Nautilus

For other uses see Nautilus (disambiguation)

The nautilus is a tropical mollusc, having a many-chambered, spiral shell with a pearly interior. Derived from a Greek word meaning "sailor" or "ship," Nautilus and its variants has been a common ship's name in several languages for centuries. Six ships of the United States Navy have been named Nautilus and ten of the Royal Navy.

A popular misconception is that these ships were named for the fictional submarine in Jules Verne's 1870 novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, but the name Nautilus has been associated with fighting ships since 1762, long before Verne christened Captain Nemo's submarine Nautilus.

US Naval ships named Nautilus

Six ships of the U.S. Navy have been named Nautilus. Not all of these ships were called "Nautilus" throughout their service, the following dates may refer to the vessel's launch date, commissioning date, or rechristening date:

12-gun schooner 1799

Launched as a merchant ship in 1799, Nautilus, a schooner of 12 guns, first appeared on the Navy list in 1803. Under the command of Lt. Richard Somers, she was with Commodore Preble's Squadron in the Mediterranean, during the campaign against the Tripolitan Pirates. Her battle plaque is inscribed with the names of Tripoli and Derne from this early war of the U.S. Navy. She continued in active service until she was captured by a British squadron at the outbreak of the War of 1812.

76-foot survey schooner 1838

Nautilus was used, in 1838 to name a 76-foot schooner built specifically for hydrographic survey of the U.S. coast. She was placed in service in 1847 for use in the Mexican War.

First military submarine Nautilus 1911

In 1911, Nautilus made her first appearance in the Submarine Force although later that year her name was changed to H-2. Built in San Francisco, the 150-foot, 467-ton diesel submarine saw service until 1922 when she was decommissioned.

66-foot patrol/escort 1917

During World War I the name and tradition were carried on by a 66-foot motor pleasure boat, built at City Island, New York. She was commissioned in 1917 and assigned to patrol and escort duties of the New York City area for the remainder of World War I.

USS Nautilus/USS O-12 1918

The USS O-12 (SS-73) was an O-11-class submarine of the United States Navy, commissioned 18 October 1918, with Lieutenant Commander J.E. Austin in command. She did not begin as Nautilus but was later re-christened.

Submarine O-12 spent much of her career as a unit of Submarine Division 1, based at Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone. In 1921, she was awarded a Battle Efficiency Pennant and trophy for gunnery (gun and torpedo).

Decommissioned 17 June 1924, she was placed in reserve at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where she remained until struck from the Naval Vessel Register 29 July 1930.

She was converted by the Philadelphia Navy Yard for use on the Sir Hubert Wilkins Arctic Expedition of geophysical investigation—during which the submarine bore the name Nautilus. Afterward she was returned to the Navy Department and was scuttled 20 November 1931 in a Norwegian fjord.

Second military submarine USS Nautilus (SS-168) 1930

USS Nautilus (SS-168) was built at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in 1930 and was one of the largest submarines built for the U.S. Navy prior to the development of nuclear propulsion.

War in the Pacific

With the outbreak of the war in the Pacific, Nautilus quickly joined the fight and established the reputation, which was to characterize her throughout the next three years of combat. On her first war patrol, at the Battle of Midway, she sank the aircraft carrier Sōryū that had been previously damaged by aerial attacks.

On her second patrol, she carried out the first of many special missions that her size particularly suited her for. Carrying a detachment of the Second Marine Raider Battalion and in company with USS Argonaut she attacked and captured the enemy held island of Makin.

Presidential Unit Citation

On her third patrol, she accounted for three ships. For her distinguished service on these three war patrols she was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (US), the Navy's highest award to a fighting ship.

After fourteen war patrols, in which she sank seven ships and participated in the battles of Midway, Makin, Guadalcanal, Attu, the Gilbert Islands and Leyte, she was retired from combat service and decommissioned on 30 June 1945.

First nuclear submarine USS Nautilus (SSN-571) 1954

USS Nautilus (SSN-571), retired, heading for home after $4.7 million dollar preservation by Electric Boat.

On 12 December 1951, the Navy Department announced that the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, SSN-571, would carry the name Nautilus. Authorized by the Congress in July 1951, her keel was laid at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut by Harry S. Truman, President of the United States, on 14 June 1952. A year and a half later—on 21 January 1954—the First Lady, Mrs. Dwight Eisenhower broke the traditional bottle of champagne on her bow as the ship slid down the ways into the Thames River in Connecticut.

"Underway on nuclear power"

On 17 January 1955, USS Nautilus put to sea for the first time and signaled her historic message "Underway on nuclear power." She steamed submerged 1,300 miles from New London to San Juan, Puerto Rico, in just 84 hours. The success of Nautilus ensured the future of nuclear power in the Navy.

Museum

Now a museum, after undergoing a five-month preservation at Electric Boat division of General Dynamics, at a cost of approximately $4.7 million. The historic ship Nautilus attracts some 250,000 visitors annually to her present berth near the United States Naval Submarine Base New London, at Groton's Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton, Connecticut.

Other

• Nautilus, the first practical submarine, invented by Robert Fulton in 1800.
• Nautilus, the Spanish training ship commanded by Fernando Villaamil which fulfilled a world circumnavigation in 1892-1894
• Nautilus, fictional submarine from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
• Ten vessels of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Nautilus

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