The five C-class harbor defense submarines were built to an Electric Boat Company design at the Fore River Shipbuilding Company of Quincy, MA. The boats were all commissioned into the Navy with their "fish" names, but on November 17, 1911 the Navy changed its naming convention for submarines and these boats were renamed with the C-class names. Octopus (C-1) was built in 1906/1907 for a set of competitive trials with the Simon Lake submarine Lake (see this page). The Octopus was judged superior in every category and was selected for series production. Four more boats were later built by Fore River. This early trial accounts for the out of sequence hull number for Octopus.
Octopus/C-1 (Submarine No. 9)
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman
Octopus underway in the company of another C-class boat, probably in Narragansett Bay, R.I., 1910-1912. Octopus was a prototype for the C-class, built as part of the 1906 Naval Appropriations bill. Octopus passed her trials and was commissioned into the Navy on June 30, 1908, just as other boats of the class were being laid down. She had an early surface steering system, consisting of a vertical shaft with a wheel on top, located just aft of the conning tower fairwater. It can be seen here with a sailor standing next to it. The later boats had the steering station moved to a better location on the bridge.
Stingray underway, approximately 1910. Location is unknown, but could possibly be Narragansett Bay, R.I. It is hard to see, but there is another C-class submarine behind Stingray, along with several surface warships.
C-3 underway during the Naval Review in New York City, October 4, 1912. A temporary pipe frame and canvas bridge has been erected on the aft end of the conning tower fairwater. It would be disassembled and taken below before diving. Likewise, the tall radio mast forward would be taken below. It was likely rigged so that C-3 could communicate with the fleet commander during the review.
C-4 in a photo taken approximately 1912, possibly taken off Provincetown, MA. making a full speed run for the camera. There is moderate swell running and the submarine is taking water over the bow. There seems to be four or five men on the bridge. One man looks to be climbing the conning tower fair water to keep dry feet. The torpedo loading derrick is rigged up on the forward deck.
The C-class submarines had a reported top speed of 11 knots on the surface and nine knots submerged. They were powered by twin gasoline engines on the surface.
C-4 had a later modification to her bow that made her unique among the C-class. She had a secondary anchor installed in a special housing behind the rectangular door seen here near the tip of the bow. This necessitated the raising of the bow. The remainder of the boats retained the downward angled bow and the mushroom anchor that was deployed from the bottom of the boat and operated from the torpedo room.
Snapper maneuvering up to a pier with a tug assisting her, 1910-1911, location unknown. On the left in the background there appears to be one of the early destroyers or possibly a torpedo boat.
All five of the C-Class submarines are seen together entering the middle east chamber of the Gatun locks on March 9, 1914, prior to the official opening of the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal was officially opened on August 25, 1914. The submarines are entering the locks to use them as an impromptu dry dock.
The Submarines are left to right the C-4, C-5, C-2, C-3 and C-1. The Sub Div designators are on their conning towers as a "1" over another number, (this indicating their physical position in a division at-sea steaming formation). The C-1 is 1 over 3; the C-3 is 1 over 5; the C-2 is 1 over 1 (flagship); C-5 is 1 over 4, and the C-4 is 1 over 2.
Seen on the conning tower of the C-5 (second from left) in the white broad brimmed hat is probably the civilian pilot, whose responsibility it was to guide the submarines through the canal. The is still done to this day.
