USS R-14
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USS R-14 (SS-91), also known as "Submarine No. 91", was an R-1-class coastal and harbor defense submarines of the United States Navy commissioned after the end of World War I.
Due to space constraints, the boats built at the Fore River Shipbuilding Company yard, were laid down much later than the boats built at the Union Iron Works and the Lake Torpedo Boat Company yards. Because of this, none were commissioned before the end of WWI.
Design
The submarines had a length of Template:Convert overall, a beam of Template:Cvt, and a mean draft of Template:Cvt. They displaced Template:Convert on the surface and Template:Cvt submerged. The R-1-class submarines had a crew of 2 officers and 27 enlisted men. They had a diving depth of Template:Cvt.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
For surface running, the boats were powered by two Template:Convert NELSECO 6-EB-14 diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a Template:Convert Electro-Dynamic Company electric motor. They could reach Template:Convert on the surface and Template:Cvt underwater. On the surface, the R-1-class had a range of Template:Convert at Template:Cvt, or Template:Cvt if fuel was loaded into their main ballast tanks.Template:Sfn
The boats were armed with four [[American 21-inch torpedo|Template:Convert]] torpedo tubes in the bow. They carried four reloads, for a total of eight torpedoes. The R-1-class submarines were also armed with a single [[3"/50 caliber gun|Template:Cvt/50 caliber]] deck gun.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Construction
R-14Template:'s keel was laid down by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company, in Quincy, Massachusetts, on 6 November 1918. She was launched on 10 October 1919,Template:Sfn sponsored by Miss Florence Loomis Gardner,Template:Sfn and commissioned on 24 December 1919.Template:Sfn
Service history
1919–1929
After a shakedown cruise off the New England coast, R-14 moved to Naval Submarine Base New London, in Groton, Connecticut, where she prepared for transfer to the Pacific Fleet. In May 1920, she headed south.Template:Sfn
When the US Navy adopted its hull classification system on 17 July 1920, she received the hull number SS-91.Template:Sfn
She transited the Panama Canal in July, and arrived at Pearl Harbor, in the Territory of Hawaii, on 6 September 1920. For the next nine years, R-14 assisted in the development of submarine warfare and anti-submarine warfare tactics, and participated in search and rescue operations.Template:Sfn
R-14, under acting command of Lieutenant Alexander Dean Douglas, ran out of usable fuel due to seawater contamination, and lost radio communications on 10 May 1921, while on a surface search mission for the seagoing tug Template:USS, about Template:Convert southeast of the island of Hawaii.Template:Sfn Since R-14Template:'s electric motors did not have enough battery power to propel her to Hawaii, the ship's officers and chief petty officers came up with a novel solution to the problem.Template:Sfn It was decided they should try to sail the submarine to the port of Hilo, Hawaii. A foresail was made of eight hammocks hung from a top boom made of pipe bunk frames lashed firmly together, all tied to the vertical kingpost of the torpedo loading crane forward of the submarine's fairwater. Seeing that this gave R-14 a speed of about Template:Cvt, as well as rudder control, a mainsail was made of six blankets, hung from the sturdy radio mast (the top sail in the photograph). This added another Template:Cvt to the speed. A mizzen was then made of eight blankets hung from another top boom made of bunk frames, all tied to the vertically placed boom of the torpedo loading crane.Template:Sfn This sail added another 0.5 kn. Around 12:30, on 12 May 1921, the crew was able to begin charging the submarine's batteries by dragging the propellers through the water while under sail. The windmill effect of these slowly turning propellers turned the generators providing a small amount of voltage that was directed to the batteries.Template:Sfn The crew worked together to solve their various problems, and the boat sailed slowly for Hilo.Template:Sfn After 64 hours under sail, at slightly varying speeds, R-14 entered Hilo Harbor, under battery propulsion, on the morning of 15 May 1921. Douglas received a letter of commendation for the crew's innovative actions from his submarine division commander, Commander Chester W. Nimitz, USN.Template:Sfn
1930–1946
On 12 December 1930, R-14 departed Pearl Harbor, for the last time, and headed back to the Atlantic. Proceeding via San Diego, California, and the Panama Canal, she returned to New London, on 9 February 1931, and through the end of the 1930s, conducted training exercises for the Submarine School.Template:Sfn
In the spring of 1941, she moved down the East Coast to Key West, Florida, her home port as of 1 June 1941. In the fall of 1941, she returned to New London, for overhaul, and on 22 November 1941, resumed operations from Key West.Template:Sfn
On 29 June 1943, United States Army Coast Artillery Corps guns at Fort Zachary Taylor mistook R-14 for a German U-boat and opened fire on her while she was off Key West, but she suffered no damage.Template:Sfn
Into April 1945, she conducted training exercises for the Sound School, and patrolled the Yucatán Channel and the Florida Straits.Template:Sfn
Fate
On 25 April 1945, R-14 departed Key West, and headed north, and in early May 1945, she arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. She was decommissioned on 7 May 1945, struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 19 May 1945, and sold on 28 September 1945, to Rossoff Brothers, of New York City. She was later resold to the Northern Metals Company, of Philadelphia, and was scrapped in 1946.Template:Sfn
Notes
References
Bibliography
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External links
Template:United States R class submarine Template:WWI US ships Template:WWII US ships Template:1921 shipwrecks Template:June 1943 shipwrecks