TenderTale

An example of how little regard was given these early boats comes from the book Mare Island:

"The toll of men who fell to their death in dry docks or from moored ships is far greater, and only exceeded by that taken in the waterfront section of Vallejo, where for many years still more pleasure-seeking sailors and workmen had their quests suddenly and violently ended.
There were other and more official ways of reaching the obituary column, and for many years after the turn of the century spectators were convinced that Mare Island had a couple of good ones in the Grampus and the Pike. These were two of the Navy's first fleet of six submarines, built by the Union Iron Works and delivered to the Navy yard in 1904. The strange craft were only sixty feet long, with an eleven-foot beam, and when moored and lying awash along the sea wall, they resembled nothing so much as two overgrown pigs in a puddle.
Mare Island's early submarines were a far cry from the underwater ocean raider described by Jules Verne. The "divers" did most of their cruising in the shallow reaches of San Pablo Bay, and underwater trips were usually only a couple of hours long. A 160-horsepower gasoline engine powered the craft on the surface; a 70-horsepower electric motor drove it when submerged. There were no diving planes to control underwater movements of these early craft; reaching the proper stage of buoyancy for a dive was a tricky operation, and if a crew member should decide to walk forward, the shift in weight might well plunge the sub to the bottom.
The sudden appearance of even such small leviathans of the deep as these, breaking the surface in front of some day-dreaming ferryboat skipper, was enough to make a man give up everything stronger than coffee. At least once, one of the submerged craft ran into a fisherman's nets and towed net, boat, fisherman and all several miles up the channel before surfacing. By that time the frantic fisherman was on his knees in the bottom of the boat, and had probably renounced a good deal more than coffee. Possibly as a result of this, or a similar and judiciously unreported case, the Grampus and the Pike took to flying a red signal flag when they went out on a run. As the shoal water in the San Pablo Bay permitted no deep dives, the red flag still flew in the breeze even when the subs were underwater, and probably frightened the daylights out of even more people than the subs themselves.
The early submariners themselves cast off more than the mooring lines when they left the dock; each trip offered a one-way possibility not overlooked by the Navy Department. Every crew member was required to keep a will safely filed ashore, and to sign written papers releasing the Navy from all responsibility before making either a surface or submerged run."

With many senior Navy Officers already considring them nothing more than a novelty - the a result was - in blunt terms – treatment by many as the illegitimate children of the fleet – with outside support more often than not - being less than generous. The end result was that “deploying” the early submarines was haphazard and usually a logistical nightmare.

An example of what "disdain" the early boats suffered can be appreciated by the fact that once the Grampus and Pike were deemed "obsolete" - their "innards" were removed - and they were put into service as oil tanks.

"The first Deployments - East and West Coast - (1903 - 1909)"
As more boats were acquired by the Navy, deployments becoming more frequent and more distant – and at each new site they needed shore facilities from which to operate. With their status as such – they often wound up in hand-me-down quarters that were woefully inadequate to what was needed. The boats were ill-equipped to transport cargo, spares, supplies, even extra crewmen, so the Navy would assign a ship the duty of transporting the boats “things” to the new port. Most of the time the vessel assigned was chosen merely because it also happened to be going to that port anyway. Sometimes the ship so assigned would take it’s collateral mission good heartedly – sometimes not. When things weren’t to “cooperative”  – submarine duty that was already difficult under the best of conditions - became quite distasteful.

When the “group” would arrive at the new port -   the submarines would just tie up to the “transport ship” - as it had their “stuff” – including extra crew members and support staff.   The submarine crew also found many other benefits of hanging around the big ship– they could get fed, use tools and other resources available; and find a decent place to sleep (as mentioned in part one – the conditions aboard the early boats was nothing short of deplorable). It didn’t take long for such ships to be “adopted” as mother ship – or tender. The notion was so natural and powerful – it was officially adopted very early on. USS Hist received orders as submarine tender to the east coast submarines in 1903.

 While the use of a large ship as “tender” came about perhaps as much by practical happenstance as conscience intent  -- once the association was made – it didn’t take senior Navy officers and civilian planners long to recognize the tremendous flexibility in having such a unique force. Moving a squadron of submarines from port to port was no longer a problem – they and their tender would just sail where ordered, drop anchor – and get to the tasks as ordered.  Deployments were transformed from nightmares – to routine.

Again - from the book "Mare Island":
"...the Fleet grew in numbers and types of vessels. The subs Grampus and Pike were followed by the F-1, F-2, F-3, F-4, and then the H-1, H-2, H-3. By 1909 the subs had their first tender, the old tugboat Fortune. A few years later the tug Alert was converted for the same purpose."

The date recorded in the book "Mare Island" is 1909 - however - USS Fortune actually received her first orders as tender in 1903 (DANS entry on Fortune). The confusion on the date is likely due to the fact Fortune was in and out of commission several times during that period- as was the Navy's practice during those times.  

"Spheres of Influence- Asiatic Station and The Canal Zone - (1905 - 1917)"
The primary benefit of submarine tenders is their mobility: the fact that they can weigh anchor, sail to a new location, drop anchor and be back in the tending business in very short order. While the "invention" of the tender was almost as much by accident rather than by design - it didn't take the US Navy long to recognize that the tenders would allow their limited fleet of submarines to be quickly positioned where needed as world events and politics required.

At the turn of the last century – the far Pacific region contained many nations that were not particularly open – making it difficult to keep track of events and political change that might affect commerce or even safe passage. The United States had a great interest in keeping markets open, and in maintaining a continued presence. Man o’War ships were commonly used to project United States presence into such places – however – being large and heavily armored – their presence wasn’t always welcome.   The new under sea boats were something of a curiosity – and could open doors that would otherwise be closed. And when accompanied by a tender – it became practical to deploy boats to the far reaches of the world. 

 And so it was that the first oversea deployments of submarines were in the Western Pacific – based first in the Philippines (1905) – and on to some of the mainland Asiatic ports including China. Tenders allowed the early submarines to act as the eyes and ears of the United States in places difficult for other ships.

Towards the end of the 19th century - the French had started the Panama Canal project as strictly an investment in trade; and as such - found the costs in terms of both finance and human life to be too high - so they withdrew from the effort. At the turn of the century - the sucessful conduct of the Spanish American war had once and for all driven home to the United States in general - and the Navy in particular - the importance of a shorter sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. So it was that the United States invested more than 350 million dollars; conquered the malaria and yellow fever diseases that had crippled the French effort; and finished the Canal. Since this investment was - at the time - the largest made by the United States - as the Canal neared completion - thoughts turned to protecting both the Canal - and it's approaches - particularly on the Atlantic side. As noted before - many in the Navy felt the submarine to be little better than a coastal partrol asset - so here again was an opportunity to deploy the boats. In Devember 1913 the USS Tallahassee arrived at the not yet open Canal with five "C" class boats to begin providing protection.

"...Finally, the submarines were a disgrace. They were too slow, badly ventilated, and leaked oil constantly. The latter problem was not only a fire hazard, it made detection of the undersea craft quite simple. Because of their low speed, it was only by accident that the scouting submarines were able to position themselves in proper relation to the fleet and then they could not maintain station except at lowest fleet speeds."

By the hieght of the war - the U.S. had 18 tenders - 17 "on station" in the Pacific (May - September, 1945). As the Japanese started retreating back to Japan - Nimitz was able to "chase" them with his submarines - "hopscotching" the tenders from island to island across the Pacific as they went. This very fast mobility allowed a new submarine base to be established in hours rather than days or weeks - ensuring that the submarines were close enough to the enemy to inflict maximum damage - and protect other allied assets.

The Cold War Years (1946 - 1986)-
Permanance - Keeping the peace "over there"
Between and after the World Wars - the United States continued to use it's submarines in forward deployments as before. However - with the War over - the United States also radically reduced both it's submarine and tender fleets - leaving only six tenders in commission (plus PROTEUS out of commssion but in service at New London). After the Korean Conflict, however - with the threats of the Cold War with the Soviet Union - the United States started a development program that would forever change submarines, as well as the balance of power in the world. The Soviets had embarassed the United States in the "Space Race" - worse - they had established a clear superiority in weapons delivery systems with their awesome rockets. The United States had nothing to deter this new threat - so President Eisenhower challenged the United States military branches to do so. The Army had nothing to offer; the Air Forces B36 bomber was a bust. However - Hyman Rickover had been working on a nuclear propulsion system for submarines - which could make them for the first time - truly an under-sea boat. The USS Nautalus was the first U.S. Navy SSN - Submarine - Nuclear powered. Another Navy officer - the new Chief of Naval operations Arleigh Burke - thought that these boats - fast, undetectable, able to stay hid underwater for extremely long periods of time - would make ideal platforms for a weapons system that could counter the Soviet threat. The Polaris Missile Submarine is the product of that vision. A new class of boat was designed - designated SSBN Submarine Balistic Missile Nuclear powered. The early Polaris Missiles had a range of only 1000 miles or so - so the boats had to operate relatively close to their target. As usual - to keep transit time and other logistics to a minimum - a new class of submarine tender was needed. All was set - Congress appropriated funds - boats and tender designs were drawn up and construction began - with the first boats due to be operational by the mid 60's. The Soviets had plans of their own. They launched one of their mighty rockets - and put a "thing" in orbit that went right over everyone's head. You could look up and see it go by - you could hear it beep on your radio. Near panic gripped the country as it sunk in that the "thing" could just as easily be a nuclear bomb - as a benign "beeping" satelite. "The" timetable that had been put in place - was now considered way to slow. Something had to be done. Now. The Navy hit upon the idea of taking some submarines that were well along in construction, cutting them in half - and adding the needed components to make them into SSBNs. That would have the U.S. deterrent in place much sooner. USS Scorpion - SSN 598 was converted to USS GEORGE WASHINGTON SSBN-598. Of course - a tender would be needed that much sooner as well. - so USS PROTEUS was also cut in half, missile tubes and other spaces added to accomodate the new mission. Both were completed in 1960. The first upkeep of an SSBN was by PROTEUS at New London after GEORGE WASHINGTON's successful shakedown and test lauching of missiles at the Cape Canaveral test range. GEORGE WASHINGTON then set out on the first ever nuclear deterrent patrol. PROTEUS proceeded on to establish the U.S.'s first advanced Polaris deployment site - Site One - Holy Lock, Scottland. After two years, and 38 refits - PROTEUS was relieved by USS HUNLEY (AS 31). The conversion of GEORGE WASHINGTON and PROTEUS had put the deterrent in place two years sooner than it would have been otherwise. PROTEUS went on to establish SITE TWO - Rota, Spain, and finally - SITE THREE, Apra Harbor Guam roughly 20 years after PROTEUS had tended submarines there during W.W. II.

USS BUSHNELL was severely damaged by a fire in 1970 and was decommissioned. USS NEREUS (AS 17) was decomissioned in 1971. So during the 1970s there were four FULTON class FRAM/FRAMII fast attack tenders; five SSBN tenders; and two modern L Y SPEAR class tenders.

With the "rush" to get the SSBNs to sea over - the Navy turned their attention to protecting the homeland with their Fast Attack SSNs. As these new boats came on line - they were placed at ports where they could serve the country's best interests. With the range and endurance these new boats were capable of - the Navy did not need the level of sevice "everywhere" as was needed with the older boats. While not completely returning to the "presense" policy - the Navy was having to balance the ability to service boats with reduced budgets - and a world that was changing very fast. In the 1970s New London, Norfolk, Charleston, and Key West down the east coast of the United States - along with the advanced bases at Holy Loch and Rota covered the Atlantic's needs. San Diego (two tenders most of the time) and Guam covered the Pacific - though that proved "insufficient" - so by the 1980s the "Western Pacific deployments" were once again in place. Also as tensions over some bases flared and the ranges of the missiles increased dramatically - the Navy reduced the use of - then finally abandoning some of the SSBN sites - first Rota then Holy Loch, and finally Guam - though Guam has been retained as a Fast Attack base - bringing those support bases to home waters (first Charleston, SC, then Kings Bay, Georgia)

 The Navy soon realized that when it closed it’s FBM support at Guam – and with the Ship Repair Facility closed in a recent BRAC – there was no support for submarines in the Western Pacific – a huge distance from Pearl Harbor. It was decided to both return a tender to Guam- and formally deploy a submarine squadron from there. FRANK CABLE has taken up station at the old Polaris Point Site – the third time that tending has been established there (first time was WWII; second time was by PROTEUS in 1964). CABLE occasionally makes a WESTPAC cruise visiting many of the old Asiatic Station ports as were visited  by tenders nearly 100 years ago.

 In the Mediteranian – USS EMORY S. LAND is deployed at LaMadalenna, Italy – providing support to all kinds of ships – surface and submarine – as she is the only United States tender of any kind in the region.  In fact AS 39 and AS 40 are the ONLY tenders – of any kind – left in commission in the United States Navy.  

The Deployments - Details:

22 pages cover these deployments in more detail and with illustrations, etc. They are: