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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
Online Library of Selected Images:
-- EVENTS -- The 1910s -- 1916-1917
Stranding of USS H-3 and USS Milwaukee, and
salvage of USS H-3, December 1916 - April 1917
On the morning of 14 December 1916 four U.S. Navy vessels were
en route to visit the northern California city of Eureka. The
three submarines, H-1,
H-2 and
H-3, and
their tender, the monitor Cheyenne,
had come down the West Coast in frequently foggy weather, and
now had to negotiate heavy waves to enter the shelter of Humboldt
Bay. With visibility limited from her low conning tower, H-3
misjudged her position and found herself in the surf off Samoa
Beach, near the bay's entrance. Her one functioning diesel engine
was not powerful enough to escape the breakers, and the submarine
was soon aground broadside to the beach, rolling heavily.
With H-3's crew helpless in the pounding surf, and her
companion ships unable to reach her from offshore, the local lifesaving
crew began rescue operations. During the afternoon a Coast Guard
surfboat was hauled overland and, after fighting its way out through
the violent seas, was able carry a line to the stranded submarine.
By early evening all of H-3's twenty-seven crewmen had
been brought ashore by breeches buoy.
The problem of salvaging the stranded submarine was now addressed.
The Navy tug Iroquois
and Coast Guard cutter McCulloch
joined Cheyenne in this effort. With great difficulty a
heavy cable was run from the submarine out to the monitor, but
this broke when Cheyenne and Iroquois tried to pull
H-3 free on 19 December. With that, private contractors
were called in. A salvage firm offered to do the work for $150,000,
but this was deemed too costly. The only other bid, for only $18,000
from a local construction company which proposed to haul H-3
over Samoa Beach and relaunch her into Humboldt Bay, was dismissed
as unrealistic. The Navy, though lacking salvage experience and
specialized equipment, decided to pursue the task itself. The
way was thus unwittingly established for an even greater disaster,
whose story is related in the following
pages.
This page features, and provides links to, all the views
we concerning the stranding of USS H-3 (Submarine # 30),
her salvage, and to the loss of USS Milwaukee (Cruiser
# 21)
For pictures of the salvage of USS H-3 and the loss
of USS Milwaukee, see:
USS H-3 salvage attempts,
January 1917;
Stranding of USS Milwaukee,
13 January 1917;
Stranding of USS Milwaukee,
13 January 1917 -- Rescue of the ship's crew;
USS H-3 salvage efforts,
February-March 1917; and
USS H-3 salvage efforts,
April 1917.
Click on the small photograph to prompt
a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 99323
Stranding of USS H-3, December 1916
A volunteer boat crew leaving USS Cheyenne (Monitor #
10) to attempt to assist USS H-3 (Submarine # 30), soon
after the latter had run ashore on Samoa Beach, near Eureka,
California, in mid-December 1916.
Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Donation of Donald
M. McPherson.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 69KB; 740 x 470 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 66214
Stranding of USS H-3, December 1916
Lifesaving station Coast Guardsmen who rescued the crew of USS
H-3 (Submarine # 30) after she ran aground on Samoa Beach,
near Eureka, California, in mid-December 1916.
Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Donation of Donald
M. McPherson.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 76KB; 740 x 460 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 53824
USS H-3 (Submarine # 30)
Stranded on Samoa Beach, near Eureka, California, probably soon
after she had gone ashore on in December 1916. Note the canvas
weather screens still attached around the top of her conning
tower.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 71KB; 740 x 580 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 53836
USS H-3 (Submarine # 30)
Stranded on Samoa Beach, near Eureka, California, circa December
1916 - January 1917.
Though dated 13 January 1917, the absence of salvage lines atttached
to H-3's bow indicates that this photo was taken earlier.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 62KB; 740 x 450 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 53835
USS H-3 (Submarine # 30)
Stranded on Samoa Beach, near Eureka, California, circa January
1917.
This image was taken at very low tide, from off H-3's
starboard (sea side) bow.
Photographed by the Freeman Art Company.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 59KB; 740 x 520 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 53825
USS H-3 (Submarine # 30)
Stranded on Samoa Beach, near Eureka, California, circa December
1916 - January 1917.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 565 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 53826
USS H-3 (Submarine # 30)
Seen from astern while stranded on Samoa Beach, near Eureka,
California, circa December 1916 - January 1917.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 106KB; 740 x 565 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 66224
Stranding of USS H-3, December 1916
Sailors and civilians gather around USS H-3 (Submarine
# 30) "high and dry" on Samoa Beach, California, soon
after she went ashore in mid-December 1916.
Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Donation of Donald
M. McPherson.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 71KB; 740 x 465 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 53827
USS H-3 (Submarine # 30)
Seen from off her starboard quarter and surrounded by a crowd
of onlookers and Navy personnel, while stranded on Samoa Beach,
near Eureka, California, circa January 1917.
Photographed by Freeman.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 65KB; 740 x 535 pixels |
 |
For pictures of the salvage of USS H-3 and the loss
of USS Milwaukee, see:
USS H-3 salvage attempts,
January 1917;
Stranding of USS Milwaukee,
13 January 1917;
Stranding of USS Milwaukee,
13 January 1917 -- Rescue of the ship's crew;
USS H-3 salvage efforts,
February-March 1917; and
USS H-3 salvage efforts,
April 1917.
Return to Naval
Historical Center home page.
Page made 31 May 2004
Text revised 14 June 2004