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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Protector

Introduction courtesy of simonlake.com.
The Protector was the pioneer Submarine Torpedo Boat of the Lake level-keel type, and was built by the Lake Torpedo Boat Company in Bridgeport in 1901-1902, - launched at Bridgeport Conn. on 1 November 1902. The Protector was designed for coastal defense and there was considerable controversy between the Lake & Holland submarines. Many officials in favor of the Lake-type, even-keel submarine verses the Holland diving type. However, the military were already familiar with the Holland subs and stayed with that type.
Both Japan and Russia were keenly interested in the Protector, and it was sold to Russia and shipped to St. Petersburg, during the Russian-Japanese war. From St. Petersburg she was shipped to Vladivostok, 6,000 miles across Siberia, special cars being built for her transport. Bridges had to be strengthened and in some cases special provision made to pass her through tunnels. She was very successful, and Russia ordered five additional boats of this type which were manufactured by the Newport News Shipbuilding and transported abroad.
The success of the Protector, renamed "Osetr" in Russia, led to additional contracts for the Lake Company to build additional cruiser-type submarines, all forming Russia's first submarine force fleet of practical military submarines.
The significant achievement of the Protector submarine is that it established a new worldwide precedent for submarine design of the even-keel type. Unfortunately, the United States did not properly acknowledge this fact until foreign governments achieved an obvious measure of success with the Lake submarine.

As built to the specifications:
Overall Length: 92'
Beam: 13'
200 Ton Displacement.
With 10 man crew accommodations.
Click On Image
For Full Size		Size Image Description Source
Protector 828k LAUNCH OF SIMON LAKE'S NEW SUBMARINE BOAT
The particular feature of this boat is that it has an attachment with wheels which will enable it to run on land either at the bottom of the bay or sea or over the land between rivers. 		Image and text provided by University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu, HI.
Photo from The Pacific Commercial Advertiser. (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 13 December 1902, Image 10 via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Photo i.d. courtesy of Ric Hedman
Defender
0845203		 384k Protector on her trial run. Photo i.d. via David Johnston (USN, retired)
Photo courtesy of James Bass @ nky-photos.com
Protector 1.20k Cut away drawing of Lake's Protector by R. G. Skerret in 1903. Photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Protector 584k Men inside submarine Protector in January 1904.
See pigboats.com for more details.		Digital Source: Bain News Service.
LOC photo # LC-B2-668-9 / 03209v from lcweb2.loc.gov via Patricia Tanur.
Protector 2.54k Protector in 1903. Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Photo & text by The Washington Times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 06 March 1904, Colored Section, Image 43, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Protector 575k SUBMARINE FOR THE ARMY
A detailed sketch of the Protector. 		Image and text provided by University of Utah, Marriott Library.
Photo & text by The Logan Republican. (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 30 March 1904, Image 7, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Protector 305k Protector in dry dock circa 1904. The photo shows one man standing on top with another stands near the open bottom hatch. Source: Library of Congress, Photo No. LC-USZ62-24757, courtesy of Mike Green.
Protector 920k Representatives of the Japanese government inspecting the Protector. Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Photo & text by New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 13 June 1904, Image 1, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Fulton 1.50k The Development of the Submarine In Naval Warfare; Tiny Craft Which May Put Battleships Out of Commission.
The Fulton & Protector are shown. 		Image and text provided by University of Utah, Marriott Library.
Photo from Deseret Evening News. (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 13 July 1904, Last Edition, Image 7, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Protector 1.26k HOW A SUBMARINE BOAT GETS IN ITS WORK
Mr. Yoki on the turret of the Protector.
The dispatches from the Far East indicate that submarine boats...of the Protector class are known to have been sold to Japan. 		Image and text provided by The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundation.
Photo & text by The Evening World. (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 31 May 1905, Evening Edition, Image 5, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Protector 1.67k SUBMARINES WILL DRIVE BATTLESHIPS FROM MASTERY OF THE SEA
Simon Lake Agrees With Admiral Sir Percy Scott That Naval Warfare of the Future Will Be Conducted Under Water
The Protector speeding along through a heavy sea.		 Image and text provided by The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundation.
Photo & text by The Sun.(New York, [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 28 June 1914, THIRD SECTION, Image 26, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Protector 685k Greatest Builder of Under Water Craft Tells How America Can Be Made Unconquerable and Defeat Its Enemies at Will
A submarine (Protector) as she appeared soon after she had risen through heavy ice and snow. 		Image and text provided by University of Utah, Marriott Library.
Photo & text by The Ogden Standard.(Ogden City, Utah) 1913-1920, 24 July 1915, Holiday Edition, MAGAZINE SECTION, Image 20, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Photo i.d. courtesy of David Johnston & Ric Hedman.
Protector 835k First gun ever installed on a submarine. The Protector built by Simon Lake, with part of her conning tower above the surface. Image and text provided by The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundation.
Photo & text by The Sun.(New York, [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 12 August 1917, Section 5 Special Feature Supplement, Image 47, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Photo i.d. courtesy of Braydon Harris & Ric Hedman.
Protector 800k Our Submarines Have Defied Ice Menace Image and text provided by The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundation.
Photo & text by The Sun.(New York, [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 02 June 1918, Section 5 Magazine Section, Images 52 & 53, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Protector 1.92k A monster of the deep; Submarine - Lake type - Protector. Image and text provided by Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN.
Photo & text by The Princeton Union. (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 11 July 1918, Image 8, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Not Applicable to this Vessel
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Lake Submarine: The Defender, built in 1907
WORLD SUBMARINE HISTORY TIMELINE 1580-2000
pigboats.com
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