US Navy Submarines

The submarine is our nation’s first stealth vessel and—over a century since its introduction—is still one of our most powerful weapons. The U.S. Navy purchased our nation’s first submarine, the USS Holland, in 1900 for $150,000. Early submarines of the World War I era were often called “pig boats” due to both the shape of their hulls and the poor living conditions aboard ship. These early submarines were equipped with gasoline engines until 1909, when diesel engines were adopted.

Submarines further evolved around 1916, when the Navy Department granted a commission to the Electric Boat Company to design and build three submarines that could travel at the same speed as surface ships in battle fleets. By the 1930s, the Salmon Class of U.S. Navy submarines lead to the development of the 1,500 ton Fleet Boat. Designed for long-range patrols, the Fleet Boat shifted the role of the submarine from coastal defense to open sea attacks on enemy vessels.

U.S. Navy Submarines played a pivotal role in the war against the Japanese during World War II. At the beginning of the war, after much of the U.S. Battle Fleet was damaged or destroyed by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the submarine became the United States’ primary weapon in the Pacific Theater. In time, U.S. subs were destroying large numbers of Japanese war ships and merchant marine vessels, utilizing radar—a new technology at the time—and intelligence breakthroughs to decipher Japanese communications. By the end of the war, U.S. submarines had sunk 30 percent of the Japanese Imperial Navy and 60 percent of Japan’s merchant marine vessels, seriously crippling the Japanese economy. But this great success unfortunately came at a high price: 52 submarines and over 3,000 Navy officers and sailors were lost during the war.

After the end of World War II, new design breakthroughs resulted in submarines with unprecedented speed and endurance. The “teardrop” hull design, first used on the USS Albacore, greatly improved submarine speed. Then in 1954 with the launch of the USS Nautilus, nuclear power replaced diesel, which increased under-water endurance tremendously. The USS Skipjack was the first sub to incorporate both nuclear power and the “teardrop” hull. Every U.S. submarine built since 1958 utilizes both technologies to this day.

During the Cold War, the U.S. submarine force’s superior technology was instrumental to keeping our country safe. U.S. ballistic submarines, with their retaliatory strike capability, were vital in helping to deter nuclear war. Additionally, U.S. attack subs were pivotal in conducting intelligence and monitoring the Soviet Navy. The U.S. submarine fleet was thus central to protecting our nation during the Cold War era.

Some of the early subs carried alphanumeric designations before World War II. Until the 1970s, Us. navy submarines were generally named for fish. The following listing is taken from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The active links will take you to profiles of many U.S. navy submarines.

Sources include:

The Official U.S. Navy Website: The Submarine

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