- USS R-1 (SS-78)
USS "R-1" (SS-78) was lead ship of the "R"-class coastal and harbor defense submarines of the
United States Navy . Her keel was laid down on16 October 1917 by theFore River Shipbuilding Company inQuincy, Massachusetts . She was launched on24 August 1918 sponsored by Mrs. George W. Dashiell, and commissioned on16 December 1918 atBoston, Massachusetts , with Commander Conant Taylor in command.After shakedown in
New England waters, "R-1" was assigned to Submarine Division 9 of the Atlantic Fleet and based atNew London, Connecticut . She got underway4 December 1919 forNorfolk, Virginia , and winter exercises with her division in theGulf of Mexico , and returned to New London18 May 1920 for four months of summer operations with
"R-2" (SS-79) and
"R-3" (SS-80)before sailing on13 September for Norfolk and overhaul.Given
hull classification symbol SS-78 in July1920 , "R-1" was ordered to thePacific Ocean on11 April 1921 , transited thePanama Canal in late May, and arrived on30 June at her new base,San Pedro, California . She took part in fleet exercises offCentral America from5 February through6 April 1923 , returned to San Pedro on10 April , and on16 July was transferred, along with Division 9, toPearl Harbor where for the next eight years she trained crews and developed submarine tactics.Departing San Diego
5 January 1931 "R-1" sailed forPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania , "via" the Panama Canal, arrived9 February and wasdecommission ed there1 May . She was recommissioned in ordinary23 September 1940 atGroton, Connecticut , overhauled and commissioned in full16 October . "R-1" got underway with Submarine Squadron 3, Division 42 on10 December for thePanama Canal Zone . Stationed atCoco Solo for a year, she was reassigned to Division 31 in June1941 , ordered to New London in October for a refit, and transferred to Squadron 7.At New London on
7 December 1941 , "R-1" remained in the southernNew England area for the first days of American participation inWorld War II . On 9 and10 December she patrolled the sealanes leading to New England and on11 December arrived atBermuda , whence, with other SubRon 7 boats, she joined the hunt forU-boat s preying on maritime traffic along theNorth America n coast. Although limited in cruising range, the R-boats operating out ofOrdnance Island, Bermuda continued their patrols through the "Kriegsmarine " submarine offensive of early1942 .In February, the submarines established a patrol line between
Bermuda andNantucket Island . On that patrol line, some 300 miles northeast of Bermuda, "R-1" (under command of LieutenantJames D. Grant ) sighted, attacked, and fired on a surfaced U-boat ( [http://uboat.net/boats/u582.htm U-582] ) [Postwar, it was learned Grant, who earned aNavy Cross for this action, had not sunk the U-boat. [http://uboat.net/forum/read.php?f=3&i=45011&t=45010] ] on16 April .Fact|date=November 2007 "R-1" continued patrols out of Bermuda until returning to New London20 July for upkeep and coastal patrols. At the end of September, she resumed operations out of Bermuda. Through November1944 she rotated between Bermuda and New London and, at the latter, in December underwent an extensive conversion to enable her to participate in the development of ASW equipment and tactics. Emerging from the yard26 February 1945 , she steamed toNew York City on28 February ; then headed south toFlorida for three weeks of operations offPort Everglades, Florida . In April, she returned to New London, then on toCasco Bay, Maine , for further ASW tests. Returning to the Thames River base29 June , she headed south again7 July and at midmonth reported for duty with theFleet Sonar School atKey West, Florida , where she served for the remainder of her career."R-1" decommissioned at Key West on
20 September 1945 and was struck from theNaval Vessel Register on10 November . Still at Key West awaiting disposal on21 February 1946 , the overage submarine sank in 21 feet of water. Raised three days later, she was sold for scrap13 March 1946 to Macey O. Smith ofMiami, Florida .References
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