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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

H-5 (SS-148)

Radio Call Sign: November - Echo - Tango - Golf
H-4 Class Submarine: Built by the British Pacific Construction and Engineering Company, Vancouver, Canada for Imperial Russian Government; Acquired by US Navy 20 May 1918; Reassembled at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, WA.; Laid down, 12 May 1918, Launched, 24 September 1918; Commissioned, USS H-5, 30 September 1918; Redesignated USS H-5 (SS-148), 17 July 1920; Decommissioned, 20 October 1922, at Norfolk, VA.; Laid up in the Reserve Fleet; Struck from the Naval Register, 26 November 1933; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 28 November 1933.
Partial data submitted by Yves Hubert & Thomas Lee | Managing Editor Undersea Warfare Magazine

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 358 t., Submerged: 467 t..; Length 150' 4" ; Beam 15' 10"; Draft 15' 10"; Speed, surfaced 14 kts, submerged 10.5 kts; Depth Limit 200'; Complement 2 Officers, 23 Enlisted; Armament, four 18" torpedo tubes, 8 torpedoes; Propulsion, diesel electric, New London Ship and Engine Co., diesel engines, 960 hp, Fuel Capacity, 11,800 gal.; Electro Dynamic Co., electric motors, 600 hp, Battery Cells, 120, twin propellers.
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H-4 489k 4 photo PDF showing H-4 (SS-147) with General Arrangement, Outboard Profile; Superstructure, Inboard Profile; Battery Deck & Various Sections, 1918.National Archives Identifier: 75841758
Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov
4 Hs 673k H-boats in frame at Bremerton Naval Shipyard, approximately 23 May 1918.
From the back right; H-4 (SS-147). In front is the H-5 (SS-148). To the left of the H-4 is the H-7 (SS-150). To the left of the H-5 is the H-6 (SS-149). H-8 (SS-151) and H-9 (SS-152) are not seen. Under the boom of the crane is the just about finished O-2 (SS-63), soon to be launched.		This is from a negative from the personal collection of Ric Hedman and acquired through Bill Lightfoot's research library, which he gave to me; he is the author of Beneath the Surface: World War I Submarines Built in Seattle and Vancouver.
H-5 92k View from the bridge of the H-5 (SS-148) looking forward while the submarine was underway & then submerging off San Pedro, California, circa 1919. Photographed by J. Edwin Hogg, Los Angeles, California. Note the radio antenna at the top, "Y-Tube" hydrophone mounted on the bow, limber holes drilled in the deck plating, and the small crane in the foreground. USN photos # NH 46750 & (Insert NH 46762), courtesy of USNHC.
H-5 41k View looking aft toward the fairwater, while the H-5 (SS-148) was underway off San Pedro, California, circa 1919. Photographed by J. Edwin Hogg, Los Angeles, California.Note the large numerals "5" painted on both sides of the bridge, and radio antenna wires running from the raised antenna mast to the bow. USN photo # NH 46760, courtesy of USNHC.
H-5 76k Crewman using a Corona typewriter while sitting on the bar of an "SC Tube" type hydrophone. Taken at San Pedro, California, circa 1919. Photographed by J. Edwin Hogg, Los Angeles, California. Note the H-5's (SS-148) fairwater in the immediate background. USN photo # NH 46749, courtesy of USNHC.
H-5 75k Crewman poses with submarine's "SC-Tube" hydrophone, mounted immediately in front of H-5's (SS-148) fairwater. Taken at San Pedro, California, circa 1919. Photographed by J. Edwin Hogg, Los Angeles, California. Note the rubber heads on the ends of the hydrophone bar, lifelines at the deck edge, and limber holes drilled in the deck plating. USN photo # NH 46757, courtesy of USNHC.
H-5 84k "Y-Tube" hydrophone mounted above the H-5's (SS-148) bow diving planes. Taken at San Pedro, California, circa 1919. Photographed by J. Edwin Hogg, Los Angeles, California. A crewman is demonstrating the flexibility of the rubber "rats" that housed the hydrophone's listening elements. USN photo # NH 46758, courtesy of USNHC.
H-5 98k View in the H-5's (SS-148) torpedo room, looking forward, showing her four torpedo tubes, spare 18-inch torpedos in cradles, and torpedo handling gear. Taken at San Pedro, California, circa 1919. Photographed by J. Edwin Hogg, Los Angeles, California. USN photo # NH 46754, courtesy of USNHC.
H-5 84k Interior view of the H-5 (SS-148) looking forward, with a control wheel at left and the torpedo room beyond the door at right. Taken at San Pedro, California, circa 1919. Photographed by J. Edwin Hogg, Los Angeles, California. USN photo # NH 46753, courtesy of USNHC.
H-5 73k Crewman demonstrates periscope operation, in the H-5's (SS-148) control room. Taken at San Pedro, California, circa 1919. Photographed by J. Edwin Hogg, Los Angeles, California. USN photo # NH 46759, courtesy of USNHC.
H-5 85k View in the H-5's (SS-148) control room showing diving control wheels and gauge, taken at San Pedro, California, circa 1919. A Lewis light machine gun is attached to the bulkhead at left. Photographed by J. Edwin Hogg, Los Angeles, California. USN photo # NH 46751, courtesy of USNHC.
H-5 82k Interior view, with an electrical switchboard visible at left. Taken at San Pedro, California, circa 1919.Photographed by J. Edwin Hogg, Los Angeles, California. USN photo # NH 46752, courtesy of USNHC.
H-5 82k View in the H-5's (SS-148) engine room, looking forward. Taken at San Pedro, California, circa 1919. Photographed by J. Edwin Hogg, Los Angeles, California. USN photo # NH 46755, courtesy of USNHC.
H-5 86k View in the H-5's (SS-148) engine room, looking aft. Taken at San Pedro, California, circa 1919. Photographed by J. Edwin Hogg, Los Angeles, California. USN photo # NH 46756, courtesy of USNHC.
4 Hs 410k Four unknown H-boats at San Pedro, California, late 1910s. Photo i.d. courtesy of Ric Hedman.
Photo by Mark Jay Goebel/Getty Images, courtesy of gettyimages.com.
H-5, 6 & 9 31k H-9 (SS-152), H-6 (SS-149) & H-5 (SS-148) at San Pedro, CA. circa early 1920's. The two left hand boats can't be positively identified as H-boats. The men have been doing their laundry and it is drying in the sunshine. The notation on the back of the photo says these boats are moored at "Berth 'M' Pedro". USN photo courtesy of Ric Hedman.
H-5 67k H-5 (SS-148) portside view under way, probably off San Pedro, CA, 1918. Operating out of San Pedro with SubDiv 6 and SubDiv 7, H-5 participated in various training and battle exercises, with periodic overhauls at Mare Island. USN photo # 19-N-20295, from (NARA), courtesy of Daniel Dunham.
Text courtesy of DANFS.
H-5 63k H-5 (SS-148) portside view, possibly at Mare Island, CA., circa 1918-22. USN photo courtesy of subnet.com.
H-boats 2.84k Two views of an unidentified H boat at Johnson Wharf. Photo i.d. courtesy of Ric Hedman.
Photos # CVA 260-80 & 260-94 courtesy of James Crookall via searcharchives.vancouver.ca courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
H-7 236k H and L class submarines berth in San Pedro.
From Back to front & L-R: H-6 (SS-149), L-5 (SS-44), H-7 (SS-150), H-3 (SS-30) in back berth. The H-4 (SS-147) is moored alongside the pier, ahead of her is a row with at least 2 submarines, the H-5 (SS-148) on the left & what might be either the L-6 (SS-45) or L-7 (SS-46) alongside.
The photo appeared in the LA Times on 20 February 1920. The LA Water & Power states that the San Pedro submarine base closed in 1923. 		Text i.d. courtesy of Ric Hednan .
Photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
H-5 34k The crew of the H-5 (SS-148) lines the deck as it enter a port, probably at San Pedro, CA., circa 1921. USN photo courtesy of Robert Hurst.
H-7 410k H-7 (SS-150) and H-5 (SS-148) in tandem off the California coast. USN photo courtesy of David Buell.
H-2588kFour H-boats alongside the tender Beaver (AS-5) probably in July 1922. The only identifiable boats are H-2 (SS-29) & H-5 (SS-148).
After reaching San Pedro, Calif., on 14 July 1922, the Beaver received orders to continue on to the east coast. Departing San Pedro on the 25th, Beaver escorted eight H-boats and four L-boats south toward the Panama Canal. As the submarines were small, and suffered from engine breakdowns, the tender had to tow as many as three submarines at a time during the long stretches between ports. The convoy stopped at Magdalena Bay and Acapulco in Mexico and at Corinto, Nicaragua, before mooring at Coco Solo in the Canal Zone on 28 August. Following two weeks of repairs, the convoy transited the canal on 11 September and arrived at Hampton Roads, Va., via Key West, Fla., on the 29th.		Text courtesy of DANFS.
USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
L-5
0804409		 NR WIRELESS SAYS SUBMARINES ARE ACCOUNTED FOR
A1l twelve of the submarines en route from Los Angeles to Hampton Roads, Va., under convoy of the tender Beaver (AS-5), were said at the local submarine base to be accounted for this morning. 		Image and text provided by University of Florida.
Photo & text by The Lakeland Evening Telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 29 July 1922, Image 1, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
graveyard shiftNRStarting a 5,000-mile journey, which will end at their own graveyard,twelve H and L type submarines left the Navy base at San Pedro, CA, recently, bound for Hampton Roads, VA. through the Panama Canal. Upon arrival on the East coast they are to be decommissioned and cut up for scrap iron.
Eleven of the boats were:
H-2 (SS-29),
H-3 (SS-30),
L-5 (SS-44),
L-6 (SS-45),
L-7 (SS-46),
H-4 (SS-147),
H-5 (SS-148),
H-6 (SS-149),
H-7 (SS-150),
H-8 (SS-151),
H-9 (SS-152).
Image and text provided by Louisiana State University; Baton Rouge, LA
Photo from The Weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 19 August 1922, Image 2, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
View the H-5 (SS-148)
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