USS F-1

For other ships with the same name, see USS Carp.

USS Carp/F-1 (SS-20), also known as "Submarine No. 20", was an F-class submarine. She was the first ship of the United States Navy named for the carp, though she was renamed F-1 prior to commissioning. Commissioned in 1912, she operated in the Pacific Ocean until she sank after a collision in 1917, the only US submarine lost during the US participation in World War I.

Bow view of USS F-1, ex-Carp, in a harbor on the United States West Coast.
History
United States
Name	Carp
Namesake	The carp
Builder	Electric Boat (design) Union Iron Works, San Francisco, California
Laid down	23 August 1909
Launched	6 September 1911
Sponsored by	Miss Josephine Tynan
Commissioned	19 June 1912
Decommissioned	15 March 1916
Recommissioned	13 June 1917
Renamed	F-1 (Submarine No.20), 17 November 1911
Identification	Hull symbol: SS-20 (17 July 1920), number later given to G-1
Fate	Sunk by collision, 17 December 1917
General characteristics [1]
Class & type	F-class submarine
Displacement	330 long tons (335 t) surfaced 400 long tons (406 t) submerged
Length	142 ft 6 in (43.43 m)
Beam	15 ft 5 in (4.70 m)
Draft	12 ft 2 in (3.71 m)
Installed power	780 hp (582 kW) diesel 620 hp (462 kW) electric
Propulsion	2 × NELSECO diesel engines 2 × Electro Dynamic electric motors 2 × 60-cell batteries 2 × Propellers
Speed	13.5 kn (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph) surfaced 11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) submerged
Range	2,300 nmi (4,300 km; 2,600 mi) at 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph) surfaced 100 nmi (190 km; 120 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth	200 ft (61 m)
Capacity	11,500 US gal (44,000 L; 9,600 imp gal) fuel
Complement	1 officers 21 enlisted
Armament	4 × 18 inch (450 mm) bow torpedo tubes (4 torpedoes)

Design

The F-class boats had an overall length of 142 ft 7 in (43.5 m), a beam of 15 ft 5 in (4.7 m), and a mean draft of 12 ft 2 in (3.7 m). They displaced 330 long tons (340 t) on the surface and 400 long tons (410 t) submerged with a diving depth of 200 ft (61.0 m). The F-class submarines had a crew of 1 officer and 21 enlisted men.^[2]

Plans for the F-class submarines of the US Navy

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 390-brake-horsepower (291 kW) NELSECO diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 310-horsepower (231 kW) electric motor. They could reach 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph) on the surface and 11.25 kn (20.84 km/h; 12.95 mph) underwater. On the surface, the boats had a range of 2,500 nmi (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph)^[2] and 100 nmi (190 km; 120 mi) at 5 kn (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged.^[3]

The F-class submarines were armed with four 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes in the bow, no reloads were carried.^[3]

Construction

Carp's keel was laid down by Union Iron Works, of San Francisco, California, a subcontractor of the Electric Boat Company, on 23 August 1909. She was launched on 6 September 1911, and sponsored by Miss Josephine Tynan. She was renamed F-1 on 17 November 1911, and commissioned on 19 June 1912.^[4]

Service history

Assigned to the First Submarine Group, Pacific Torpedo Flotilla, F-1 operated in the San Francisco, area on trials and tests through 11 January 1913, when she joined the flotilla for training at sea between San Diego, California, and San Pedro Submarine Base, San Pedro, then in San Diego Harbor.^[4]

F-1 grounded in late 1912 after slipping her mooring

In late 1912, the boat, which then held the world's deep diving record, descending to 283 ft (86 m), slipped her mooring at Port Watsonville, in Monterey Bay, and grounded on a nearby beach. While most of the crew of 17 safely evacuated, two men died in the incident.^[5]

From 21 July 1914 to 14 November 1915, the Flotilla, towed to their destination by armored cruisers, was based at Honolulu, for development operations in the Hawaiian Islands.^[4]

F-1 lay in ordinary from 15 March 1916 to 13 June 1917. When she returned to full commission, she served with the Patrol Force, Pacific, making surface and submerged runs to continue her part in the development of submarine tactics. Her base during this time was San Pedro.^[4] On 17 December 1917, while maneuvering in exercises off Point Loma,^[6] F-1 and F-3 collided, the former sinking in ten seconds, her port side torn forward of the engine room. Nineteen of her men were lost; the remaining three were rescued by F-3.^[4][7]

F-1 sank to the seafloor over 1,300 ft (400 m) below, where it was rediscovered in 2025, by researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, lying "remarkably intact" on its starboard side.^[7]