NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Grampus / A-3 (SS-4)
Contributed by Don McGrogan, BMCS, USN (ret.)
Adder Class Submarine Torpedo Boat: Laid down as Grampus, 10 December 1900, at Union Iron Works, San Francisco, CA.; Launched, 31 July 1902; Commissioned USS Grampus, 28 May 1903, at the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.; Decommissioned, 28 November 1906; Laid up at Mare Island; Recommissioned, 13 June 1908; Renamed USS A-3 (Submarine Torpedo Boat No.4), 17 November 1911; Decommissioned, 28 June 1912, at Puget Sound Navy Yard; Recommissioned, 17 April 1915, at Olongapo, PI; Decommissioned, 25 July 1921, at Cavite Navy Yard, PI; Designated (SS-4), 17 July 1920; Struck from the Naval Register, 16 January 1922; Final Disposition, dismantled and designated as a target. 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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NR | A blaze of red flares, the Holland submarine torpedo boat Grampus (SS-4) slid down the ways at the Union Iron Works at 8:10 o'clock last evening. | Image and text provided by University of California, Riverside. Photo from The San Francisco Call. (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 01 August 1902, Image 10 via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. | |
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NR | NEW HOLLAND SUBMARINE BOAT, BUILT AT UNION IRON WORKS, WHICH MADE NINE KNOTS YESTERDAY ON HER PRELIMINARY SURFACE TRIAL TRIP. The Grampus (SS-4) tore her way through the water yesterday, at a nine-knot clip. Eight knots is all the contract calls for on the surface. |
Image and text provided by University of California, Riverside. Photo from The San Francisco Call. (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 04 November 1902, Image 14, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. |
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NR | SUBMARINE BOAT GRAMPUS (SS-4) SUCCESSFULLY SUBMERGED. Remains Below the Water Twenty Minutes Without an Accident. Crew Suffers No Inconvenience and Is Greatly Pleased With Experiment. War Craft Makes Four Mile Surface Run on Bay. NEW HOLLAND SUBMARINE TORPEDO BOAT BUILT FOR THE UNITED STATES NAVY AS SHE APPEARED WHILE BEING SUBJECTED TO A SERIES OP TESTS AT THE UNION IRON WORKS YESTERDAY AND A WEAPON OF OFFENSE. THE first public submerging and trial trip of the submarine torpedo-boat Grampus was held yesterday afternoon at the Union Iron Works. A large number of spectators was present to witness the experiment. |
Image and text provided by University of California, Riverside. Photo from The San Francisco Call. (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 10 March 1903, Image 4, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. |
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 | 126k | In 1902, Lieutenant Arthur MacArthur III took command of the Grampus (SS-4), a newly commissioned submarine and the first to be built on the Pacific Coast. He was soon given command of a division of submarines and according to his brother General Douglas MacArthur, "was one of the original developers of the underwater tactics and strategy". | Photo from the MacArthur Museum and Library in Norfolk, Virginia, courtesy of Bill Gonyo. | |
 | 80k | Grampus (SS-4) running full speed on the surface", photographed near San Francisco, California, during her trials, November 1902. On the back is this notation: "These boats are at present one of the most dangerous of naval ships in war on account of being able to come up under another ship, shoot a torpedo and be gone again before anyone realizes what has happened. When running on the surface they are driven at the rate of about ten knots per hour by gasoline engines. When submerged they can travel about 8 knots per hour by motors driven by storage batteries." | Photo courtesy of Ric Hedman & fixed by Jim Kelling. | |
 | 64k | Grampus (SS-4) photographed near San Francisco, California, during her trials, November 1902. | USNHC photograph # NH 53764. | |
 | 70k | Grampus (SS-4) running trials, near San Francisco, California, 3 November 1902. | Courtesy of the San Francisco Maritime Museum, 1971. The original print is in the Union Iron Works scrapbook, Volume II, page 167.USNHC photograph # NH 75175. | |
 | 102k | Grampus (SS-4) & Pike (SS-6) in the hydraulic lift drydock at the Union Iron Works, San Francisco, California, circa 1903. | USNHC photograph # NH 53765. | |
 | 28k | Grampus (SS-4) and Pike (SS-6) photo taken April, 1903 with the Pike in the background. Shown on deck are (in no special order) Frank Cable, William F.C. Nindemann, Harry H. Morrell, Henry S. Lathrop, Herman W.Noblett, Lawrence Spear, and Gunner Owen Hill, US Navy. | Photo courtesy of Ric Hedman TN(SS). | |
 | 1.50k | Grampus (SS-4), during her commissioning at Mare Island on 28 May 1903. Pike (SS-6) is inboard of the Grampus. | USN photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker. | |
 | 682k | From left to right Fortune (YT-11), Grampus (SS-4), Pike (SS-6), and Receiving Ship Independence at Mare Island on 23 April 1904. | USN photo # MINSY 329-4-1904, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker. | |
 | 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. | |
 | 164k | Grampus (SS-4) at right Pike (SS-6) at left in drydock at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 23 September 1903. The Army Transport Lawton, freshly painted, is in the center. | USNHC photograph # NH 65648. | |
 | 590k | Grampus (SS-4) at right Pike (SS-6) at left in drydock at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California. Photograph is dated 19 October 1903. The Army Transport Lawton is being painted in the right background. | Text courtesy of USNHC photograph # NH 70600. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. |
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 0800413 | 2.67k | Grampus (SS-4) off the Mare Island Lighthouse heading south for the San Pablo Bay circa 1903-06. | Photo courtesy of Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum via Darryl L. Baker. | |
 | 82k | An early U.S. Navy submarine, probably Grampus (SS-4) or Pike (SS-6) underway off the yard, circa early 1905. Gunboats Petrel and Princeton are in the center background. At left are the decommissioned gunboats Annapolis and Vicksburg. |
USNHC photograph # NH 100915.Courtesy of Ted Stone, 1986. | |
 | 202k | A postcard by the Pacific Novelty Co., San Francisco. The photo is of from left to right Pike (SS-6), Fortune (YT-14) and Grampus (SS-4) in Dry Dock #1 at Mare Island. These vessels were in dock together from 13 to 20 August 1906 and based of the condition of their hull painting I would say the picture was taken either on the 19th or 20th of August. The stack and mast of the Wyoming (M-10) is in the background in the left hand corner. | Photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker. | |
 | 563k | Stern view of Pike (SS-6) in the background to the left and the Grampus (SS-4) are seen after being removed from the water via marine railway on 4 January 1907.Grampus was re-launched on 30 April 1908 and Pike followed on 2 May 1908. | USN photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker. | |
 | 750k | 1939 Re-print on a 1908 photo. Broadside view on Grampus (SS-4) off Mare Island circa 1908. | USN photo # 942-6-39, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker. | |
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NR | SHIPS SAN FRANCISCO HAS ADDED TO THE NAVY. Gunboats: Wheeling (PG-14) & Marietta (PG-15), Cruisers: Charleston (C-2) & San Francisco (C-5), Armored Cruisers: South Dakota (ACR-9), Milwaukee (C-21), California (ACR-6), Battleships: Oregon (BB-3), Wisconsin (BB-9) & Ohio (BB-12), Destoyers: Preble (DD-12), Perry (DD-11) & Paul Jones (DD-10) Torpedo Boat: Farragut (TB-11), Monitors: Wyoming (BM-10) & Monterey (BM-6) Submarines: Pike (SS-6) and Grampus (SS-4). |
Image and text provided by University of California, Riverside. Photo from The San Francisco Call. (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 26 April 1908, Image 8, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. |
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 0800623 | 336k | Grampus (SS-4) & Pike (SS-6) on marine railway at Mare Island Navy Yard on 19 September 1908. | Photo courtesy of Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum via Darryl L. Baker. | |
 0800624 | 395k | Gasoline fire on Grampus (SS-4) & Pike (SS-6) on marine railway at Mare Island Navy Yard on 19 September 1908. | Photo courtesy of NH 98616 via Darryl L. Baker. | |
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1.05k | Fifty Men of the Submarine Floatilla Are Trapped by Blazing Gasoline at Mare Island NAVAL MEN CAUGHT IN FIERY SEA Three Perish and Many Are Injured in Flames Off Mare Island. |
Image and text provided by University of California, Riverside. Photo from The San Francisco Call. (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 19 September 1908, Image 1, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. |
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3.39k | Little Submarines Ready To Begin Series of Tests. Submarine boats Pike (SS-6) and Grampus (SS-4). |
Image and text provided by University of California, Riverside; Photo from The San Francisco Call. (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 12 September 1909, Image 22, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. | |
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NR | U.S. SUBMARINES GRAMPUS (SS-4) & PIKE (SS-6) IN SAN PEDRO HARBOR | Image and text provided by University of Utah, Marriott Library. Photo from Deseret Evening News. (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 16 July 1910, Last Edition, Part Two, Image 22, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. | |
 | 639k | Broadside view on Grampus (SS-4) under way in San Diego. | Photo courtesy of Tommy Trampp. | |
 | 71k | Grampus (SS-4) largely submerged during a torpedo firing exercise off San Diego, California, 21 July 1910. The U.S. Navy tug Fortune is in the background.The original photograph was printed on post card ("AZO") stock by Lee Passmore, Post Card Artist, 25th & M Sts., San Diego. | USNHC photograph # NH 104702-KN. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2007. | |
 | 192k | Grampus (SS-4) off San Diego, California, in 1910. Note the towing bridle rigged to her bow. | USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org. | |
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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. | |
 | 285k | Grampus (SS-4) alongside Maryland (ACR-8) in San Pedro Harbor circa 1911. | USN photo # MINSY 329-4-1904, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker. | |
 | 227k | These drawings represent the two Pacific Coast A boats, Grampus (SS-4) & Pike (SS-6) modernized, but before the installation of the second periscope. Taken from a November 1911 C & R sketch of an improved hoisting arrangement, it shows the arrangement of the Porpoise as modernized (from which the Pacific modifications were copied). The big rectangle forward of the bridge is the torpedo hatch. The circular object on the bridge is a pelorus, for taking bearings. A portable compass was mounted alongside the wheel. By January 1912, Grampus had been fitted witha submarine bell abaft her periscope, nearly at the break of the aft. Abaft the tall periscope is a binnacle, which holds a magnetic compass clear of the magnetic mass of the hull. | Photo & text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press. | |
 | 107k | In dry dock, probably at Mare Island, Grampus (SS-4) illustrates the initial configuration of the Adder class. Note that the bow cap swings up rather than lifts up. Unlike Holland, this design shows a deck only amidships. The short snub immediately abaft the ventilator is for the surface steering wheel. | Photo & text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press. | |
 | 101k | The costal defense submarines grew very rapidly. In dry dock at San Diego, Grampus (SS-4) shows her rudimentary superstructure and a single tall periscope abaft her enlarged conning tower. | Photo & text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press. | |
 | 246k | Postcard photo of the Grampus (SS-4) in Puget Sound Harbor, circa 1915. | Photo courtesy of Arnold Putnam. | |
View the Grampus / A-3 (SS-4)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
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Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
PigBoats.COM TM, a Historic Look at Submarines
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