F-2

Exterior Views, Hawaii and California

F-2 moored at the commercial piers at the foot of Bishop St. in Honolulu, circa 1915. The submarine base at Pearl Harbor did not yet exist so the F-class boats operated out of rented space in Honolulu Harbor.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.

F-2 Steaming in San Francisco Bay circa 1916 after the return to the mainland from Hawaii. The three remaining F-class subs were ordered back to the mainland after the sinking of the F-4. The F-class were replaced in Hawaii by the newer K-class submarines.

In the background can be seen the early skyline and waterfront of San Francisco.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.

F-2 returning to port from a surface run at sea, circa 1916-1917. It is not likely that she dived on this run. She has an extensive pipe frame and canvas bridge structure erected over the conning tower fairwater. This had to be taken down before diving.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.

F-2 running at a good clip on the surface off San Diego, CA., approximately 1916-1917.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.

Crew Photos

EM 2c (Radio) Homer "Pat" Dilley aboard the F-2. He is standing next to the #1 periscope shear facing aft. This is a very clear, high resolution photo that shows good details of Dilley's uniform along with the mechanism for opening and shutting the conning tower hatch from below. On the far left it can be seen that a temporary grating has been placed over the open hatch. This allows the bridge watchstanders to stand on it while underway.

Photo courtesy of Mike Dilley, son of Homer Dilley.

Homer "Pat" Dilley at his radio set aboard the F-2, approximately 1916. Wireless communications was still a very new technology in those days. This gear used a lot of power but transmitted a weak signal. It was fairly unreliable and prone to frequent short circuits and burnouts due to the high humidity of the environment on the sub.

Photo courtesy of Mike Dilley, son of Homer Dilley.

Some of the crew of the F-2, circa 1916.
Blankenship
"Jazz" Brown
Campbell
CPO Monk Cline
Harry LeRoy Corson
Homer "Pat" Dilley
"Rats" Foshia
Louie Godbout
Grey
Tom Henry
CPO R.W. Nivison
"Rabbit" Russell
Phil Salvadore
Schmidt
D.T. Short
C.I. Short
"Sitting Bull" Smith
"Socks"
LT Conant Taylor, Commanding Officer
G.N. Tibbits
"Gay Cat" Van Natta
"Dopey" Walker
"Chefoo" Ward
"Chefoo" Ward
Williams
CPO Bill "Dizzy" Williams

Note that many of the crew had some rather humorous nicknames. This is something of a tradition in the Submarine Service. The F-2 crew seemed to be a happy and close-knit crew. Dilley had two different pictures of Chefoo Ward, and it is not clear if the two Williams pictures are of the same man.

Photos courtesy of Mike Dilley, son of Homer "Pat" Dilley, F-2 crewman.

Herman "Jimmy Cheese" Reese. This young man was the Sub Base mascot at San Pedro, California. He was not a member of the U.S. Navy but was allowed on the base. The boat crews treated him as kind of a kid brother. He appears to be about 14 years of age.

Photo courtesy of Mike Dilley, son of Homer Dilley.