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Late in World War I, seven U.S. L-class submarines of SUBDIV 5 were transferred to Bantry Bay, Ireland to carry out anti-submarine patrols in an area of responsibility that included St. George’s Channel and the western approaches to the English Channel. Several American battleships were also stationed at Bantry Bay, and an entire division of them formed the 6th Battle Squadron of the British Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow in the Orkneys.
Left to right submarines tied up next to a tender in Queenstown, Ireland.
USS L-3 SS 42, USS L-11 SS 51, USS L-10 SS 50, USS L-4 SS 43, USS L-9 SS 49 which seems to be running her diesel. You can see the smoke from her exhaust around her stern. The US "L" class boats had the "A" added to their identifiers so as not to be confused with the British "L" class submarines that were operating at the same time.
USS L-2 SS 41
In July of 1918 while patrolling in the Irish Sea a large explosion rocked the L-2 about 25 feet on her beam. A periscope was sighted and the L-2 submerged and tried to ram the submarine but couldn't track the U-boat well under water, plus the U-boat had superior under water speed. Later it was suspected that a U-boat had fired on the L-2 but another U-boat, the U-65, was in the way and was badly damaged and sank. Some time later when the L-2 was dry docked her hull plating was noted to be heavily dented from the close by explosion. The U-65 never returned to her port.
USS L-10 SS 50 wearing her WW I "A".
The L-10 was heavily depth charged by the American destroyer USS Sterett
in the Irish Sea after she had developed an oil leak. The Sterett thought he had found a German "U-Boat". L-10 managed to surface and identify herself before the destroyer managed to use her guns to try and sink her.
USS L-6 SS 45.
USS L-8 SS 48 from the deck of the USS Whittemore mother ship.
The submarine L-8, designed by the Lake Torpedo Boat Company, was part of a secret project in 1918 by the U.S. Navy in WW I to trap German submarines. Along with the 4 masted schooner USS Charles Whittemore as a mother ship and decoy the pair roamed the Atlantic trying to lure German submarines to attack. The object was to use the L-8 to sink the German submarines. The Whittemore towed the L-8 submerged so the submarine wouldn't be seen by the enemy and that the two wouldn't become separated from each other. The Whittemore carried food and fuel and torpedoes to resupply the L-8 as needed. As it turned out by the time the Whittemore and L-8 arrived on station, all sides were using armed merchant men as decoys so the Germans and other ships would avoid any contact with the duo. The war ended while the Whittemore and L-8 were on patrol with out firing a shot.
USS Charles Whittemore, mother ship and decoy for USS L-8 on WW I war patrols.
Left to right submarines tied up next to a tender in Queenstown, Ireland.
USS L-3 SS 42, USS L-11 SS 51, USS L-10 SS 50, USS L-4 SS 43, USS L-9 SS 49 which seems to be running her diesel. You can see the smoke from her exhaust around her stern. The US "L" class boats had the "A" added to their identifiers so as not to be confused with the British "L" class submarines that were operating at the same time.
USS L-2 SS 41
In July of 1918 while patrolling in the Irish Sea a large explosion rocked the L-2 about 25 feet on her beam. A periscope was sighted and the L-2 submerged and tried to ram the submarine but couldn't track the U-boat well under water, plus the U-boat had superior under water speed. Later it was suspected that a U-boat had fired on the L-2 but another U-boat, the U-65, was in the way and was badly damaged and sank. Some time later when the L-2 was dry docked her hull plating was noted to be heavily dented from the close by explosion. The U-65 never returned to her port.
USS L-10 SS 50 wearing her WW I "A".
The L-10 was heavily depth charged by the American destroyer USS Sterett
in the Irish Sea after she had developed an oil leak. The Sterett thought he had found a German "U-Boat". L-10 managed to surface and identify herself before the destroyer managed to use her guns to try and sink her.
USS L-6 SS 45.
USS L-8 SS 48 from the deck of the USS Whittemore mother ship.
The submarine L-8, designed by the Lake Torpedo Boat Company, was part of a secret project in 1918 by the U.S. Navy in WW I to trap German submarines. Along with the 4 masted schooner USS Charles Whittemore as a mother ship and decoy the pair roamed the Atlantic trying to lure German submarines to attack. The object was to use the L-8 to sink the German submarines. The Whittemore towed the L-8 submerged so the submarine wouldn't be seen by the enemy and that the two wouldn't become separated from each other. The Whittemore carried food and fuel and torpedoes to resupply the L-8 as needed. As it turned out by the time the Whittemore and L-8 arrived on station, all sides were using armed merchant men as decoys so the Germans and other ships would avoid any contact with the duo. The war ended while the Whittemore and L-8 were on patrol with out firing a shot.
USS Charles Whittemore, mother ship and decoy for USS L-8 on WW I war patrols.
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