USS F-3

Template:Template otherTemplate:Infobox ship/subboxTemplate:Infobox ship/subboxTemplate:Infobox ship/subboxTemplate:Infobox ship/subbox

USS Pickerel/F-3 (SS-22), also known as "Submarine No. 22", was an F-class submarine in the United States Navy (USN). She was the first ship of the USN to be named for the pickerel, a young pike, though she was renamed F-3 prior to launching.

Design

The F-class boats had an overall length of Template:Cvt, a beam of Template:Cvt, and a mean draft of Template:Cvt. They displaced Template:Cvt on the surface and Template:Cvt submerged with a diving depth of Template:Cvt. The F-class submarines had a crew of 1 officer and 21 enlisted men.Template:Sfn

For surface running, the boats were powered by two NELSECO diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a electric motor. They could reach Template:Cvt on the surface and Template:Cvt underwater. On the surface, the boats had a range of Template:Cvt at Template:CvtTemplate:Sfn and Template:Cvt at Template:Cvt submerged.Template:Sfn

The F-class submarines were armed with four 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes in the bow, no reloads were carried.Template:Sfn

Construction

PickerelTemplate:'s keel was laid down by The Moran Company, of Seattle, Washington, on 17 August 1909. She was renamed F-3 on 17 November 1911, and launched on 6 January 1912, sponsored by Mrs. M. F. Backus. F-3 was commissioned on 5 August 1912.Template:Sfn

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, the boats towed to their new operating area by armored cruisers. F-3 was placed in ordinary at Mare Island Navy Yard, in Vallejo, California, on 15 March 1916, returning to full commission on 13 June 1917.Template:Sfn

After training her new crew, F-3 was assigned to the Coast Torpedo Force, Pacific Fleet, based at San Pedro, California's San Pedro Submarine Base. She engaged in daily operations, surfaced and submerged, training students of the submarine school. During maneuvers on 17 December 1917, she and collided, the latter sinking almost immediately. F-3, along with other submarines with whom she was operating, rescued only three men out of the 22 on board F-1. F-3 suffered a cracked bow cap and after repairs at Mare Island Navy Yard, was assigned operations in cooperation with a civilian motion picture company in experiments with underwater photography.Template:Sfn

Fate

From 1919 to 1921, F-3 served at San Pedro, as a training ship, and on 15 March 1922, she was decommissioned. She was sold on 17 August 1922.Template:Sfn

Bibliography

1. REDIRECT Template:Source-attribution