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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

R-3 (SS-80)


R-1 Class Submarine: Laid down, 11 December 1917, at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA.; Launched, 18 January 1919; Commissioned, USS R-3, 17 April 1919; Redesignated USS R-3 (SS-80), 17 July 1920; Decommissioned, 10 August 1934, at Philadelphia, PA.; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet; Recommissioned, 19 August 1940, at Sub Base New London, CT.; Decommissioned and transferred to the United Kingdom, 4 November 1941, and commissioned into the Royal Navy as P 511; Struck from the Naval Register, 7 November 1941; Final Disposition, scrapped at Troon Scotland in 1948.

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.
The original print was autographed in June 1967 by Admiral Thomas C. Hart, USN (Retired), who used Camden as his flagship from May 1930 to January 1931, while he was Commander, Control Force, U.S. Fleet. He was a Rear Admiral at that time.
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R-3 107k Launching of the R-3 (SS-80) at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA., 18 January 1919.
US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
R-3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, S-3 & 4 191k R & S boats nested together, May 1920, alongside Submarine Tender Camden (AS-6). From inboard to outboard:
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).
Note that all the R-boats have gun platforms, but that guns are fitted only on R-10,
and R-3.
S-4 has a platform for a 4"/50 gun (but no gun is installed), while S-3 still has no gun platform.
US Navy photo # 19-N-9936, from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), courtesy of Daniel Dunham. Text i.d. courtesy of USNHC photo # NH 41855.
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.
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.
R-3 98k R-3 (SS-80), sometime around 30 June 1921 at her new base, San Pedro, Calif. The tender in the distance is probably the Camden (AS-6).
US Navy photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
R-3 51k Camden (AS-6), at anchor with R-3 (SS-80) and unidentified boats alongside, at her new base, San Pedro, Calif.US Navy photo # NR&L(M) 13994, from DANFS, submitted by Joe Radigan, MACM, USN Ret.
R-3 118k R-3 (SS-80), surfaces off Mare Island Navy Yard, circa June 1923.
US Navy photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
R-3 208k A view of the radio equipment aboard R-3 (SS-80) at Mare Island Navy Yard on 8 June 1923.
US Navy photo # 7194, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
R-3 98k The R-3 (SS-80) underway, 18 October 1923, at Pearl Harbor where she was stationed for the next years, engaging in training and operations with fleet units.
US Navy photo # 80-G-1026350, now in the collections of the US National Archives. Text courtesy of DANFS.
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.

View the R-3 (SS-80)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association

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Through the Looking Glass A Historic Look at Submarines

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