USS R-1 (SS-78) was the lead ship of the R-class coastal and harbor defense submarines of the United States Navy. Construction and commissioning R-1′s keel was laid down on 16 October 1917 by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on 24 August 1918, sponsored by Mrs. George W. Dashiell, and commissioned on 16 December 1918 at Boston, Massachusetts. Service history 1918–1931 After shakedown in New England waters, R-1 was assigned to Submarine Division 9 of the Atlantic Fleet and based at New London, Connecticut. She got underway on 4 December 1919 for Norfolk, Virginia, and winter exercises with her division in the Gulf of Mexico, and returned to New London on 18 May 1920 for four months of summer operations with and before sailing on 13 September for Norfolk and overhaul. Given hull classification symbol SS-78 in July 1920, R-1 was ordered to the Pacific Ocean on 11 April 1921, transited the Panama Canal in late May, and arrived on 30 June at her new base, San Pedro, California. She took part in fleet exercises off Central America from 5 February through 6 April 1923, returned to San Pedro on 10 April, and on 16 July was transferred, along with Division 9, to Pearl Harbor where for the next eight years she trained crews and developed submarine tactics. Departing San Diego on 5 January 1931 R-1 sailed for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, via the Panama Canal, arrived on 9 February and was decommissioned there on 1 May. 1940–1946 She was recommissioned in ordinary on 23 September 1940 at Groton, Connecticut, overhauled and commissioned in full on 16 October. R-1 got underway with Submarine Squadron 3, Division 42 on 10 December for the Panama Canal Zone. Stationed at Coco Solo for a year, she was reassigned to Division 31 in June 1941, ordered to New London in October for a refit, and transferred to Squadron 7. At New London on 7 December 1941, R-1 remained in the southern New England area for the first days of American participation in World War II. On 9 and 10 December she patrolled the sealanes leading to New England and on 11 December arrived at Bermuda, whence, with other SubRon 7 boats, she joined the hunt for U-boats preying on maritime traffic along the North American coast. Although limited in cruising range, the R-boats operating out of Ordnance Island, Bermuda continued their