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USS F-3 SS 22
(ex-Pickerel)

The following photos of the submarine USS F-3 and crew were taken by the Grandfather of Jim Loushin, George "Ray" Glover,QM2,  who was a crew member of the USS F-3 at some point after WW I. 

All photos on this page are copyright by Jim Loushin and may 
not be reproduced without his permission.

Some time after the war a movie was made using the F-3 as the German submarine U-65. This is one of the many movies that have been lost to us do to many reasons but unstable film stock of the era is probably to blame.


USS F-3 as the German U-65

USS F-3 as the U-65
USS F-3 as the U-65. The submarine is at the San Pedro submarine piers, San Pedro, Calif. Circa 1920's.

USS F-3 as the U-65
USS F-3 as the U-65 heading out for a days shooting.

USS F-3 as the U-65 diving
USS F-3 as the U-65 diving.

USS F-3 as the U-65 diving
USS F-3 as the U-65 diving

USS F-3 as the U-65
USS F-3 as the U-65 at periscope depth.

USS F-3 as the U-65
USS F-3 as the U-65 surfacing after the dive.

USS F-3 as the U-65 bow close-up
USS F-3 as the U-65 bow close-up.

USS F-3 as the U-65 conning tower close-up
USS F-3 as the U-65 conning tower close-up and the boat surfaces.

USS F-3 as the U-65 surfacing
USS F-3 as the U-65 surfacing.

USS F-3 as the U-65 surfacing
USS F-3 as the U-65 surfacing. The conning tower hatch is open.

USS F-3 as the U-65 conning tower close-up. Man standing in hatch.
USS F-3 as the U-65 conning tower close-up.
There is a crewman standing with his head and shoulders out of the hatch.

USS F-3 as the U-65

USS F-3 as the U-65

USS F-3 as the U-65
USS F-3 as the U-65

USS F-3 as the U-65
USS F-3 as the U-65 surfacing.

USS F-3 as the U-65
USS F-3 as the U-65 on the surface.

USS F-3 as the U-65 returning to port
USS F-3 as the U-65 returning to port, San Pedro, Ca.
 The sign on the dock reads; "Outer Harbor Dock & Wharf, Co"

USS F-3 as the U-65 returning to port
USS F-3 as the U-65 returning to port. Bow planes are still rigged out.

USS F-3 as the U-65 returning to port. Bridge detail.
USS F-3 as the U-65 returning to port bridge detail.

USS F-3 as the U-65

USS F-3 as the German submarine U-65. Crew on deck with Deadman's Island in the background. Dead Man's Island and Reservation Point, were dredged away in 1928 as part of a harbor development effort. Deadman's Island in the main channel of the Port of Los Angeles was dynamited and dredged away and the resulting rubble used to add 62 acres to the Southern tip of Terminal Island.



George "Ray" Glover,QM2 and crew


George Ray Glover,QM2 in civilian clothes
George "Ray" Glover,QM2 in "civvies" on the dock.
His bag is packed at his feet. He might be going
home on leave or finally getting out of the Navy.

George Ray Glover,QM2 on the dock
George "Ray" Glover,QM2 in "civvies" with the USS F-3 and F-2 behind him.

George Ray Glover,QM2
George "Ray" Glover,QM2 with signal flags on deck of F-3.

George Ray Glover,QM2
George "Ray" Glover,QM2 on the deck of the F-3 at sea.

George Ray Glover,QM2
George "Ray" Glover,QM2 sitting on the Allied Signal Bell on the bow of the F-3.

George Ray Glover,QM2
George "Ray" Glover,QM2

George Ray Glover,QM2
George "Ray" Glover,QM2

Signalman using flags on deck of F-3 with the F-2 in the background.

USS F-3 and crew
The USS F-3 and crew. Photo taken post WW I, circa 1920.

USS F-3 crew on back deck
Some of the USS F-3 crew on the back deck of the submarine.

F-3 crew on conn.
F-3 crew on conn. The weather cloths have been removed

F-3 crew
F-3 crew with Captain on the bridge posing for the camera.

F-3 crew
More crew from the F-3 posing for the camera.

Crew on stern ddeck
Crew kicking back on the stern while underway.

Crew on bow tied up in San Pedro
Moored to other boats while tied up in San Pedro harbor.
On the left of the picture the deck plate is raise and the
torpedo loading hatch can be seen.

Crew on deck underway
Crew on deck underway.

On the conn
Crew member standing at the topside helm station moored at san Pedro.

Crew in swimming togs
Some of the crew posing for the camera in their bathing suits.
George "Ray" Glover,QM2 appears to be in the back row in the middle of the photo.

Hand made bag
One of the crew seems to have spent some of his time aboard making
a hand bag for a wife or girl friend. The colors are unknown but the letters
USN can be seen worked into the stripes and a fringe along the bottom.
Most likely macramé work.

Captain & Chief
The USS F-3's Captain and the chief of the boat, COB for short, on the bridge.

Conning tower bridge
Conning tower bridge with weather cloths rigged.
The canvas projection on the right side of the bridge is a "head" or bathroom
to be used while on the surface. Facilities below were crude to say the least.

Below decks and miscellaneous USS F-3 photos

Torpedo room
The USS F-3 torpedo room. A skid for loading and handling a torpedo
can be seen to the left in the photo in front of what is the # 4 torpedo tube.
Torpedo tubes are numbered top to bottom. Odd numbers on the starboard
side, tubes 1 and 3, and even numbers on the port side, tubes 2 and 4.

Torpedo Room
Crew member called a torpedoman, working on a torpedo sticking out of
torpedo tube number 4. Behind him can be seen a torpedo skid in front
of the number 3 torpedo tube door. Chain fall hoists for torpedo handling
can be seen hanging from the overhead port and starboard above the top
torpedo tube doors. Lockers held equipment for working on the torpedoes.

Radio operator at the set
A radio operator who appears to be black working the radio set.
Through the door can be seen the lockers in the torpedo room.
That would make the location of the radio station on the port side of the boat.
A hand wound record player can be seen on the left side of the photo.
No doubt the ship entertainment system, today's stereo or CD player.

Radio operator G. Reed working at the set.

Control room
Control Room of the USS F-3. View to port. Behind the ladder is the ships helm.
A chain can be seen linking the helm to solid control linkages to shift the rudder.
Behind the white vertical pipe is the Bow and Stern planes controls.
Electrical panels for distribution of power from the battery are on the left.

Pump station
The USS F-3 control room. View to starboard. You are looking at the "pump station".
This could be the motor that ran several pumps or just one. Most likely this is for trimming
the submarine by pumping water forward and aft and in and out of the submarine.
Electrical panels ar seen to the right. Far left in the photo can be seen the Kingston valve
operating levers at a slight angle to the right of the large white pipe. The galley is left of these.

Elecrical Panels
A view of the electrical panels just aft of the pump shown in the above photo.

Dive station
Bow and stern planes controllers. Bow planes to the right, stern planes to the left.
Two depth gauges are seen above the wheels.

Dive station
Just forward of the dive station a fold out desk can be seen.
A crewman stands at the left side of the photo.
On the bottom of the vertical white pipe can be seen a flapper valve indicator.
These are probably for battery well ventilation.

Galley
The galley facilities aboard the USS F-3. There appears to be several hot plates
on the counter and an old fashioned toaster and a coffee urn.
To the right of the white pipe is an oven and storage lockers below all
for food storage. At the far right are the Kingston operating levers.
A blur of a crewman who moved out of the photo can also be just made out.

The stowawy
Crew below in the torpedo room goofing off. The man in the center
had been labeled as a stowaway. Whether this is true or not isn't known
He may be just a visitor or had really gotten aboard and had gone to sea with them.

Looking aft at sea
A view looking aft at sea.

Lots of smoke
A nest of submarines tied up to the pier at San Pedro.
The smoke is possibly one of the boats starting her diesel engines.
There doesn't seem to be the right kind of activity for this to be a fire.

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