USS H-1

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USS Seawolf/H-1 (SS-28), also known as "Submarine No. 28", was the lead ship of her class of submarine of the United States Navy (USN). She was the first ship of the USN to be named for the seawolf, though she was renamed H-1 prior to launching.

Design

The H-class submarines had an overall length of Template:Cvt, a beam of Template:Cvt, and a mean draft of Template:Cvt. They displaced Template:Cvt on the surface and Template:Cvt submerged. They had a diving depth of Template:Cvt. The boats had a crew of 2 officers and 23 enlisted men.Template:Sfn

For surface running, they were powered by two New London Ship & Engine Company Template:Convert diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by two Template:Convert Electro-Dynamic Company electric motors. They could reach Template:Cvt on the surface and Template:Cvt underwater.Template:Sfn On the surface, the boats had a range of Template:Cvt at Template:Cvt and Template:Cvt at Template:Cvt submerged.Template:Sfn

The boats were armed with four 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They carried four reloads, for a total of eight torpedoes.Template:Sfn

Construction

SeawolfTemplate:'s keel was laid down, on 22 March 1911, by the Union Iron Works, of San Francisco, California. She was renamed, H-1, on 17 November 1911, and launched on 6 May 1913, sponsored by Miss Lesley Jean Makins. H-1 was commissioned at Mare Island Navy Yard, on 1 December 1913.Template:Sfn

Service history

H-1 and Template:USS, in Coos Bay, Oregon

The new submarine was attached to the 2nd Torpedo Flotilla, Pacific Fleet, and operated along the West Coast, out of San Pedro, California. During various exercises and patrols, she traveled the coast from Los Angeles to lower British Columbia, often in company with her sister ships Template:USS and sometimes Template:USS.Template:Sfn

Sailing from San Pedro, on 17 October 1917, she reached New London, Connecticut, on 8 November. For the remainder of World War I, she was based there and patrolled Long Island Sound, frequently with officer students from the submarine school on board.Template:Sfn

H-1 and H-2 sailed for San Pedro, on 6 January 1920, transiting the Panama Canal on 20 February. On 12 March, as H-1 made her way up the coast of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, she ran aground on a shoal off Magdalena Bay. Four men, including the commanding officer, died trying to reach shore.Template:Sfn

The diesel freighter Template:MS, on her maiden voyage for the California & Mexico Steamship Company, also this line's inaugural voyage, tried to pull the submarine into deep water, and then carried 22 survivors to San Pedro, where they arrived on March 18.Template:Sfn

The repair ship Template:USS pulled H-1 off the rocks in the morning of 24 March, but in only 45 minutes, the submarine sank in some Template:Cvt of water. Further salvage effort was abandoned. Her name was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 12 April 1920, and she was sold for scrap in June 1920, but never recovered.Template:Sfn

In 2019, her wreck was identified south of Baja California.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Bibliography

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External links

• PigBoats.COM H-class page
• Template:Navsource
• On Eternal Patrol: USS H-1 (SS-28)