B-3

Tarantula's torpedo room looking forward. The date is unknown but it is likely that this is early in her career. The B-class submarines did not have separated compartments; the boat had one large compartment that ran bow to stern. This shot was taken in the area that would come to be known as the control room, in about the middle of the boat. A portion of the U-shaped riveted ballast tank is visible on the left.

The two torpedoes are Whitehead 18" diameter Mk 3 weapons. These were the first torpedoes in the USN to incorporate a gyroscope, which greatly improved accuracy. They ran on compressed air and had a 800-yard range with a 118 lb. warhead of wet guncotton. The weapons sit on moveable skids that slide along the rails seen on the deck. The deck is actually the top of the boat's battery well. The deck is plywood with a rubber coating, with a shellacked canvas cover. Between the tubes near the top is a large spoked wheel. This wheel opened the rotating bow cap that made up the outer doors for the torpedo tubes.

Photo in the private collection of David Johnston

Tarantula is seen here in what is likely the East River off Brooklyn, early in her career approximately 1908. She is running at a fairly good clip, and is pushing up a nice bow wave. Eight of her 10 crew are topside, leaving only two men below to tend the Electric Boat/Craig gasoline engine.

U.S. Navy photo

Another nice photo of Tarantula taken at the same time as the one above. This is probably further out in New York Harbor. Most of the same crewmen are topside.

U.S. Navy photo

Tarantula and crew posing for a photo op, likely at an east coast port, 1908-1910, probably late fall or winter time. The caption from the scrapbook this photo came from is "The little submarines with the funny noses". The Commanding officer is LT D. A. Weaver. The black dots are ink spots on the photo face.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.

USS Tarantula (Submarine No. 12) crew muster for April 15, 1910. Data is incomplete due to lost or missing records. All men listed below are enlisted, ranks and rates unknown.

Crew Muster April 15, 1910

Rotherwell, M. L. - age 25 - Born: New York

Fredericks, H. W. - age 20 - Born: Kentucky

Dunn, C. B. - age 25 - Born: New York

Ballard, M. - age 38 - Born: Russia

Stine, C. E. - age 36 - Born: Sweden

Anderson, A. W. - age 20 - Born: New Jersey

Thank you to Linda Talbott of the US GenWeb Census Project® for providing this information.

A very nice photo of B-3 and her crew taken at Naval Station Cavite, near Manila in the Philippines. This photo is likely a re-commissioning photo taken circa September 2, 1913. B-3 had been transported to the Philippines as deck cargo on the USS Ajax (Collier No. 14) along with the B-2. They had been decommissioned during transit, and once in the water and restored to operating condition they were recommissioned. If you look to the left of the periscopes of the B-3 you can see another set of periscopes, most likely of the B-2. Note the large combination padeye/cleat attached to the hull near the waterline. These enable the boat to be physically hauled out of the water by crane if necessary. These boats were still small enough so that could be done. That would quickly change with future classes.

Photo from the private collection of MMCM(SS) Rick Larson, USN (Ret.)

A closeup of the photo above, showing the B-3's crew, circa September 2, 1913. The officer fifth from left is the Commanding Officer, ENS Carroll Q. Wright, Jr.

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