J. D. Perkins (the author of the authoritative Canada's Submariners 1914-1923) has been kind enough to provide the following articles on the H-Class Submarines built in Montreal:
Originally posted on MARHST-L 23 August 1998 by Rollie Webb (RWebb56467@AOL.COM), the following, reproduced by permission, is a very brief summary of some little known submarine building, performed in Canada during World War One.
The construction of these two subs [what would eventually become HMC S/M's CC1 and CC2] in Seattle, using parts from Electric Boat were indeed for the Chilean Government but last minute payment problems delayed acceptance of the vessels and left them available for purchase by Canada. However the story is much more extensive than just the purchase of these two vessels.
The Moran Bros. later the Seattle Construction & Drydock was the builder and survives today as Todd Pacific Shipyards Corp. Seattle C had a license from Electric Boat from about 1910 and had built four other subs for the USN between 1912 and 1914. One of these, the Garfish ( H-3) was the model for the two Chilean subs. The "H" class sub was very successful from a sales point of view and with the outbreak of the War they became a hot item.
For those who want to read more I would suggest the following:
" The Legend of Electric Boat " by Jeffrey L. Rodengen ISBN
0-945903-24-3,1994.
" Britain's Clandestine Submarines 1914-1915 " by Gaddis Smith, 1964,
ISBN 0-208-01504-3.
" The Subterfuge Submarines " by E. C. Fischer jr. published in Warship
International , 1977 Vol. XIV No.3 and again in 1979 vol. xvi No.2
" Building Submarines for Russia in Burrard Inlet " by W.Kaye Lamb published
in BC Studies No.71 Autumn , 1986
The University of British Columbia Special Collections holds "The Patterson papers" an extensive collection of papers , photos etc of the BC side of the story.
Return to WWI The Maritime War
Return to WWI Archive main page.