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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Orca / K-3 (SS-34)

Radio Call Sign: November - Yankee - Hotel
K Class Submarine: Originally assigned the name Orca, Renamed K-3, 17 November 1911; Laid down, 15 January 1912, at Union Iron Works, San Francisco, CA., Launched, 14 March 1914; Commissioned, USS K-3, 30 October 1914; Designated (SS-34), 17 July 1920; Decommissioned, 20 February 1923, at Hampton Roads, VA.; Laid up in the Reserve Fleet; Struck from the Naval Register, (date unknown); Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 3 June 1931.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 392 t., Submerged: 521 t.; Length 153' 7"; Beam 16' 8"; Draft 13' 1"; Speed, Surfaced 14 kts, Submerged 9.5 kts; Operating Depth, 200'; Complement, 2 Officers, 26 Enlisted; Armament, four 18" torpedo tubes, 8 torpedoes, one 3"/23 deck gun; Propulsion, diesel-electric, New London Ship & Engine Co., diesel engine, HP 950, Fuel Capacity, 18,126 gals., Electro Dynamic Co., electric motor, HP 680, Battery Cells, 120, single propeller.
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SS-3492kSliding down the ways, and all dressed up with flags on her launching day, the K-3 (SS-34) is waterborne at the Union Iron Works shipyard, San Francisco, California, on 14 March 1914.
US Navy photo.
SS-341.80kK-3 (SS-34) is launched at Union Iron Works at San Francisco on 14 March 1914.US Navy photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
SS-34132kK-3 (SS-34) fitting out at the Union Iron Works shipyard, San Francisco, California, on 7 April 1914.
US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
K's895kSubmarines K-3 (SS-34), K-4 (SS-35), K-7 (SS-38) and K-8 (SS-39) were in Mare Island's dry dock #1 from 17 June to 18 August 1915 preparing for their trip to Hawaii. In this photo the stern of K-7 (left) and K-4 (right) are seen in the foreground while the sterns of K-8 (left) and K-3 (right) are seen in the background. This photo was taken from near the end of the dry dock.US Navy photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
K's803kSubmarines K-3 (SS-34), K-4 (SS-35), K-7 (SS-38) and K-8 (SS-39) were in Mare Island's dry dock #1 from 17 June to 18 August 1915 preparing for their trip to Hawaii. In this photo the bow of K-3 (left) and K-8 (right) are seen in the foreground while the bow of K-4 (left) and K-7 (right) are seen in the background. This photo was taken from head of the dry dock.US Navy photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
SS-34803kView of K-3 (SS-34), in dry dock at Mare Island on 16 July 1915. Note the staging and rigging pole used to install the periscopes around the sail.US Navy photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
K 1.10k Sea Wasps to Guard Harbor Here
K-7 (SS-38) Comes In With New Broom Tied To Masthead
Is First of New Flotilla to Dock at Honolulu. K-3 (SS-34) Second to Enter Harbor		 Image and text provided by University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu, HI.
Photo from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii) 1912-current, 14 October 1915, 3:30 Edition, Image 2, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
SS-34387kFrom outboard to inboard, what looks to be K-8 (SS-39), K-4 (SS-35),K-3 (SS-34) & K-7 (SS-38), at Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii on the 14 of October, 1915.
US Navy photo from NARA, courtesy of Daniel Dunham.
K 1.06k One Mashed Finger Only Accident of Submarine Voyage
K submarine ploughing through open sea; showing deck structure of K class boats.		 Image and text provided by University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu, HI.
Photo from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii) 1912-current, 15 October 1915, 2:30 Edition, SHIPPING SECTION, Image 7, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
K 1.00k Commanders and Submarines in Record Breaking Voyage Over Pacific, And Sample of Warm Welcome They Found Waiting Here
Below are shown the K type submarines moored at the naval wharf. 		IImage and text provided by University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu, HI.
Photo from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii) 1912-current, 15 October 1915, 3:30 Edition, Image 1, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
PDF added 12/09/12.
K 1.09k K Submarines in Port After Long Voyage
This is the way the K submarines looked as they glided to their dock in the navy slip Thursday afternoon, completing their run of 2,180 miles from San Francisco to this port under their own power-a big feat performed in a big way, and adding fresh laurels to the American navy.
In the upper picture is shown the K-8 (SS-39) slowing down as she entered the slip, the last of the four submersible to complete the voyage. The lower view shows the K-3 (SS-34) in the foreground, another K boat and the F-1 (SS-20), F-2 (SS-21), & F-3 (SS-22) in the background.		 Image and text provided by University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu, HI.
Photo from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii) 1912-current, 16 October 1915, 3:30 Edition, Image 17, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
SS-3455kK-3 (SS-34) photographed prior to World War I.
USNHC photo # NH 43077, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS-35243k Alert (AS-4) (1875-1922) tied up at Kuahua Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, while serving as a submarine tender, 22 August 1917. Submarines alongside Alert include, from inboard to outboard, K-4 (SS-35), K-3 (SS-34) and either K-7 (SS-38) or K-8 (SS-39).
Text & photo i.d. courtesy of USNHC photo # NH 42542.
US Navy photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
SS-3577kK-4 (SS-35) underway with a sister submarine, trimming down "ready for nose dive", circa 1918. The second submarine is probably K-3 (SS-34), K-7 (SS-38), or K-8 (SS-39).
USNHC photo # NH 41968, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS-35108kK-4 (SS-35) underway with a sister submarine, trimming down "ready for nose dive", circa 1918.The second submarine is probably K-3 (SS-34), K-7 (SS-38), or K-8 (SS-39).
USNHC photo # NH 41967, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS-3477kK-3 (SS-34) underway, starboard side view, probably circa 1918.
US Navy photo from NARA # 19-N-13-8-87, courtesy of Daniel Dunham.
SS-3468kK-3 (SS-34) underway, port side view, probably circa 1918, when she was dispatched to Key West, arriving 8 January 1918. For the remainder of the war, she conducted patrols along the Florida coast while training men in underwater techniques.
US Navy photo from NARA # 19-N-13-4-32, courtesy of Daniel Dunham. Partial text courtesy of DANFS.
SS-3469kK-3 (SS-34) underway, starboard side view, probably circa 1918.
US Navy photo from NARA # 19-N-13-4-33, courtesy of Daniel Dunham.
SS-3493kPort side view of the K-3 (SS-34) underway, probably circa 1918.
US Navy photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. Partial text courtesy of DANFS.
K-2 & 3 309k From left to right:K-3 (SS-34), K-2 (SS-33), & two other K class boats.
 US Navy photo courtesy of STSCS(SS) Robert Carlin.
K class 146k Busy unknown and undated dockyard scene. From left to right: K-8 (SS-39), K-2 (SS-33), unknown K class boat, K-3 (SS-34) & K-1 (SS-32).
US Navy photo courtesy of STSCS(SS) Robert Carlin.
K 117k K-boats in harbor with a four funnel destroyer in the background;
K-1 (SS-32), K-2 (SS-33), K-6 (SS-37), K-4 (SS-35), K-7 (SS-38), K-3 (SS-34), K-5 (SS-36) & K-8 (SS-39) appear in this undated photo. K-5 is being repainted. 		Text i.d. courtesy of Ric Hedman.
Photo courtesy of Rick Larson (of blessed memory) via the unique hand of Ric Hedman.
K 843k One of the mother ships of Uncle Sam's navy the Camden (AS-6), and her nine undersea kittens, a formidable fotilla of Yankee submarines that have been a source of great interest the last two weeks to visitors to the Atlantic Fleet at anchor in the Hudson. The Camden and her family have been at anchor off the Seventies. Above. How the K-5 (SS-36) looks when traveling at full speed on the surface. Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Photo from the New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 16 May 1920, Image 59, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
K 696k There are fewer busier places in Philadelphia than the large drydock at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where repairs are being made on eleven of Uncle Sam's submarine craft.
Among the boats visible is the K-1 (SS-32), which appears in the front left corner, and K-5 (SS-36), behind her. The remainder of the K-boats are likely here as well.		 Image and text provided by Penn State University Libraries; University Park, PA.
Photo from the Evening Public Ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 14 October 1920, NIGHT EXTRA, Image 26, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov
View the Orca / K-3 (SS-34)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Not Applicable to this Vessel
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PigBoats.COM TM, a Historic Look at Submarines
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