Naval Base San Pedro and San Pedro Submarine Base were

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

bases at the Port of

San Pedro, California San Pedro ( ; ) is a neighborhood located within the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay and Los Angeles Harbor Region, Harbor region of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los ...

officially founded in 1919. While commissioned in 1919, the Navy started operating out of the port in 1910, by renting dock space at the City of San Pedro's Dock No. 1 in 1914. The Navy had vessels stationed at the port starting in 1913. The San Pedro Submarine Base closed in 1923, with the end of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Naval Base San Pedro became part of

Naval Operating Base Terminal Island Naval Operating Base Terminal Island, (NOB Terminal Island) was United States Navy base founded on 25 September 1941 to support the World War II efforts in the Pacific War. Naval Operating Base Terminal Island was founded by combining Naval Faci ...

on 25 September 1941, which closed in 1947.

San Pedro Submarine Base

San Pedro Submarine Base was officially established on June 10, 1917 in response to the outbreak of

. San Pedro

Submarine Base A submarine base is a military base that shelters submarines and their personnel. Examples of present-day submarine bases include HMNB Clyde, Île Longue (the base for France's Force océanique stratégique), Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, N ...

operated as a Naval coastal defense unit. The USS ''Pike'' and the USS ''Grampus'' completed in 1902 were built in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. The

Holland Torpedo Boat Company Holland Torpedo Boat Company was founded by John Philip Holland (18411914) in 1893. Holland was an Irish engineer-inventor, who designed and built the first practical submarine. His ''Holland VI'' was renamed the USS ''Holland'' (SS-1), and became ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

contracted

Union Iron Works Union Iron Works, located in San Francisco, California, on the southeast waterfront, was a central business within the large industrial zone of Potrero Point, for four decades at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. ...

to build the two ''Plunger''-class submarines. For three and half years the two submarines operated out of

Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY or MINS) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean and was in service 142 years from 1854 to 1996. It is located on Mare Island, northeast of San Francisco, in Vallejo, Califor ...

San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay (Chochenyo language, Chochenyo: 'ommu) is a large tidal estuary in the United States, U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the cities of San Francisco, California, San ...

for training and testing. In July 1910 the ''Pike'' and ''Grampus'' relocated to San Pedro Submarine Base. In 1913 the F-class submarines were stationed at the port of San Pedro. The submarines of the 1st Submarine Group, Pacific Torpedo Flotilla arrive in 1913. To support the submarines the

submarine tender A submarine tender, in British English a submarine depot ship, is a type of depot ship that supplies and supports submarines. Development Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally cannot carry large amounts of foo ...

, USS ''Cheyenne'' and USS ''Alert'' were stationed at San Pedro Submarine Base. The submarine tenders had housing and a

mess hall The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...

for the crew. To resupply the tenders, they would dock at the rented San Pedro Dock No. 1. On June 10, 1917, work on land facilities started to offer quarters,

, freshwater supply, ship fuel, and storage. The 2nd Torpedo Flotilla, Pacific Fleet with

Holland 602 type submarine The Holland 602 type submarine, also known as the H-class submarine, was one of the most numerous submarines of World War I. The type was designed by the Electric Boat Co. of the United States, but most of the boats were built abroad: in Canada by ...

began operating out of San Pedro Submarine Base. USS ''Cheyenne ''and ''USS ''Alert sometimes depart the port for short-needed support missions up and down the California and

Pacific Coast Pacific coast may be used to reference any coastline that borders the Pacific Ocean. Geography Americas North America Countries on the western side of North America have a Pacific coast as their western or south-western border. One of th ...

. San Pedro Submarine Base became a submarine School for enlisted sailors in October 1917. The base had 525 Navy personnel stationed at the San Pedro Submarine Base. In 1917 the Navy also founded the Naval Reserve Training Station with the F-class submarines: F-1, F-2, and F-3. The base closed in 1923 and the submarines moved to

Naval Base San Diego Naval Base San Diego is a United States Navy base in San Diego, California. It is the world's second largest surface ship naval base. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the United States Pacific Fleet, consisting of over 50 ships ...

Pacific Torpedo Flotilla

In 1913 the Pacific Torpedo Flotilla of the

United States Pacific Fleet The United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT) is a theater-level component command of the United States Navy, located in the Pacific Ocean. It provides naval forces to the Indo-Pacific Command. Fleet headquarters is at Joint Base Pearl Harbor� ...

began operating out of Naval Base San Pedro. San Pedro Submarine Base Submarine: **First Submarine Group founded: * USS ''Pike'' * USS ''Grampus'' *

USS F-1 USS ''F-1'' (SS-20) was an F-class submarine. She was named ''Carp'' when her keel was laid down by Union Iron Works of San Francisco, California, making her the first ship of the United States Navy named for the carp. She was launched on 6 Se ...

USS F-2 USS ''F-2'' (SS-21) was an F-class submarine built for the United States Navy during the 1910s. Description The F-class boats had a length of overall, a beam of and a mean draft of . They displaced on the surface and submerged. The F- ...

USS F-3 USS ''F-3'' (SS-22), was a United States F-class submarine, F-class submarine. She was named ''Pickerel'' when her keel was laid down by The Moran Company of Seattle, Washington, making her the first ship of the United States Navy to be named f ...

USS F-4 USS ''F-4'' (SS-23) was a United States Navy F-class submarine. Her keel was laid down by the Moran Company of Seattle, Washington, sponsored by Mrs. Manson Franklin Backus, wife of a successful Seattle business man and banker. The submari ...

**Second-Line boats 6th Division San Pedro: *

* USS H-2 * USS H-3 * USS H-4 * USS H-5 * USS H-6 * USS H-7 * USS H-8 * USS H-9 * USS L-5 * USS L-6 * USS L-7 * USS L-8 *Tenders of San Pedro Submarine Base: * USS ''Cheyenne'' * USS ''Alert'' * USS ''Beaver'' (AS-5) * USS ''Camden'' (AS-6) * USS ''Rainbow'' (AS-7) * USS ''Canopus'' (AS-9)

Submarine sea trials

San Pedro Submarine Base was also used for testing and sea trials of new submarines. From August to November 1918 some new R-class submarines arrived after construction at Union Iron Works in San Francisco. Tested were R-15 (SS-91), R-16 (SS-92), R-17 (SS-93), R-18 (SS-94), R-19 (SS-95), R-20 (SS-96) and O-2 (SS-63).

Naval Base San Pedro

After World War I which Japan fought on the Allied side, Japan took control of German bases in China and the Pacific. In 1919, the

League of Nations The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...

approved Japan's mandate over the German islands north of the equator. The U.S. did not want any mandates and was concerned with aggressiveness. As such

Wilson Administration Woodrow Wilson served as the 28th president of the United States from March 4, 1913, to March 4, 1921. A History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat and former governor of New Jersey, Wilson took office after winning the 1912 Uni ...

transferred 200 Atlantic

warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is used for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the navy branch of the armed forces of a nation, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations. As well as b ...

s to the Pacific Fleet in 1919.Cathal J. Nolan, et al. ''Turbulence in the Pacific: Japanese-U.S. Relations during World War I'' (2000) The Port of San Diego, not yet developed, was too shallow to handle the

battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...

s, so San Pedro Submarine Base became a Naval Base on August 9, 1919. San Pedro Submarine Base and

Long Beach Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

became fleet anchorage for the 200 ships. In 1940 President Roosevelt authorized the fleet at San Pedro to be stationed at

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

Naval Base Pearl Harbor A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations ...

due to Japanese war actions. The a training ship was based at San Pedro from 12 January 1915 to 14 April 1917. *Fleet support: San Pedro from 1919 to 1940 became the home port for some Navy ships of the Pacific Battle Fleet. Some ships base at San Pedro: and ; Aircraft Carriers and ; Repair Ships , and ; and Hospital Ships and . A number of US Navy

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

s built in California used the base for supplies and sea trials. US destroyers at the base included: , , , , , , and . Other US Navy ships also used the base for resupply and a repair facility.

Early port history

The first time the US Navy operated out of the Port of San Pedro was during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

, on 6 August 1846 when Commodore

Robert F. Stockton Robert Field Stockton (August 20, 1795 – October 7, 1866) was a United States Navy commodore, notable in the capture of California during the Mexican–American War. He was a naval innovator and an early advocate for a propeller-driven, steam- ...

sailed into the port with the USS ''Congress'' and took over the port. On August 11 First Lieutenant

Jacob Zeilin Jacob Zeilin (July 16, 1806 – November 18, 1880) was an American military officer who served as the seventh Commandant of the United States Marine Corps from 1864 to 1876. He served in the United States Marine Corps for over 45 years including ...

leading

US Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the Marines, maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expedi ...

and some US Navy sailors marched to the

City of Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. With an estimated 3,878,704 residents within the city ...

and captured it. The port remained a small unit till 1851 when

Phineas Banning Phineas Banning (August 19, 1830 – March 8, 1885) was an American businessperson, businessman, financier and entrepreneur. Known as "The Father of the Port of Los Angeles," he was one of the founders of the town of Wilmington, Los Angeles, Ca ...

built a new wharf and warehouse in San Pedro, but a storm in 1858 destroyed the wharf. The US moved its operation to the new town of New San Pedro, now called Wilmington. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

troops were stationed at New San Pedro. In 1869 the

Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I Rail transport, railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was oper ...

operated a rail line to the Port of San Pedro and the port grew. The US founded a military reservation in 1888 in an area surrounding San Pedro Bay as part of a harbor defense system. Port growth stopped when politics changed and Los Angeles picked

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

as the site for a new large port. The Port Los Angeles's long Wharf in Santa Monica was completed in 1894. The 4,700 feet Wharf had a Southern Pacific Railroad line that run out on the Wharf to the dock. San Pedro Bay port area was annexed to Los Angeles in 1909 and in 1913 a storm ended the Santa Monica operation. Thus Port of San Pedro grew to be a major port. To protect San Pedro Bay construction of a breakwater started on April 26, 1899, when the first barge with rocks quarried from nearby Catalina Island were dumped in the bay. The 2.11-mile San Pedro breakwater was completed in 1911. In 1913 the Los Angeles lighthouse (Angel's Gate Light) was built at the end of the San Pedro breakwater, now a

U.S. National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of sites, buildings, structures, districts, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. It was 35 years before all of the Los Angeles Harbor breakwater was completed. With the protection of the breakwater and loss of the Santa Monica Wharf the Port of San Pedro grew into a major port.

References