Editing USS C-4

{{Short description|C-class submarine of the United States}}
{{other ships|USS Bonita}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[Image:Uss C-4 1909.jpg|300px|The USS C-4 underway, 1909]]
|Ship caption=The USS ''C-4'' underway, 1909.
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1919}}
|Ship name=USS ''Bonita''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=*[[Fore River Shipyard]]
*[[Quincy, Massachusetts]]
|Ship laid down=17 March 1908
|Ship launched=17 June 1909
|Ship sponsor=Mrs. J. C. Townsend
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=23 November 1909
|Ship decommissioned=15 August 1919
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship renamed=''C-4'', 17 November 1911
|Ship reclassified=
|Ship refit=
|Ship struck=
|Ship homeport=
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honors=
|Ship fate=Sold for scrap, 13 April 1920
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=[[United States C-class submarine|C-class submarine]]
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|238|LT|t|abbr=on}} surfaced
*{{convert|275|LT|t|abbr=on}} submerged
|Ship length={{convert|105|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|13|ft|11|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|10|ft|11|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship power=*{{convert|480|bhp|kW|lk=in|abbr=on}} (gasoline)
*{{convert|230|hp|kW|abbr=on}} (electric)
|Ship propulsion=*Craig [[gasoline engine]]s
*[[electric motor]]s
|Ship speed=*{{convert|11|kn|lk=in}} surfaced
*{{convert|9|kn}} submerged
|Ship range=*{{convert|776|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|8.13|kn}} on the surface
*{{convert|24|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|8|kn}} submerged
|Ship test depth={{convert|200|ft|1}}
|Ship complement=15 officers and enlisted
|Ship armament=2 × [[American 18 inch torpedo|18 inch (450 mm)]] bow [[torpedo tube]]s (4 [[torpedo]]es)
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''USS ''C-4'' (SS-15)''' one of five [[United States C-class submarine|C-class submarine]]s built for the [[United States Navy]] in the first decade of the 20th century.

==Description==
The ''C''-class submarines were enlarged versions of the preceding [[United States B-class submarine|B class]], the first American submarines with two [[propeller shaft]]s. They had a length of {{convert|105|ft|3|in|m|1}} [[length overall|overall]], a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|13|ft|10|in|m|1}} and a mean [[draft (ship)|draft]] of {{convert|10|ft|10|in|m|1}}. They [[displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|240|LT|t}} on the surface and {{convert|273|LT|t}} submerged. The C-class boats had a crew of 1 officer and 14 enlisted men. They had a diving depth of {{convert|200|ft|1}}.<ref name=f7>Friedman, p. 306</ref>

For surface running, they were powered by two {{convert|240|bhp|lk=in|0|adj=on}} Craig [[gasoline engine]]s, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a {{convert|115|hp|0|adj=on}} [[electric motor]]. They could reach {{convert|11|kn|lk=in}} on the surface and {{convert|9|kn}} underwater. On the surface, the boats had a range of {{convert|776|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|8.13|kn}} and {{convert|24|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|8|kn}} submerged.<ref name=f7/>

The boats were armed with two [[American 18 inch torpedo|18 inch (450 mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s in the bow. They carried two reloads, for a total of four torpedoes.<ref name=gg9>Gardiner & Gray, p. 127</ref>

==Construction and career==
''C-4'' was laid down by [[Fore River Shipbuilding]] Company in [[Quincy, Massachusetts]], under a subcontract from [[Electric Boat]] Company, as '''''Bonita'''''. She was [[ship naming and launching|launched]] on 17 June 1909 sponsored by Mrs. J. C. Townsend, and [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 23 November 1909. On 11 July 1910 she collided with [[Submarine tender]] [[USS Castine (PG-6)|USS Castine]] while practicing attack maneuvers, USS Castine was beached near [[North Truro, Massachusetts]]. Castine was later refloated, repaired and returned to service.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://research.mysticseaport.org/coll/coll001/ |title=Records of the T. A. Scott co. |publisher=mysticseaport.org |access-date=16 March 2021}}</ref> She was renamed ''C-4'' on 17 November 1911. Assigned first to the [[United States Fleet Forces Command|Atlantic]] Torpedo Fleet, and later to the Atlantic Submarine Flotilla, ''Bonita'' plied east coast waters until May 1913, when she cleared [[Norfolk, Virginia]] for [[Guantánamo Bay, Cuba|Guantánamo Bay]], Cuba. Her tactical exercises and development operations continued here and from [[Cristóbal, Panama|Cristobal]], [[Panama Canal Zone]], where she reported on 12 December 1913. In August 1917, sailing with two other submarines, she explored the suitability of [[Panama]]nian ports as advance submarine bases. Laid up at [[Coco Solo]] Canal Zone from 12 November 1918, ''C-4'' was decommissioned there on 15 August 1919, and sold on 13 April 1920.

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1995|isbn=1-55750-263-3}}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Gardiner|editor1-first=Robert|editor2-last=Gray|editor2-first=Randal|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|year=1985|location=Annapolis, Maryland|publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=0-85177-245-5|name-list-style=amp}}
*{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/c-4.html |http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/submar/ss15.htm}}

==External links==
*{{navsource|08/08015|USS Bonita}}

{{United States C class submarine}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:C-4 (SS-15)}}
[[Category:United States C-class submarines]]
[[Category:World War I submarines of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:1909 ships]]