V-class group and unknown photos

This launching photo is one of two possible V-class submarines, either the V-1 or the V-3. The V-1 was launched on July 17, 1924, and the V-3 went down the ways on May 22, 1926. The V-2 was a December, 1925 launch and this is not a December day. The boat is seen sliding into the Piscataqua River at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, ME. Crowds are lining the opposite bank. A submarine launching always drew a large, interested crowd.

Photo from the private collection of Ric Hedman.

V-2, V-1 & V-3 moored to the starboard side of the USS Argonne (AS-10), most likely San Diego, CA circa 1927. This is a nice photo shot from a small boat and gives a good view of the shark-like bow and stem anchor. These boats had a very distinctive look. Some might say a look that only a mother could love!

Photo from the private collection of Ric Hedman.

A nifty little photograph taken at the Mare Island Navy Yard between September 22 and September 28, 1928 showing the submarine tender USS Holland (AS-3) and two V-1 class submarines. Note the large flag flying from Holland [Sunday and Holiday Colors] which suggest photo was taken on Sunday September 23, 1928. We notice a total lack of people visible in the image, likely due to weekend liberty.

In this 1928 photo the V-2 and the V-3 are moored to the starboard side of the two-year-old submarine tender Holland. (This is reflected in the Navy Yard records.) USS V-1 was in the yard's dry dock # 1 at the time of this photo. All three of the subs were under repair at Mare Island.

Of interest in this photo is the box shaped device on the Holland's stern just to the right of the stern anchor. It looks to be the trash chute. It is a large funnel into which garbage and trash was dumped and directed overboard while at sea.

The photo location is at Mare Island Navy Yard, and is looking north up the Napa River and taken from quay wall south of the entrance to the dry dock #2 between 9th and 10th streets. The dock gate is seen at the lower left. The dock angles to the northwest.

The large crane in the background just beyond Holland is the YD-33 floating crane built in 1918 and was in use at the yard until 1973. It had the capacity to lift 150 tons. The yard's dry dock #1 is to the left of YD-33.

To the left and just north of dry dock #1 and of the YD-33 is the cantilever crane and two hammerhead cranes of the yard's building ways. Heavy cruiser USS Chicago (CA-29) and cruiser submarine V-6 (SC-2) are under construction at this point. (References Mare Island Public Works photos 5032-1-25 & 6529-10-28.)

Just to left of center in the photo is a car. Make and model is unknown but possibly a coupé type.

Photo from the private collection of Ric Hedman. Photo interpretation and detail explanation by Darryl Baker.

V-3 maneuvering up to moor in a nest that includes sisters V-1 and V-2. The nest is likely moored to the tender Argonne (AS-10) and the location is likely San Diego, December 10, 1928. The photo is taken from the fore-deck of the Argonne.

There is a lot of action on the deck of the V-1. To the left a sailor is obviously leaning back in effort to haul a heevie attached to a mooring line across from the V-3. In the center, under supervision of a senior petty officer, a crew of three sailors are pulling the heevie attached to the bow line of the V-3 through a fairlead like the one seen on the starboard side behind the men.

On the deck of the V-3 sailors can be seen feeding a mooring line to be pulled across from line that has been faked out on the deck. This is to ensure it doesn't become tangled or 'fouled' in Navy jargon. The same with the line to the left. An officer and a chief stand at the bow looking aft supervising.

It is interesting in that the first mooring line has not yet been placed on the V-1. We know this since the Union Jack, which will be raised on the jackstaff on the bow, is still in the hands of the Officer's Steward at the far right on the bow, whose job it is to raise it when the boat is officially "moored". The heevies have gone over but no mooring line is yet attached. When the first line is attached the ship's whistle is sounded and the colors are "shifted" to in port from "at sea". The photo is probably 5 to 10 seconds from this happening.

In the foreground on the V-2 there seems to be what looks like a hydraulic or lubricating oil leak in the mechanism that raises the forward radio mast. A large dark streak is running down her hull from the mast housing. The mooring line from the V-1 looks to pass around the base of the mast housing and then been looped around the V-2 capstan, deck shadows support this. The large round object near the topside anchor shank bulge is a transducer for a Fessenden Oscillator, an early sonar signaling device.

Photo from the private collection of Ric Hedman.

V-2, V-1 & V-3 moored to the port side to the USS Argonne (AS-10), San Diego, CA., December 10, 1928. This photo was likely taken shortly after the one above. The oil leak from the radio mast seen in the photo above on the V-2 starboard bow is also visible on the boat's port side.

U.S. Navy photo

V-2, V-1, and V-3 moored to the port side of the USS Argonne (AS-10), at Balboa, Panama Canal Zone during Fleet Problem X circa February 1929. The submarines and tender were at Balboa from January 29, 1929 to March 11, 1929.

Fleet Problem X was conducted with all available units of the Battle Fleet and Train Squadron Two, opposed by the Scouting Fleet and the Control Force and the defense forces of the 15th Naval District and Army units. The tender and submarines arrived back at San Diego on March 22.

It is interesting that the tender is undergoing painting by the crew. There is a man hanging from a Bosun's Chair at the bow. He is painting the area where the bow flares. This area was known for centuries by sailors as "being between the devil and the deep blue sea" because overhanging areas like this were so hard to word on. The underside of the stern was another area like this. The sailor no doubt has a line attached to him from one of the portholes and is being pulled in close to the hull to work. Another man is hanging from a Bosun's Chair right at the bow of the V-2.

Photo from the private collection of Ric Hedman.

V-3, V-2, V-1, V-5, and V-4 moored to the starboard side of the USS Holland (AS-3), most likely in the Panama Canal Zone circa 1931. The destroyer USS Southard (DD-207) is anchored at far right. Southard survived WW II and two kamikaze attacks only to be lost on the Japanese shore after war ended. Her interesting story can be found at this link.

Photo from the private collection of Ric Hedman.

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