USS M-1 (SS-47)

USS "M-1" (SS-47) was a unique submarine of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down on 2 July 1914 by Fore River Shipbuilding Company in Quincy, Massachusetts, for Electric Boat Company of New York City. She was launched on 14 September 1915 sponsored by Miss Sara Dean Roberts, and commissioned on 16 February 1918 with Lieutenant Commander M. R. Pierce in command.

"M-1" was designed as a test bed for the newest technology in submarine construction and design. As well as being the world's first double-hulled design ["M.1", in Bernard Fitzsimons, ed., "The Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century Weapons and Warfare" (London: Phoebus Publishing Co./BBC Publishing Ltd., 1978), Volume 17, p.1805.] (in contrast to Simon Lake's single-hulled concept), her battery was of a new design and was to have solved some of the past flaws. While no other "M"-class submarines were built, the lessons learned were incorporated into the following "AA/T"-class.

Following commissioning, "M-1" was assigned to Submarine Division 2, and was home ported at Newport, Rhode Island. For the next three years, she operated off the East Coast, training submariners. During her last year of active service, she was under the operational control of SubDiv 5 and SubDiv 3.

After six years of testing and training service, "M-1" was decommissioned at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 15 March 1922, stricken from the Naval Vessel Register the following day, and was sold for scrap 25 September 1922 to J. G. Hitner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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