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{{Short description|D-class submarine of the United States}}
{{other ships|USS Narwhal}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS D-1;H99123.jpg
|Ship caption= USS ''Narwhal'' underway, {{circa}} 1909-1911
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1922}}
|Ship name= ''Narwhal''
|Ship namesake= The [[Narwhal]]
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder= [[Fore River Shipbuilding Company]], [[Quincy, Massachusetts|Quincy]], Massachusetts
|Ship original cost= $377,234.25 (hull and machinery){{sfn|Navy List|1921|p=764}}
|Ship laid down= 16 April 1908
|Ship launched= 8 April 1909
|Ship sponsor= Mrs. [[Gregory C. Davison|Alice Davison]]
|Ship commissioned= 23 November 1909
|Ship decommissioned= 8 February 1922
|Ship struck= 8 February 1922
|Ship renamed= ''D-1'' (Submarine No.17), 17 November 1911
|Ship identification=*[[Hull classification symbol#Submarine type|Hull symbol]]: SS-17 (17 July 1920)
*[[Maritime call sign|Call sign]]: NKX
*{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Kilo}}{{ICS|X-ray}}
|Ship fate= Sold for scrapping, 5 June 1922
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption= {{sfn|Priolo}}
|Ship class=[[United States D-class submarine|D-class]] [[submarine]]
|Ship displacement=* {{cvt|288|LT|lk=in}} surfaced
* {{cvt|337|LT}} submerged
|Ship length= {{cvt|134|ft|10|in}}
|Ship beam= {{cvt|13|ft|11|in}}
|Ship draft= {{cvt|12|ft|6|in}}
|Ship power=* {{cvt|600|bhp|lk=in}} (gasoline)
*{{cvt|330|hp}} (electric)
|Ship propulsion=* 2 × [[Craig Shipbuilding Company]] [[gasoline engine]]
*2 × [[Electro Dynamic]] [[electric motor]]s,
*2 × 60-[[electrochemical cell|Cell]] [[battery (electricity)|batteries]]
*2 × [[Propeller]]
|Ship speed=* {{cvt|13|kn|lk=in}} surfaced
* {{cvt|9.5|kn}} submerged
|Ship range=* {{cvt|1179|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|9.3|kn}} surfaced
* {{cvt|24|nmi}} at {{cvt|8|kn}} submerged
|Ship test depth= {{convert|200|ft|1}}
|Ship complement=* 1 officer
* 14 enlisted
|Ship armament= 4 × [[American 18 inch torpedo|18 inch (450 mm)]] [[Bow (watercraft)|bow]] [[torpedo tube]]s (4 [[torpedo]]es)
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''USS ''Narwhal/D-1'' (SS-17)''', also known as "Submarine No. 17", was the [[lead ship]] of the [[United States D-class submarine|D-class]] [[submarine]]s of the [[United States Navy]] (USN). She was the first ship of the USN to be named for the [[narwhal]], a gray and white arctic [[whale]] which averages {{cvt|20|ft}} in length, the male of which has a long, [[helix|helical]] [[ivory]] [[tusk]] of commercial value.

==Design==
The D-class submarines were enlarged versions of the preceding [[United States C-class submarine|C class]], the first American submarines armed with four [[torpedo tube]]s. They had a length of {{cvt|134|ft|10|in}} [[length overall|overall]], a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{cvt|13|ft|10|in}} and a mean [[draft (ship)|draft]] of {{cvt|12|ft|6|in}}. They [[displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{cvt|288|LT|lk=in}} on the surface and {{cvt|337|LT}} submerged. The D-class boats had a crew of 1 officer and 14 enlisted men. They had a diving depth of {{cvt|200|ft}}.{{sfn|Friedman|1995|p=306}}

For surface running, they were powered by two {{convert|300|bhp|lk=in|0|adj=on}} [[gasoline engine]]s, each driving one [[propeller shaft]]. When submerged each propeller was driven by a {{convert|165|hp|0|adj=on}} [[electric motor]]. They could reach {{cvt|13|kn|lk=in}} on the surface and {{cvt|9.5|kn}} underwater. On the surface, the boats had a range of {{cvt|1179|nmi|lk=in}} at {{cvt|9.6|kn}} and {{cvt|24|nmi}} at {{cvt|8|kn}} submerged.{{sfn|Friedman|1995|p=306}}

The boats were armed with four [[American 18-inch torpedo|18-inch (450 mm)]] torpedo tubes in the bow. They did not carry reloads for them.{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=127}}

==Construction==
''Narwhal''{{'}}s keel was [[laid down]] by [[Fore River Shipbuilding Company]], in [[Quincy, Massachusetts|Quincy]], Massachusetts, under a subcontract from [[Electric Boat Company]], of [[Groton, Connecticut|Groton]], Connecticut. She was [[ship naming and launching|launched]] on 8 April 1909, sponsored by Mrs. Alice Davison, the wife of [[Gregory C. Davison]], the vice president of Electric Boat, and daughter of [[Rear Admiral (United States)|Rear Admiral]] [[Edwin M. Shepard]]. ''Narwhal'' was [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 23 November 1909.{{sfn|Cressman|2021}}

==Service history==
''Narwhal'' joined the Atlantic Torpedo Fleet, based at [[Newport, Rhode Island|Newport]], Rhode Island. ''Narwhal'' was renamed ''D-1'' on 17 November 1911. She operated on the diving grounds in [[Cape Cod Bay|Cape Cod]] and [[Narragansett Bay|Narragansett]] Bays, [[Long Island Sound|Long Island]] and [[Block Island Sound|Block Island]] Sounds and [[Chesapeake Bay]], and off [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]], Virginia; on target ranges proving [[torpedo]]es; experimental operations; and cruises along the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]]. {{sfn|Cressman|2021}}

From 20 January – 11 April 1913, the submarine flotilla cruised to the [[Caribbean Sea]], and from 5 January – 21 April 1914 visited [[Gulf of Mexico|Gulf]] and [[Florida]] ports.{{sfn|Cressman|2021}}

During [[World War I]], ''D-1'' trained crews and classes of officers and served in experiments in the Third Naval District. After overhaul, ''D-1'' was placed in commission in [[Reserve fleet|reserve]] on 9 September 1919, continuing her work of training new submariners along with experimental and development work.{{sfn|Cressman|2021}}

==Fate==
On 15 July 1921, she was placed in commission, [[in ordinary]]. She was towed to [[Philadelphia Navy Yard]], arriving on 30 January 1922. Decommissioned on 8 February, her hulk was sold on 5 June 1922.{{sfn|Cressman|2021}}

==Whale encounter==
The ''[[New York World]]'' quoted [[Chester Nimitz|Lt. Chester Nimitz]], in command of ''Narwhal'' in August 1911, with regards to an encounter with whales that the submarine had. This encounter is not referenced anywhere else and may be journalistic hyperbole.<ref>[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/World_Magazine_-_undersea.jpg World magazine] Wikimedia</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite journal
|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=mZEqAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA762
|title= Table 21 - Ships on Navy List June 30, 1919
|journal= Congressional Serial Set
|publisher= U.S. Government Printing Office
|year= 1921
|page= 764
|ref= {{sfnRef|Navy List|1921}}
}}
* {{cite web
|last= Gary
|first= Priolo
|title= Narwhal / D-1 (SS-17)
|url= https://www.navsource.net/archives/08/08017.htm
|website= Navsource.net
|access-date= 17 September 2025
|ref= {{sfnRef|Priolo}}
}}
* {{cite DANFS
|last= Cressman
|first= Robert J.
|title= D-1 (Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 17)
|url= https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/d/d-1.html
|date= 12 May 2021
|access-date= 19 September 2025
|ref=
}}{{PD-notice}}
* {{cite book
|last= Friedman |first= Norman
|author-link= Norman Friedman
|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
}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category|USS D-1 (SS-17)}}
*{{navsource|08/08017|USS Narwhal/D-1}}

{{United States D class submarine}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:D-1 (SS-17}}
[[Category:United States D-class submarines]]
[[Category:World War I submarines of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:1909 ships]]

USS D-1 - Revision history

imported>Pennsy22 at 14:49, 15 October 2025