Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

R-1 (SS-78)

Radio Call Sign: November - India - Lima - Charlie
R-1 Class Submarine: Laid down, 16 October 1917, at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA.; Launched, 24 August 1918; Commissioned, USS R-1, 16 December 1918, at Boston, MA.; Redesignated USS R-1 (SS-78), 17 July 1920; Decommissioned, 1 May 1931, at Philadelphia, PA.; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet; Recommissioned in ordinary, 23 September 1940, at Groton, CT.; Placed in full commission, 16 October 1940; Decommissioned, 20 September 1945, at Key West, FL.; Struck from the Naval Register, 10 November 1945; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 13 March 1946, to Macey O. Smith, Miami, FL.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 569 t., Submerged: 680 t.; Length 186' 2" ; Beam 18'; Draft 14' 6"; Speed, Surfaced 13.5 kts, Submerged 10.5 kts; Depth Limit, 200'; Complement 2 Officers, 27 Enlisted; Armament, four 21" torpedo tubes forward, 8 torpedoes, one 3"/50 deck gun; Propulsion, diesel electric engines, New England Ship and Engine Co., diesel engines, 1200hp, Fuel Capacity, 18,880 gals., Electro Dynamic Co., electric motors, twin propellers.
Click On Image
For Full Size Image		Size Image Description Source
SS 78 167k E.B.'s R-1 (SS-78), is shown as completed, with three housing periscopes (conning tower, control room & after battery compartment, the later extemporized during WW I) & a 3in/50 deck gun. The only sound gear shown is the circular plate of the Fessenden oscillator. As in other E.B. designs, she has her battery fore & aft of the control room.
Drawing by Jim Christley, text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press.
SS 078 83k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) at anchor on 21 January 1920, with R-1 (SS-78), alongside.
US Navy photo # NH 99894, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS-84 & friends 79k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) off New York City with twelve submarines alongside, circa 1920. Submarines are, from inboard to outboard (left to right):
R-1 (SS-78),
R-2 (SS-79),
R-4 (SS-81),
R-5 (SS-82),
R-6 (SS-83),
R-10 (SS-87),
R-9 (SS-86),
R-8 (SS-85),
R-7 (SS-84),
R-3 (SS-80),
S-4 (SS-109)
and S-3 (SS-107). 		Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 99892, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
SS-84 & friends 100k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) off New York City with twelve submarines alongside, circa 1920. Submarines are, from inboard to outboard (left to right):
R-1 (SS-78),
R-2 (SS-79),
R-4 (SS-81),
R-5 (SS-82),
R-6 (SS-83),
R-10 (SS-87),
R-9 (SS-86),
R-8 (SS-85),
R-7 (SS-84),
R-3 (SS-80),
S-4 (SS-109)
and S-3 (SS-107). 		Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 59972, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
SS-85 78k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) in San Pedro Harbor, California, 1921. Submarines alongside are (from outboard to inboard):
R-1 (SS-78)
R-3 (SS-80)
R-8 (SS-85),
R-4 (SS-81),
R-2 (SS-79) &
R-10 (SS-87) 		US Navy photo # NH 55044, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
R-3 77k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) in San Pedro Harbor, California, 1921. Submarines alongside are (from outboard to inboard):
R-1 (SS-78)
R-3 (SS-80)
R-8 (SS-85),
R-4 (SS-81),
R-2 (SS-79) &
R-10 (SS-87)
US Navy photo # NH 55045, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
BB-51 Montana132 This photo shows the submarines R-1 (SS-78), R-2 (SS-79), R-3(SS-80), R-4 (SS-81), R-5 (SS-82), R-7 (SS-84), R-8 (SS-85) & R-10 (SS-87) with Mud Scow #8 in Mare Island's Dry Dock #2 between 8 May and 10 June 1922. Note: The scaffold for the construction of the Montana (BB-51) can be seen above and to the right of the head of the dry dock. Seattle NARA photo # USN photo 60-30 Record Group 181, 13th Naval District, Records of the Naval District & Shore Establishments, courtesy of Tracy White, submitted by Darryl Baker.
SS 078 105k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) in New York Harbor during the early 1920s, with several R-boats alongside. The sub closest to Camden is R-1 (SS-78). Note that all these submarines have platforms forward of their fairwaters for a 3"/50 gun, but only one of them carries the gun.
US Navy photo # NH 61543, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS 078 94k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) in New York Harbor during the early 1920s, with several R-boats alongside. The sub closest to Camden is R-1 (SS-78).
US Navy photo # NH 99895, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS 078 91k The Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6) in New York Harbor during the early 1920s, with several R-boats alongside. The sub closest to Camden is R-1 (SS-78).
US Navy photo # 80-G-1024959, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
R-boats 167k R-boats in dry dock at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, during the early 1920s. Submarines in the foreground are (from left to right): R-3 (SS-80); R-2 (SS-79); and R-1 (SS-78). Five other R-boats are further back in the dry dock.
US Navy photo # NH 69000, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1969.
Sub Base Pearl Harbor152kThe crews of Submarine Divisions 9 & 14 line the decks of their boats (20 in all) at the Submarine base at Pearl Harbor on 12 December 1930.
R-1 (SS-78),
R-2 (SS-79),
R-3 (SS-80),
R-4 (SS-81),
R-5 (SS-82),
R-6 (SS-83),
R-7 (SS-84),
R-8 (SS-85),
R-9 (SS-86),
R-10 (SS-87),
R-11 (SS-88),
R-12 (SS-89),
R-13 (SS-90),
R-14 (SS-91),
R-15 (SS-92),
R-16 (SS-93),
R-17 (SS-94),
R-18 (SS-95),
R-19 (SS-96) &
R-20 (SS-97).
All the R-boats were to leave the base where they had been serving for upwards of 8 years and transfer to the East coast to be decommissioned over the next 3 years.
The only identifiable boat is the R-16. 		US Navy photo by Tai Sing Loo, courtesy of E. Little. Photo added 04/15/07.
SS 127 66k From left to right R-1 (SS-78),
R-13 (SS-90),
R-4 (SS-81), and
S-22 (SS-127), at New York City, circa 1930s.
US Navy photo # NH 68899, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS 078 39k Fine screen halftone reproduction of a photograph of the R-1 (SS-78) taken in June 1943. Published by the Division of Naval Intelligence, Identification and Characteristics Section.
US Navy photo # NH 102947, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
SS 78 24k R-1 (SS-78), entering port, starboard view, date and location unknown.
Submitted by Larry Bohn, courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, WI., home of the Cobia SS 245.
SS 78 189k R-1 (SS-78), underway, starboard view, date and location unknown. R-1 was the only R-boat during WW II that was credited with shooting at a German U-boat.
 		USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
View the R-1 (SS-78)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Through the Looking Glass A Historic Look at Submarines
HISTORIC SUBMARINE DOCUMENTARY AND TRAINING FILMS
Back To The Main Photo Index Back To the Submarine Index

Problems and site related matters, E-mail Webmaster.
This page is created and maintained by Michael Mohl
© 2008 Michael Mohl © 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.