Plunger-class submarine


The Plunger class was an early class of United States Navy submarines, 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 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 colliers. 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.

Design and construction

The Plunger-class submarines were built at the beginning of the twentieth century largely as experimental vessels. The prototype, named Fulton, was later sold to Russia, and renamed. The Plunger class was built at two different locations on both coasts of the United States.

Service

The five East Coast boats were based at New Suffolk, New York from 1903 until 1905, allowing New Suffolk to claim itself as the first submarine base in the United States. The squadron moved from New Suffolk to Newport, Rhode Island in 1905 where they were used to test torpedoes and develop submarine tactics.
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.
The class was given alphanumeric hull classification symbols on 17 July 1920, after all but Grampus and Pike had been decommissioned. All of the Plunger-class boats were decommissioned by 1921, and all except Plunger used as targets. They were stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 16 January 1922 and sold for scrap.

Boats in class

Designation:Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 3, SS-3
Builders:Crescent Shipyard in Elizabethport, New Jersey
Laid down:3 October 1900
Launched:22 July 1901
Operator:
Commissioned:12 January 1903
Decommissioned:12 December 1919
Fate:Sunk as a target ship
Operations:Torpedo testing, training, peace time patrol. Moved to Philippines in 1915.

Designation:Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 4, SS-4
Builders:Union Iron Works in San Francisco, California
Laid down:10 December 1900
Launched:31 July 1902
Operator:
Commissioned:28 May 1903
Decommissioned:25 July 1921
Fate:Struck 16 January 1922 and sunk as a target ship
Operations:San Francisco earthquake of 1906 relief efforts

Designation:Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 5, SS-5
Builders:Crescent Shipyard in Elizabethport, New Jersey
Laid down:8 November 1900
Launched:20 August 1901
Operator:
Commissioned:17 January 1903
Decommissioned:12 December 1919
Fate:Target ship
Operations:Training, trials, peacetime patrol. Moved to Philippines in 1915.

Designation:Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 6, SS-6
Builders:Union Iron Works in San Francisco, California
Laid down:10 December 1900
Launched:14 January 1903
Operator:
Commissioned:28 May 1903
Decommissioned:25 July 1921
Fate:Sold for scrap 26 January 1922
Operations:San Francisco earthquake of 1906 recovery efforts, training & trials, harbor patrol

Designation:Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 7, SS-7
Builders:Crescent Shipyard in Elizabethport, New Jersey
Laid down:13 December 1900
Launched:23 September 1901
Operator:
Commissioned:19 September 1903
Decommissioned:12 December 1919
Fate:Target ship
Operations:Whiting experiment, other trials, harbor patrols

Designation:Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 8, SS-8
Builders:Crescent Shipyard in Elizabethport, New Jersey
Laid down:11 January 1901
Launched:19 October 1901
Operator:
Commissioned:19 September 1903
Decommissioned:12 December 1919
Fate:Target ship
Operations:Torpedo and other trials, Manila Bay patrols