O-13

O-13 making an unusual stern first "static" dive, meaning she is at all stop and submerging straight down. It is quite rare to see a dive stern first, so this may be a test of the forward ballast tank vents to see if they are holding air properly. The location is not known, and the date is unsure but is likely in 1919-1920. Whether this photo is related to the one below is unknown.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman

O-13 coming to the surface after a 90-foot test dive off Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, March 3, 1919. Her deck has just broken the surface and she is not yet at her full surface trim.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman

This photo likely precedes the one on the previous page. O-13 is in a nest between O-15 and O-16 and is preparing to get underway with a deck load of sailors going on liberty. This was not a normal practice, as the tender would use its own small boats to ferry the crews ashore. For some reason it was decided to use the O-13 for this function. The location is likely near Panama in 1920-1923.

Photo NH 44566 courtesy of NHHC.

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