AA-1 under construction at Fore River Shipbuilding in Quincy, MA. The photo is dated April 16, 1918. The sub is surrounded by scaffolding so little of the hull is seen but the four under deck mounted trainable torpedo tubes can be seen in front and behind the bridge fairwater. The tubes could be rotated to starboard or port and stopped at any angle. Torpedoes of the time where straight running and incapable of changing course once fired. The trainable tubes allowed the boat to fire at a target without having to actually point the whole boat at the correct lead angle. The theory was that this gave the sub's CO much more flexibility in how he approached the target. In reality the tubes did not work the way they were designed and were very inaccurate.
At the bow the covers have not been installed over the bow planes rigging and rotating gears. The purpose of the large wheel-like object on the forward deck is unknown, but it possibly part of the bow planes rigging system.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman
AA-1 in the water of the Weymouth Fore River, shortly after sliding down the ways, July 25, 1918. Much work remains to be done on the boat, notably on the conning tower fairwater, bridge, and periscope shears. The two tugs (one on each side) will maneuver her over to the fitting out pier for completion.
Photo provided by MMCM(SS) Rick Larson, USN (Ret.)
AA-1 alongside the Fore River fitting out pier, August 19, 1918. The port side doors for the trainable torpedo tubes are open. Fore River was a very busy place during this period. Not only did they have O, R, and S-class submarines under construction, but they also had a huge contract for destroyers and merchant ships.
Photo provided by MMCM(SS) Rick Larson, USN (Ret.)
A close up of the photo above, showing details of the open doors for the trainable torpedo tubes. In practice, it was found that the aiming systems of the day could not precisely point these tubes to the needed deflection angle. When combined with the fact that the weapons loaded in these tubes could not be serviced while at sea, these tubes ended up being very inaccurate. They were removed a few months after her commissioning and the boat relied solely on its four bow 21-inch tubes.
Photo provided by MMCM(SS) Rick Larson, USN (Ret.)
AA-1 portrait taken circa early 1919. Location is unknown for sure, but it is likely somewhere near the Fore River yard. Her two trainable torpedo tubes located in the superstructure forward and aft of the conning tower fairwater are visible as darker rectangles on the superstructure. These were later removed. The space forward was taken up with the mounting of sponsons to enlarge the deck area for the placement of a 4"/50 caliber deck gun. The bridge fairwater has yet to be installed, indicating that this is an early trials photo.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman
Photo of AA-1 running trials, September 8, 1919 off Provincetown, MA. You can see that during her speed trials she had the pre-war pipe and canvas bridge shelter system rigged for this surface run. Lessons learned from the WW1 war patrols of the L-class boats showed this to be completely inadequate for the North Atlantic weather. It would be later replaced with a permanent metal "chariot" style bridge, modeled after contemporary British and German designs.
U.S. Navy photo
A photo of the AA-1 in Charleston Harbor in April of 1920. She is moored alongside the minesweeper USS Sanderling (AM-37) who had returned from mine sweeping operations with other ships in British and American waters, removing in total 70,000 mines.
The AA-1 appears to have mattresses and bedding being aired in the lifelines. The photo looks to have been taken from a barge moored to the dock. The photo taker was Seaman George Peterson, a cook striker, from the USS O-15 (SS-76).
Photo from the private collection of George Peterson, used with permission.
AA-1 in drydock at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA., summer of 1920. She still has her trainable torpedo tubes in the superstructure, the aft set is rotated out to port. In addition, she has had a permanent metal "chariot" style bridge fairwater installed. This photo also gives a good view of the bow torpedo tubes. Just below them on the keel is the circular housing for the mushroom anchor. She also had a standard Navy stockless anchor in a housing on the starboard side of the bow.
Photo provided by MMCM(SS) Rick Larson, USN (Ret.)
The now renamed T-1 moored alongside the submarine tender USS Fulton (AS-1), location most likely the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA., May, 1922. By this time the two sets of superstructure mounted trainable torpedo tubes have been removed and the spaces plated over. A 4"/50 caliber Mk 9 gun has been added on an expanded sponson just forward of the conning tower fairwater. This photo has been altered for contrast by the PigBoats staff in order to bring out details.
Photo provided by MMCM(SS) Rick Larson, USN (Ret.)
A close up of the photo above, showing details of the deck gun and sponson. The holes drilled in the side of the superstructure and sponson are limber holes, designed to allow water to flood into the non-watertight superstructure when diving, and drain when surfacing.
Photo provided by MMCM(SS) Rick Larson, USN (Ret.)
A photo of T-1's conning tower fairwater, summer of 1922. The location is not known for sure, but is likely Norfolk Navy Yard, VA. A deflector has been installed on the forward edge of the fairwater. This is used to deflect ocean spray and green water away from the bridge watchstanders. A V-shaped bracket has been installed on the top of the periscope shears, used to support radio antenna wires. The conning tower itself is visible just behind the "T", with three of the six deadlight windows visible.
