USS N-5

USS N-5 (SS-57) was a N-class coastal defense submarine of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down on 10 April 1915 by Lake Torpedo Boat Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The N-boats built by Lake had slightly different specifications from the ones built by Seattle Construction and Drydock and are sometimes considered a separate class.

USS N-5 at the end of World War I.
History
United States
Name	USS N-5
Builder	Lake Torpedo Boat, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Laid down	10 April 1915
Launched	22 March 1917
Commissioned	13 June 1918
Decommissioned	19 April 1922
Fate	Sold for scrap, 25 September 1922
General characteristics
Type	N-class submarine
Displacement	340 long tons (345 t) surfaced 415 long tons (422 t) submerged
Length	155 ft (47 m)
Beam	14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
Draft	12 ft 4 in (3.76 m)
Propulsion	Diesel-electric
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) submerged
Complement	29 officers and men
Armament	4 × 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes

N-5 was launched on 22 March 1917 sponsored by Mrs. George Bevans, and commissioned at New York Navy Yard on 13 June 1918.

Service history

Sailing from New York City on 20 June to New London, Connecticut, for fitting out and thence proceeding to Newport, Rhode Island, to load torpedoes, N-5 began patrols off New England and in Long Island Sound on watch against attacks on coastal shipping by German U-boats. In August and September she deployed under tow by a decoy ship, the sailing vessel USS Charles Whittemore.^[1] On 7 September, after parting tow from her escort in a heavy sea, she was mistaken by an armed transport for a U-boat and was fired upon. All 15 shells fell short and N-5 was able to proceed on to New London. She continued her patrols until 24 October when she put into New York Navy Yard for repairs, and remained there following the Armistice with Germany until sailing to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 21 February 1919.

Overhauled, the submarine departed Philadelphia on 27 March, arriving New London on 10 April. Remaining in ordinary at the Submarine Base until 10 March 1920, the submarine then operated off the East Coast in training until placed in reserve at New London on 7 June. On 1 October, N-5 sailed to Philadelphia Navy Yard for extensive overhaul lasting until 7 April 1921 when she returned to New London, once again being placed in ordinary. There she remained for the next year, while her main engines were removed for transfer to a newer L-class submarine. Then, towed by tug USS Lykens she moved to Philadelphia Navy Yard, arriving on 14 April 1922. N-5 decommissioned on 19 April 1922 and was sold to Joseph G. Hitner of Philadelphia for scrap on 25 September 1922.

References

1. USS Charles Whittemore at HazeGray.org

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• Photo gallery of USS N-5 at NavSource Naval History