USS H-1

USS Seawolf/H-1 (SS-28), also known as "Submarine No. 28", was the lead ship of her class of submarine of the United States Navy (USN). She was the first ship of the USN to be named for the seawolf, though she was renamed H-1 prior to launching.

The H-class submarines had an overall length of 150 ft 4 in (45.8 m), a beam of 15 ft 10 in (4.8 m), and a mean draft of 12 ft 5 in (3.8 m). They displaced 358 long tons (364 t) on the surface and 467 long tons (474 t) submerged. They had a diving depth of 200 ft (61.0 m). The boats had a crew of 2 officers and 23 enlisted men.

For surface running, they were powered by two New London Ship & Engine Company 475-brake-horsepower (354 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by two 170-horsepower (127 kW) Electro-Dynamic Company electric motors. They could reach 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph) on the surface and 10.5 kn (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) underwater. On the surface, the boats had a range of 2,300 nmi (4,300 km; 2,600 mi) at 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph) and 100 nmi (190 km; 120 mi) at 5 kn (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged.

The boats were armed with four 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They carried four reloads, for a total of eight torpedoes.

Seawolf's keel was laid down, on 22 March 1911, by the Union Iron Works, of San Francisco, California. She was renamed, H-1, on 17 November 1911, and launched on 6 May 1913, sponsored by Miss Lesley Jean Makins. H-1 was commissioned at Mare Island Navy Yard, on 1 December 1913.

The new submarine was attached to the 2nd Torpedo Flotilla, Pacific Fleet, and operated along the West Coast, out of San Pedro, California. During various exercises and patrols, she traveled the coast from Los Angeles to lower British Columbia, often in company with her sister ships H-2 and sometimes H-3.

Sailing from San Pedro, on 17 October 1917, she reached New London, Connecticut, on 8 November. For the remainder of World War I, she was based there and patrolled Long Island Sound, frequently with officer students from the submarine school on board.

H-1 and H-2 sailed for San Pedro, on 6 January 1920, transiting the Panama Canal on 20 February. On 12 March, as H-1 made her way up the coast of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, she ran aground on a shoal off Magdalena Bay. Four men, including the commanding officer, died trying to reach shore.