United States L-class submarine

	USS L-1, lead ship of her class during running trials
Class overview
Name	L class
Builders	Electric Boat Company design:; Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Quincy, Massachusetts (L-1 to L-4, L-9 to L-11); Lake Torpedo Boat Company design:; Lake Torpedo Boat Company, Bridgeport, Connecticut (L-5); California Shipbuilding Company, Long Beach, California (L-6 & L-7); Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine (L-8);
Operators	United States Navy
Preceded by	K class
Succeeded by	USS M-1
Built	1914–1917
In commission	1916–1923
Planned	11
Completed	11
Scrapped	11
General characteristics
Class & type	L-1-class (L-1 to L-4, L-9 to L-11)
Type	Submarine
Displacement	450 long tons (457 t) surfaced; 548 long tons (557 t) submerged;
Length	168 ft 5 in (51.33 m)
Beam	17 ft 4 in (5.28 m)
Draft	13 ft 7 in (4.14 m)
Installed power	900 bhp (670 kW) diesel ; 340 hp (250 kW) electric;
Propulsion	2 × NELSECO Diesel engines; 2 × Electro Dynamic electric motors; 2 × 60-cell batteries; 2 × Propellers;
Speed	14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph) surfaced; 10.5 kn (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) submerged;
Range	4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 7 kn (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) surfaced; 150 nmi (280 km; 170 mi) at 5 kn (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged;
Test depth	200 ft (61 m)
Complement	2 officers; 26 enlisted;
Armament	4 × 18 inch (450 mm) bow torpedo tubes (8 torpedoes); 1 × 3 in (76 mm)/23 caliber retractable deck gun;
General characteristics
Class & type	L-5-class (L-5 to L-8)
Type	Submarine
Displacement	451 long tons (458 t) surfaced; 527 long tons (535 t) submerged;
Length	165 ft (50 m)
Beam	14 ft 9 in (4.50 m)
Draft	13 ft 3 in (4.04 m)
Installed power	1,200 bhp (890 kW) (diesel engines),; 800 hp (600 kW) (electric motors);
Propulsion	Diesel-electric; 2 × Busch-Sulzer Diesel engines; 2 × Diehl electric motors; 1 × 120-cell battery; 2 × Propellers;
Speed	14 kn surfaced; 10.5 kn submerged;
Range	4500 nmi at 7 kn surfaced; 150 nmi at 5 kn submerged;
Test depth	200 ft
Complement	2 officers; 26 enlisted;
Armament	4 × 18 inch bow torpedo tubes (8 torpedoes)

The United States L-class submarines were a class of 11 coastal defense submarines built 1914–1917, and were the most modern and capable submarines available to United States Navy when the country entered World War I. Despite being considered a successful design by the USN, war experience in European waters demonstrated that the boats lacked the range, speed, and endurance to conduct extended patrols in the North Atlantic.