USS C-4 (SS-15)

USS C-4 (SS-15) one of five C-class submarines built for the United States Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.

For other ships with the same name, see USS Bonita.

The USS C-4 underway, 1909.
History
United States
Name: USS Bonita
Builder: Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts
Laid down: 17 March 1908
Launched: 17 June 1909
Commissioned: 23 November 1909
Decommissioned: 15 August 1919
Renamed: C-4, 17 November 1911
Fate: Sold for scrap, 13 April 1920
General characteristics
Class and type: C-class submarine
Displacement:
  • 238 long tons (242 t) surfaced
  • 275 long tons (279 t) submerged
Length: 105 ft 4 in (32.11 m)
Beam: 13 ft 11 in (4.24 m)
Draft: 10 ft 11 in (3.33 m)
Installed power:
  • 480 bhp (360 kW) (gasoline)
  • 230 hp (170 kW) (electric)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) surfaced
  • 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 776 nmi (1,437 km; 893 mi) at 8.13 knots (15.06 km/h; 9.36 mph) on the surface
  • 24 nmi (44 km; 28 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Test depth: 200 feet (61.0 m)
Complement: 15 officers and enlisted
Armament: 2 × 18 inch (450 mm) bow torpedo tubes (4 torpedoes)

Description

The C-class submarines were enlarged versions of the preceding B class, the first American submarines with two propeller shafts. They had a length of 105 feet 3 inches (32.1 m) overall, a beam of 13 feet 10 inches (4.2 m) and a mean draft of 10 feet 10 inches (3.3 m). They displaced 240 long tons (240 t) on the surface and 273 long tons (277 t) submerged. The C-class boats had a crew of 1 officer and 14 enlisted men. They had a diving depth of 200 feet (61.0 m).[1]

For surface running, they were powered by two 240-brake-horsepower (179 kW) Craig gasoline engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 115-horsepower (86 kW) electric motor. They could reach 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) on the surface and 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) underwater. On the surface, the boats had a range of 776 nautical miles (1,437 km; 893 mi) at 8.13 knots (15.06 km/h; 9.36 mph) and 24 nmi (44 km; 28 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged.[1]

The boats were armed with two 18 inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They carried two reloads, for a total of four torpedoes.[2]

Construction and career

C-4 was laid down by Fore River Shipbuilding Company in Quincy, Massachusetts, under a subcontract from Electric Boat Company, as Bonita. She was launched on 17 June 1909 sponsored by Mrs. J. C. Townsend, and commissioned on 23 November 1909, Lieutenant F. V. McNair in command. She was renamed C-4 on 17 November 1911. Assigned first to the Atlantic Torpedo Fleet, and later to the Atlantic Submarine Flotilla, Bonita plied east coast waters until May 1913, when she cleared Norfolk, Virginia for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Her tactical exercises and development operations continued here and from Cristobal, Panama Canal Zone, where she reported on 12 December 1913. In August 1917, sailing with two other submarines, she explored the suitability of Panamanian ports as advance submarine bases. Laid up at Coco Solo Canal Zone from 12 November 1918, C-4 was decommissioned there on 15 August 1919, and sold on 13 April 1920.

Notes
  1. Friedman, p. 306
  2. Gardiner & Gray, p. 127
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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 entries can be found here and here.
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