS-5).jpg|200px]]
|-
| Builders: || [[Crescent Shipyard]] in [[Elizabethport, New Jersey]]
|-
| Laid down: || 8 November 1900
|-
| Launched: || 20 August 1901 ([[List of ship launches in 1901|List]])
|-
| Operator:||  {{navy|United States}}
|-
| Commissioned: || 17 January 1903 ([[List of ship commissionings in 1903|List]])
|-
| Decommissioned: || 12 December 1919 ([[List of ship decommissionings in 1919|List]])
|-
| Fate: || Target ship
|-
| Operations: || Training, trials, peacetime patrol. Moved to Philippines in 1909.
|}

{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|+[[USS Pike (SS-6)|USS ''Pike'' / ''A-5'']]
| width="150" | Designation: || Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 6, SS-6 || rowspan="9" width="200px" |[[Image:USS Pike (SS-6).jpg|200px]]
|-
| Builders: || [[Union Iron Works]] in [[San Francisco, California]]
|-
| Laid down: || 10 December 1900
|-
| Launched: || 14 January 1903 ([[List of ship launches in 1903|List]])
|-
| Operator: || {{navy|United States}}
|-
| Commissioned: || 28 May 1903 ([[List of ship commissionings in 1903|List]])
|-
| Decommissioned: || 25 July 1921 ([[List of ship decommissionings in 1913|List]])
|-
| Fate: || Sold for scrap 26 January 1922
|-
| Operations: || San Francisco earthquake of 1906 recovery efforts, training & trials, harbor patrol. Moved to Philippines in 1915.
|}

{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|+[[USS Porpoise (SS-7)|USS ''Porpoise'', ''A-6'']]
| width="150" | Designation: || Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 7, SS-7 || rowspan="9" width="200px" |[[Image:Porpoise (SS-7) and Shark (SS-8);H98835k.jpg|200px]]
|-
| Builders: || [[Crescent Shipyard]] in [[Elizabethport, New Jersey]]
|-
| Laid down: || 13 December 1900
|-
| Launched: || 23 September 1901 ([[List of ship launches in 1901|List]])
|-
| Operator: || {{navy|United States}}
|-
| Commissioned: || 19 September 1903 ([[List of ship commissionings in 1903|List]])
|-
| Decommissioned: || 12 December 1919 ([[List of ship decommissionings in 1919|List]])
|-
| Fate: || Target ship
|-
| Operations: || Whiting experiment, other trials, harbor patrols.  Moved to Philippines in 1908.
|}
<!--[[Image:Plunger class submarines.jpg|thumb|right|''Plunger'', ''Adder'', ''Moccasin'', ''Porpoise'', and ''Shark''.]]-->
{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|+[[USS Shark (SS-8)|USS ''Shark'', ''A-7'']]
| width="150" | Designation: || Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 8, SS-8 || rowspan="9" width="200px" |[[File:USS Shark - 19-N-6787.jpg|200px]]
|-
| Builders: || [[Crescent Shipyard]] in [[Elizabethport, New Jersey]]
|-
| Laid down: || 11 January 1901
|-
| Launched: || 19 October 1901 ([[List of ship launches in 1901|List]])
|-
| Operator: || {{navy|United States}}
|-
| Commissioned: || 19 September 1903 ([[List of ship commissionings in 1903|List]])
|-
| Decommissioned: || 12 December 1919 ([[List of ship decommissionings in 1919|List]])
|-
| Fate: || Target ship
|-
| Operations: || Torpedo and other trials, Manila Bay patrols.  Moved to Philippines in 1908.
|}

==See also==
* [[Holland-class submarine]] (British Royal Navy version)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book | last = Bauer | first = K. Jack | author-link = K. Jack Bauer |author2=Roberts, Stephen S. | title = Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants | publisher = Greenwood Press | year = 1991 | location = [[Westport, Connecticut]] | isbn = 0-313-26202-0 }}
* {{cite book |last=Friedman |first=Norman |author-link=Norman Friedman |title=U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1995 |location=Annapolis, Maryland |pages=285–304 |isbn=1-55750-263-3 }}
* {{cite book | last = Gardiner | first = Robert | author2 = Gray, Randal | title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921 | publisher = Conway Maritime Press | year = 1985 | location = London | isbn = 0-85177-245-5 }}
* {{cite book | last = Silverstone | first = Paul H. | title = U.S. Warships of World War I | publisher = Ian Allan | year = 1970 | location = London | isbn = 0-71100-095-6 }}
*{{cite journal|last1=Wright|first1=C. C.|title=Question 40/02: Submarines Expended as Targets 1922 |journal=Warship International |date=2003|volume=XL|issue=4|pages=286–298 |issn=0043-0374}}
*{{cite book | last = Christley | first = Jim | title = US Submarines 1900-35 | publisher = Osprey Publishing | year = 2011 | location = Great Britain | isbn = 978-1-84908-185-6 }}
* {{DANFS}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Plunger class submarines}}
*[http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/02idx.htm Navsource.org early submarines page]
*[https://pigboats.com/index.php?title=A-class PigBoats.COM A-class page]
*[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/ss-2.htm SS-2 A-1 ''Plunger'' page on globalsecurity.org]

{{Plunger class submarine}}
{{WWI US ships}}

[[Category:Submarine classes]]
[[Category:Plunger-class submarines| ]]
[[Category:World War I submarines of the United States| Plunger]]