This picture came with the attribution that it was the USS H-3 Forward Battery Compartment looking forward. Torpedo tubes can be seen through the open water tight door.

As can be seen the photo is very dark and indistinct with the exception of the lockers and door. Two men can be made out in silhouette but that is about all. A large safe can be seen attached to the bulkhead to the right of the door. Ships office maybe?

Having studied plans and drawings of the H-1 Class submarine of this compartment things seem to fall together. This includes the large fresh water tank seen at center right, probably for battery make up water.

A much clearer photo of the same compartment looking aft. The door leads to the Control Room. On the right is a small room that according to the Ships drawings is the Radio Room. The two large pipes are the ventilation piping for the battery under the deck. This is to help prevent the buildup of Hydrogen Gas in the battery well and prevent explosions.

Crew bunks are seen at the top in the photo. The bunks to the left have canvas curtains and are a single row of bunks. The bunks an the right are two deep and the inner row has been "triced up" meaning they have been folded away to make room for other functions.

The drawings show that only part of the compartment is paneled and the forward end is not as noted in the photo above this one. The benches are storage lockers for the crews personal gear. In the lower left corner of the photo is a portable electric heater. The cord for which can be seen draped in the upper left and followed down to the heater.

Unseen in the photo to the left of the door and outboard any paneling is the motor for the Trim Pump, controls for which are located in the Control Room. This pump is used to move water around the submarine for ballast and pumping bilges.

Submarine Historian David Johnston had these comments about the photo: "I have been giving this some thought since yesterday, and unfortunately I am coming up with nothing. I can't think of anything that would have a nut this size that would routinely need to be disassembled, especially in the forward battery. If this was the engine room then it might be different, but even then I can't think of anything. The nut or coupling that this wrench is for would have to be enormous, at least 8" in diameter. The wrench appears to be curiously light weight and thin, especially for such a large wrench with a heavy duty use.

"Note the tool kit above. It has three open end wrenches, two spanner wrenches, two T-wrenches and at least two screwdrivers. There is one of two possibilities for this kit, the first being for damage control, the 2nd for used by the electricians in the battery well. The presence of the spanner wrenches indicate that this is a damage control kit, as the spanners are used for coupling and decoupling fire hoses. If these are brass tools then it might be a battery well tool kit.

"This is an unusually bad design for the location of the water tight door. There is little swing room for the door to open, then when it is open and you step through it into the forward battery room you immediately have to step around the bunks and lockers. The chain hanging from the bulkhead to the left of the door is most likely a door hold-open device.

"Notice the two timepieces hanging from the pipe bracket in the center of the photo. Both appear to be portable, with the one to the right the size of a pocket watch." [The larger looks to be an alarm clock]

Control Room of the USS H-3 looking forward and to the Starboard corner. The door leads to the Forward battery Compartment.

The USS H-3, (Squadron designation 2 over 3), moored to another submarine possibly the H-1 or H-2. Location can not be determined but the Squadron designators pretty much went out of use after 1914 and that would place her in the San Pedro, San Diego area. From the height of the photo it is most likely taken from a tender and that would be USS Cheyenne. Periscopes were fixed height and non retractable. The The ships air whistle can be seen running up the back sides of taller #2 periscopes on both submarines. The bridge access hatch for the H-3 can be seen behind the lettering in the lower right corner. The object on the lower right edge of the picture is the topside steering pedestal the hub where the wheel would be mounted can be seen pointing to the left just where the pedestal flares out at the top. The wheel when not in use on these boats was usually attached to the side of the periscope shears. If that is the case here it is probably on the port side and not visible. Two of the local wildlife have seemed to have adopted the vessels as their own vantage points. Both gulls are attracted to the cameraman and seem to be poising for their portraits. Photo is circa 1914.

Two of the local wildlife have seemed to have adopted the vessels as their own vantage points. Both gulls are attracted to the cameraman and seem to be poising for their portraits. Photo is circa 1914.

Seen here is the USS H-3 aground about 5 miles south of Point Sur, California. The photo is a highly doctored newspaper photo that has been copied and then doctored again some time in the 1920's.

The H-3 along with sister ships USS H-1 and USS H-2 were enroute to San Francisco for a visit to the Panama-Pacific Exposition. They were to be there through July 4th for the Independence Day Celebrations.

They had started from San Diego, California on June 29th 1915 and were accompanied by the Monitor/Tender USS Cheyenne as an escort vessel. During the trip the H-3 slowly pulled ahead of the small fleet until she was about 50 miles out in front. She must have been having a good day with all components working at highest efficiency.

These vessels were still known for the many problems submarine mechanical and electrical systems could have. Plus there were unspoken competitions between crews and captains of the submarines as to who had the better boat.

As it was H-3's success was about to come to a shocking end. During the late afternoon of June 29th a high wind came in and a fog covered the sea though the water was strangely smooth and only long low swells gave any context to the surface. The wind altered the subs course. Though she held the same compass heading the wind and current drove her toward the unseen shore.

This continued into the long mid-summer twilight and about 9 o'clock PM as the fog shrouded everything in sight, two large rocks loomed out of the early darkness and the H-3 slid aground between them. She was stuck fast. There had been no sounds of breakers or surf to give any warning of the impending danger. Try as she might the H-3 could not back herself free of the sand and mud. She was stuck.

There was no danger as the seas were still calm and smooth. Lieutenant William F Newton, captain of the H-3 sends out messages via wireless radio to the Cheyenne and to Mare Island reporting his predicament and requesting aid.

Captain Frank M. Bennett, Commandant of the Mare Island Navy Yard and Station alerts Rear Admiral Charles F Pond, commandant of the 12th Naval District, of the situation. Pond is at his home in Berkley, California. He takes command directing the rescue operations by wireless from his house via telephone. He ordered that the cruiser Maryland stand by to render assistance and well as the Rescue Tug Iroquois. As it was neither vessel was to be needed.

Hearing this radio traffic the cargo steamer SS Arizonian that was enroute to San Francisco from New York, comes upon the grounded submarine and radios she was standing off shore ready to render assistance. The Cheyenne and H-1 and H-2 arrive in the night on the scene and it is learned that Admiral Pond has ordered out the Revenue Cutter (now the Coast Guard) McCulloch to come to the submarines aid and that vessel leaves port. This order is later rescinded after it is learned that the submarine is OK and not taking on water. The Arizonian then continued on its way to San Francisco.

The order to send the McCulloch was based on the fact that the Bay area, 120 miles to the north, was experiencing high winds and high surf and it was feared the H-3 was to be pounded into scrap metal. Upon learning that those were not the conditions at Point Sur the cutter was recalled. All crew, two officers and 18 enlisted, were uninjured and good health.

The next day the fog was still enveloping the coastline and the tide was out and the submarine was high and dry. The crew sat about on the deck and slept where they could as nothing could be done until high tide. Cold foods were all that was available. The Cheyenne would try to pull the submarine free of the sands on the high tide. The H-1 and H-2 were sent on to San Francisco since they could offer no assistance and reports of their arrival was announced in the papers when they passed through the Golden Gate, (there was no bridge there 1915) on July 1st.

As the day of June 30th wore on the tide began coming in and soon, the crew and captain hoped, the submarine would be pulled free. The weather had been remarkable. Though it was foggy and damp the water remained calm and surf free. Though a high wind had blown the submarine off course there was little wind on the shore. To ensure the craft would not wander about as the tide returned the H-3 captain, William Newton, had ordered the submarines mushroom anchor, housed in the keel under the torpedo room, dropped. Once the windless was released the 300 pound anchor hit the sand a whole two feet below the keel. Chain was let out to keep the anchor on the bottom as the water rose.

By mid-afternoon chances of being pulled off looked good and the Cheyenne rowed a large cable ashore to the submarine and the crew attached it to the after end of the submarine. The H-3 pulled its anchor in as the water rose and a strain was taken up by the Cheyenne. Her two large propellers churned the waters. The little submarine remained stuck fast.

A gentle swell was beginning to roll in as the Monitor heaved and pulled. The fear was the surf was going to return and the little submarine was going to be destroyed. The Cheyenne pulled hard and at the same time a swell lifted the submarine free of the bottom but this also caught her as she rose and turned her ninety degrees and she slammed into a rock. The decks pitched perpendicular to the seas. Five sailors rolled off into the churning waters caused by the Cheyenne's propellers. Of the five two were non swimmers and fear they would drowned brought ropes sailing through the air to their rescue. All five were pulled aboard as the Cheyenne continued pulling on the little submarine. Soon the vessel was free of the shore and into deeper water and floating with no problem.

As soon as the submarine was inspected for leakage and damage the engines were started and the H-3, in company of Cheyenne, headed for San Francisco. It was decided that her first stop was to be a dry docking for an inspection for damage. The results were minimal.

Months later the H-3 was to have another encounter with a beach while looking future sites for submarine bases.

This photo was taken as the tide rose before the Cheyenne was able to pull the submarine off the beach. A slight swell can be seen in the waters. The fog also looks to be lifting as the peak behind attests to.

Bow on view of the H-3 in Mare Island Dry Dock. The photo is taken July 6, 1915. Her sisters the H-1 and H-2 are participating in the Independence Day Celebrations at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. The H-3 was to be there also but her unfortunate grounding at Point Sur changed all that.

The only visual damage to the submarine seems to be to her starboard bilge keel which has been crumpled by the sub rocking on the beach for about 18 hours. The total cost of the damages were listed at $2,500 dollars and several hull plates to be replaced.

The hooped pipe frame seen sticking out from the bridge side is an outhouse type toilet facility. Though the submarines had a head inside the vessel it was a complicated process to use and flush and the simple outhouse took place of that problem while on the surface. All waste was washed away with the passing sea water.

This is a broadside view of the H-3 in the Mare Island Dry Dock on July 6, 1915. The wrinkling of the bilge keel is evident. Little else appears to be damaged but the Dry Docking was a good precaution just in case there was unnoticed damages.

Several crew are on deck and seem to reading magazines. A couple of crew are on the dock floor back by the rudder and propellers.

Interesting to note here is that the H-3 was the last of the "H" class built with the rotating bow cap over the muzzle doors of the torpedo tubes. The H-4 thru H-9 all had shutter doors. The H-4 thru H-9 were built in Vancouver, Canada for the Tsarist Russian Navy. With the Russian revolution the orders for these submarines was not allowed to to be shipped. The submarines had been constructed and then disassembled and numbered and crated for shipment to Russia. With the US involvement in WW I the US Navy took delivery and had them shipped to Bremerton, Washington for reassembly and commissioning in the US Navy.

While engaged in operations off the northern California coast, near Eureka, with protected cruiser Milwaukee (C-21) and submarine tender Cheyenne, H-1 ran aground in heavy fog on the morning of 16 December 1916. She is seen here on January 3, 1917 attracting a huge crowd of onlooker as the Cruiser USS Milwaukee was to attempt to pull the H-3 off the beach. The Milwaukee can just be seen, faintly, on the horizon right of center. There is another vessel, probably the Cheyenne on the far right. The attempt failed resulting in the newly overhauled Milwaukee grounding and becoming a total loss.

The USS H-3 grounded at Samoa Beach. A bridle of towing tackle is rigged to the submarine for her attempt rescue by the crusier Milwaukee that ended in failure. circa January 1917

The photo shows the top of the conning tower fairwater of the submarine H-3 while in dry dock, possibility Mare Island circa 1918.