USS Pike, (A-5), seen in an early undated photo some place off Mare Island / Vallejo, California. This could possibly be taken sometime close to commissioning as the submarine is flying her commissioning pennant from her fore mast. Just behind the conning tower, below the anti-snagging bar, is the ships whistle. This most probably is a photo-op image with no intention of diving since masts and flags would normally be struck.

This photo does appear on a postcard with cancel dates in December 1907 but the image is probably taken much earlier. In 1907 both the Grampus and Pike were in haulout at Mare Island due to a gasoline fire that badly damaged both boats and killed several people. Neither were relaunched until spring of 1908. The image was probably reprinted due the huge interest in the submarines after the fire. During the overhaul a streamlining fairing was placed around the barrel of the conning tower which is not evident in this photo.

Several things happened all on the same day and was reported in various newspapers of the time as the following items:
“February 24, 1911; Lieutenant Kirby Barnes Crittenden, detached command First Submarine Division, Pacific torpedo fleet, in command (USS) Pike and (USS) Fortune; to navy yard, Mare Island. Cal.
Ensign James Perdue Olding, to command of the First Submarine Division, Pacific torpedo fleet, and command (USS) Fortune.
Ensign Kirkwood Harry Donavin, to command (USS) Pike.”

Pike was renamed A-5, in November 1911. Donavin was to hold this command until November 19, 1912 when he was detached to Seattle Construction and Dry Dock Company and was to command the submarine F-4 when she was commissioned.

This photo, no doubt taken in the San Francisco Bay area, (possibly Mare Island), has Ensign Donavin and 6 people topside to pose for the camera. It is an excellent photo that show the mens faces, (of those not in shadow). This is one of those photos that remind us that submarines were not just about the steel of the hulls but also about the flesh and blood that manned them. Since Pike is wearing the name "Pike" this photo was taken in 1911 before the name change.

The helmsman, standing next to Donavin, seems to be smoking a pipe. The position of his hand and the long thin stem looking object pointing up in a manner suggesting a pipe. Note, that the shaft for the helm extends down into the pressure hull. It mates up to the inboard helm. The topside helm is removable and was usually stored outboard the torpedo tube inside the hull.

The man standing at the left and leaning on the Jack Staff looks to have pinned the Commissioning Pennant so it wouldn’t flap in his and people faces.

The two men in shadow in front of the bridge seem to be officers and more likely are day riders. The flag at the top of the periscope looks to be a Squadron flag and has the numeral “1” on it. One of the men may be the Commodore of the 1st Submarine Group, Pacific Torpedo Flotilla, Ensign James Perdue Olding and possibly his aide. One man is wearing a neck tie and both are wearing officers caps.

There looks to be one chief topside. The crew was mostly made up of rated personnel. The Navy was taking only volunteers and only, seemingly, the most experienced in rate at that time. The chief standing between the two ventilators is either Raymond Ryan GMC or William H. Essig EMC. These two men were known to have been aboard during the time frame of this photo but no identified images of either man has been found up to this time.

The tall “pole” is the periscope. These early periscopes were fixed and only pointed forward. They did offer some protection allowing the submarine to be deeper and not needing to broach to see out of the deadlights in the conning tower.

At the base of the periscope is the magnetic compass binnacle. They were placed above and as far away from the steel hulls as possible. The compass was viewed through a series of mirrors.

Just behind the conning tower near the “X” bracing for the bridge is the ships air whistle.

The USS Pike SS 6 seen here circa 1905 in San Diego Bay on the east side of Coronado Island. The view is looking west out to the Pacific Ocean. On the left background is the Hotel del Coronado. On the photos right side above the motor launch and seen faintly above and beyond the closer shoreline can be seen a faint headland, this is believed to be Point Loma. The Point Loma Light House can just be seen on the tip of the land.

The sub seems to be just sitting still. It appears a small boat has just departed and is joining a larger steam powered motor launch.

It looks like the whole crew is topside. The design compliment was one officer and 6 enlisted crew, though the sub may have had a few more than design.

In the left background is the Hotel del Coronado ( today more casually just known as “The Del” ) that is on the west side of Coronado Island facing on the Pacific Ocean. The hotel was built in 1888 and has been a major fixture of San Diego since then and even staring in a number of Hollywood motion pictures.

Historian Dave Johnston adds this bit of history to the story.

In 1905 Coronado Island was actually composed of two land masses, North and South Coronado, neither of which was a full island. They were known as “tied islands” as both were connected to the mainland by the narrow Silver Strand beach running to the south (Imperial Beach). North Island (the eventual NAS North Island) was separated from South Island (the city of Coronado) by a small shallow inlet called the Spanish Bight. In addition, NAB Coronado at the south end of Glorietta Bay didn’t exist yet as over 90% of the land associated with it was composed of backfill dredged from the harbor in the early 1940’s. The Bight was filled in 1944 to form the peninsula that we know today.

The diagonal lines show the appoximent field of view seen in the photo above from a probable location. At the time of this photo the City of Coronado was yet to have been built.

This chart, although drawn up by the 11th Naval District in 1923, will still give a good reference to what is seen in the Pike photo above. The picture was taken from approximately the location indicated on the map of anchorage #78, in the main channel between San Diego and Coronado. This chart give a good visual reference to how the San Diego area was laid out in the early 20th Century. Point Loma was largely barren with only the Army’s Fort Rosecrans at Ballast Point, along with a small Navy fueling depot just to the north of the fort. Naval Air Station North Island was still quite small, taking up only the northern 1/3 of the island, with the Army’s Rockwell Field making up the southern portion. The old Spanish Bight can be clearly seen, dividing North Coronado from South Coronado. Today it is the site of the base golf course. Note also the complete absence of NAB Coronado, just south of Glorietta Bay and Hotel Del Coronado. In later years, San Diego International Airport would be built on backfill over the old Dutch Flat at the north end of San Diego Bay. NARA Image #295436 in the public domain.