USS F-3

USS F-3 (SS-22), was a F-class submarine. She was named Pickerel when her keel was laid down by the Moran Brothers Company of Seattle, Washington, making her the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the pickerel, a type of pike. She was renamed F-3 on 17 November 1911, launched on 6 January 1912 sponsored by Mrs. M. F. Backus, and commissioned on 5 August 1912 with Ensign K. Heron in command.

For other ships with the same name, see USS Pickerel.
USS F-3
History
United States
Name: USS F-3
Builder: Moran Brothers, Seattle, Washington
Laid down: 17 August 1909, as USS Pickerel
Launched: 6 January 1912
Commissioned: 5 August 1912
Decommissioned: 15 March 1922
Renamed: USS F-3, 17 November 1911
Fate: Sold, 17 August 1922
General characteristics
Class and type: F-class submarine
Displacement: 330 long tons (340 t)
Length: 142 ft 7 in (43.46 m)
Beam: 15 ft 5 in (4.70 m)
Draft: 12 ft 2 in (3.71 m)
Speed: 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Complement: 22 officers and enlisted
Armament: 4 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes

Service history

F-3 completed her trials in the Puget Sound area before reporting for duty at San Francisco, California on 15 October 1912, when she joined the First Submarine Group, Pacific Torpedo Flotilla. The Flotilla operated along the coast of California, conducting constant exercises and experiments to develop the techniques of submarine warfare, and from August 1914 to November 1915, carried out similar operations in the Hawaiian Islands. F-3 was placed in ordinary at Mare Island on 15 March 1916, returning to full commission on 13 June 1917.

After training her new crew, F-3 was assigned to the Coast Torpedo Force, Pacific Fleet, based at San Pedro, California. She engaged in daily operations, surfaced and submerged, training students of the submarine school. During maneuvers on 17 December 1917, she and F-1 collided, the latter sinking almost immediately. F-3, along with other submarines with whom she was operating, rescued only 3 men out of the 22 on board the F-1. F-3 suffered a cracked bow cap and after repairs at Mare Island was assigned operations in cooperation with a civilian motion picture company in experiments with underwater photography. From 1919-1921, F-3 served at San Pedro, California as training ship, and on 15 March 1922 she was decommissioned. She was sold on 17 August 1922.

Plans for the F-class submarines of the US Navy

References

    This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

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