Adder Class Submarine Torpedo Boat: Laid down as Adder, 3 October 1900, at Crescent Shipyards, Elizabethport, NJ ; Launched, 22 July 1901; Commissioned USS Adder, 12 January 1903, at the Holland Co., New Suffolk, Long Island, NY; Decommissioned, 26 July 1909, for transport to the Philippines; Recommissioned, 10 February 1910; Renamed USS A-2 (Submarine Torpedo Boat No.3), 17 November 1911; Decommissioned, 12 December 1919; Designed (SS-3), 17 July 1920; Final Disposition, designated for use as a target, 24 September 1920; Struck from the Naval Register, 16 January 1922. Specifications: Displacement; Surfaced, 107 t., Submerged, 123 t.; Length 63' 10"; Beam 11' 11"; Draft 10' 7"; Speed, Surfaced, 8 kts, Submerged, 7 kts; Depth Limit 150'; Complement, 1 Officer, 6 Enlisted; Armament, one 18" torpedo tube, 5 torpedoes; Propulsion, Otto Gas Engine Works gasoline engine, HP 160; Fuel Capacity 767 gal.; Electro Dynamic electric motors, HP 150; Battery Cells 60; single screw.
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1.44k | WONDERFUL SUBMARINE BOAT It is said that the engineers of the Adder (SS-3) are able to bring it into position, fire a torpedo, and sink the boat in ten seconds. Five minutes has been considered good time for this evolution, and the performance of the Adder makes it the superior of any submarine boat in the world. The official trial of the Adder is to take place within the next two weeks. |
Image and text provided by Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, KS Photo from Western Kansas World. (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 08 March 1902, Image 8, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. | |
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NR | SUBMARINE BOAT ADDER (SS-3) ON SURFACE GOING ABOUT EIGHT KNOTS AN HOUR. | Image and text provided by The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundation. Photo from The Evening World. (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 13 November 1902, Night Edition, Image 13 via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. |
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107k | Moccasin (SS-5) Electric Boat Company/Holland Torpedo Boat Company facility, New Suffolk, Long Island, New York. Submarines in the facility basin, circa 1903. Boats in the front group are (from left to right): Plunger (SS-2); Porpoise (SS-7); and Adder (SS-3). In the background, by the breakwater are (left-right): Shark (SS-8) and Moccasin (SS-5). Photographed by Legendre & Levick, New York. |
USNHC photograph # NH 45937. | |
 | 306k | The Adder class was in effect, an enlarged production version of Holland with a much more powerful gasoline engine. With the dynamite gun omitted, the decking at the ends was no longer necessary and the superstructure was drastically reduced. The hull was enlarged so that men could move about erect on the internal deck, with plenty of headroom. In 1900, when advocating this design, Electric Boat argued that she would be handier and livelier than Holland, despite her greater size, because weights would be concentrated better near her center of gravity. For example, whereas Holland's ballast tanks were spread along her length, in this design the main ballast tank was no longer than the storage battery. It was designed to avoid the air pockets (with their free-surface effect) that could form in the earlier boat's ballast tanks. The air compressor had much increased capacity. The company argued that the most important single improvement was provision of a compensating tank that made it easy to operate in fresh or salt water. (Holland had failed a 20 April 1898 trial because she was trimmed wrong for New York Harbor, with its mixture of fresh and salt water). The scrap drawing shows the periscope and conning tower modification applied to Plunger . In the inboard profile, note the rods high in the hull that connect the steering gear to the control surfaces aft. | Photo & text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press. | |
 | 68k | Underway on the surface, while running trials, probably in Long Island Sound, circa 1903. Note the yacht in the distance. | USNHC photograph # NH 57724. | |
 | 95k | Underway on the surface, while running trials, probably in Long Island Sound, circa 1903. Note the slicker-clad man at the wheel of her exterior conning station. | USNHC photograph # NH 57719. | |
 | 96k | With other submarines, at the Electric Boat Company/Holland Torpedo Boat Company facility, New Suffolk, Long Island, New York, circa 1903. | USNHC photograph # NH 57728. | |
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1.42k | BOSUN DEERY WHOSE GALLANT SWIM SAVED THE SUBMARINE BOAT ADDER (SS-3) IN A FURIOUS GALE The first real lively experience we have had with our new submarine boats was the almost complete wrecking of two of the finest in the navy during a recent storm off Norfolk Va. In the work of rescue the Peoria, Yankton, and Vixen lent conspicuous service. The present experience may lead to a new estimate of the value of submarines. |
Image and text provided by The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundation & University of Utah, Marriott Library.
Photo from The Evening World. (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 05 December 1903, Night Edition, Image 2 & Deseret Evening News. (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 02 January 1904, Last Edition, Part Two, Image 22, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. |
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 | 514k | Tank layout of the Adder class submarine by Bureau of Construction and Repair, Navy Department August 1904. | USN photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker. | |
 | 1.10k | The Adder (SS-3) appears in the foreground at Norfolk Navy Yard, torpedo station, Portsmouth, Virginia 1905. | Photo i.d. courtesy of Bill Gonyo. Photo # 4a17603v courtesy of LOC via Stephen Gower. | |
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1.29k | Workmen prepare the Moccasin (SS-5) & Adder (SS-3) during an overhaul, possibly in readiness for voyage to the Phillippines. From R to L: Moccasin (SS-5) & Adder (SS-3) during an overhaul at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. | National Archives Identifier: 52555775 Local Identifier: 181-V-0331 Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov |
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892k | From R to L: Moccasin (SS-5) & Adder (SS-3) during an overhaul at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. | National Archives Identifier: 52555777 Local Identifier: 181-V-0332 Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov |
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 | 96k | Perhaps the most important harbors submarines had to defend were those in the Philippines, which had to be held until the fleet could steam across the Pacific. Early U.S. subs could not transit all the way there, so they were transported aboard colliers. Here Adder (SS-3) is unloaded from the collier Caesar in 1908. | Photo & text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press. | |
 | 81k | Caesar (1898-1922) at anchor in 1908-1909, while transporting submarines to the Philippine Islands. The "boats" are either Submarines Shark (SS-8), and Porpoise (SS-7) which were embarked on Caesar in April-July 1908, or Adder (SS-3) and Moccasin (SS-5), which were on board in July-October 1909. | USNHC photograph # NH 78275 | |
 | 259k | Mohican sailors working on a boat - possibly the Adder (SS-3). The man on the right is Victor L. Anderson, the other sailor is unidentified, circa 1910-15. | Photo from the Collection of Victor L. Anderson USN from tendertale.com via Robert Hurst. | |
 | 110k | At the Cavite Navy Yard, Philippine Islands, circa 1910-1911. Porpoise (SS-7) is in the left background. Note the man inside Adder's (SS-3) cowl ventilator. | USNHC photograph # NH 90169. | |
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528k | SUBMARINE THAT TOOK PART IN GREAT RECORD SWIM | Photo i.d. courtesy of David Johnston Image and text provided by University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu, HI. Photo from Evening Bulletin. (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii) 1895-1912, 22 July 1911, 3:30 EDITION, Image 17, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. | |
 | 65k | In Philippine waters with her crew on deck, prior to World War I. Note the 13-star "boat" flag flown by this submarine. | USNHC photograph # NH 84663. | |
 | 311k | A-2 (SS-3) moving by Mohican, post 1911. | Photo from the Collection of Victor L. Anderson USN from tendertale.com via Robert Hurst. | |
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83k | Moccasin (A-4) (SS-5) & A-6 (SS-7) underway in Manila Bay, Philippine Islands, circa 1912. A-4 (SS-5) and a Bainbridge class destroyer are in the background. | USNHC photograph # NH 90187. | |
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122k | Dewey Drydock, Olongapo Naval Station, Philippines.
Submarines A-6 (SS-7), A-4 (SS-5) and A-2 (SS-3) in the Dewey Drydock, circa 1912.
The boats show standard features: a single tall periscope abaft the conning tower; a conning tower fairing; and a bridge structure atop the conning tower, with the surface wheel atop it. This photo was taken before the boats had been fitted with forward periscopes. The bow of their tender, Mohican, is at left, with an anchor suspended from her starboard cathead. |
Photo courtesy of USNHC photograph # NH 90185. Partial text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press. | |
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253k | Loading an 18" torpedo, while at the Cavite Navy Yard, Philippines, circa 1912. Note this early submarine's rectangular hatch. | Text courtesy of USNHC photograph # NH 90188. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. |
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 | 176k | In the Philippines about 1915, Adder (SS-3) shows her false bow and her two periscopes protruding from her enlarged conning tower fairing. The object abaft the second periscope is an underwater bell for signaling; the noisy geared drives in these boats often rendered such devices useless. | Text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org. | |
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514k | Submarine base at Cavite. Manila, Philippine Islands. # 31 appears on the conning tower of the pierside sub as crewmen move a torpedo alongside. |
Photographer: Committee on Public Information National Archives Identifier: 45511421 Local Identifier: 165-WW-328E-4 Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov |
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455k | Submarine base at Cavite. Manila, Philippine Islands. It looks as if all 4 boats appear in this circa 1917 photo. |
Photographer: Committee on Public Information National Archives Identifier: 45511423 Local Identifier: 165-WW-328E-5 Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov |
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 | 64k | Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood was assigned command of the submarine Adder (SS-3) in 1914. He command the ex-German submarine UC-97 from March 1919 to August 1919, and the submarine V-3 (SS-163) from May 1926 to December 1928. The ex UC-97 was used to evaluate the capabilities of German submarine equipment. | USN photo courtesy of Bill Gonyo. | |
 | 31k | Commemorative post mark on the occasion of the 100th year of Adder's (SS-3) commissioning, 12 January 1903 - 12 January 2003. | Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory). | |
View the Adder / A-2 (SS-3)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Not Applicable to this Vessel
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
PigBoats.COM TM, a Historic Look at Submarines
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