USS L-4

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L-4 underway off Berehaven, Ireland
History
United States
NameUSS L-4
Builder
Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Quincy, Massachusetts
Laid down23 March 1914
Launched3 April 1915
Commissioned4 May 1916
Decommissioned14 April 1922
FateSold for scrapping, 31 July 1922
General characteristics
Class and typeL-class submarine
Displacement
  • 450 long tons (457 t) surfaced
  • 548 long tons (557 t) submerged
Length168 ft 6 in (51.36 m)
Beam17 ft 5 in (5.31 m)
Draft13 ft 7 in (4.14 m)
Installed power
  • 900 bhp (670 kW) (diesel)
  • 340 hp (250 kW) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) surfaced
  • 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) submerged
Range
  • 3,300 nmi (6,100 km; 3,800 mi) at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) on the surface
  • 150 nmi (280 km; 170 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth200 feet (61.0 m)
Complement28 officers and enlisted men
Armament

USS L-4 (SS-43) was an L-class submarine of the United States Navy.

Description

The L-class boats designed by

draft of 13 feet 7 inches (4.1 m). They displaced 450 long tons (460 t) on the surface and 548 long tons (557 t) submerged. The L-class submarines had a crew of 28 officers and enlisted men. They had a diving depth of 200 feet (61.0 m).[1]

For surface running, the Electric Boat submarines were powered by two 450-

propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 170-horsepower (127 kW) electric motor. They could reach 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) on the surface and 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) underwater. On the surface, the boats had a range of 5,150 nautical miles (9,540 km; 5,930 mi) at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)[1] and 150 nmi (280 km; 170 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged.[2]

The boats were armed with four

3"/50 caliber gun on a disappearing mount was added during the war.[2]

Construction and career

L-4's

Lewis Hancock, Jr.
, in command.

Service history

Assigned to the Atlantic Submarine Flotilla, L-4 operated along the Atlantic coast, assisting in the development of new techniques in undersea warfare until April 1917.

Following the declaration of war on the

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, overhaul, L-4 departed Newport, Rhode Island, on 4 December and steamed for the Azores. She departed Ponta Delgada on 19 January 1918, arriving for patrol operations at Berehaven, Ireland, on 27 January. While on patrol during April, L-4 twice encountered enemy U-boats in British waters and chased them from the paths of friendly convoys
.

Based at Berehaven for the rest of the war, U.S. submarines protected Allied shipping from U-boat attacks. Following the

Armistice with Germany, L-4 departed the Isle of Portland, England
, on 3 January 1919 for the United States, arriving Philadelphia on 1 February.

For the next two years, the submarine operated along the East Coast performing experiments developing the tactics of undersea warfare. L-4 decommissioned at Philadelphia on 14 April 1922 and was sold to Pottstown Steel Company in Douglassville, Pennsylvania, on 31 July 1922 for scrapping.

Notes

  1. ^ a b Friedman, p. 307
  2. ^ a b Gardiner & Gray, p. 129

References

  • Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
    ISBN 1-55750-263-3
    .
  • Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
    ISBN 0-85177-245-5
    .
  • This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

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