The N-class submarines were authorized in Fiscal Year 1915 appropriations. The congressional budget committee, in order to be able to afford a fleet submarine (later to be the T-class) in that year's appropriations, reduced the amount of money available for coastal submarines by over $100,000 per unit. This dictated that the FY-15 coastal submarines be smaller, and thus the N-class was born. These boats were over 100 tons smaller than the preceding L-class and would be the smallest submarines built for the USN from this point until 1952. As usual, the Navy split the order of seven boats between Electric Boat and Lake. EB would get N-1 through N-3 and these would be built in Seattle by Todd Dry Dock & Construction Company. Lake would build N-4 through N-7 at his yard in Bridgeport, CT. They conducted brief anti U-boat patrols off the New England coast in WWI, and then served in a training role out of New London until they were decommissioned. Overall, these boats ended up being too small to be really useful, with the EB versions averaging only 8.5 years of service. The Lake versions seemed to have been particularly disliked for poor detail design, habitability, and overall unreliability. They were discarded after only 3.5 years of service in the early 1920's.
N-1, N-2, and N-3 moored to the USS Savannah (AS- 8) at Submarine Base New London, (Groton) on February 7, 1918. In the water between the Savannah and the subs and between the submarines can be seen chunks of floating ice on the waters of the Thames River. An unnamed Black Stewardsmate or Mess Attendant looks at the camera and becomes part of history.
