By modern standards, a World War I-era submarine might seem primitive—and even at the time, sail power was far from typical. But in May 1921, the USS R-14 (SS-91) found itself stranded more than 100 miles off Hawaii’s coast after losing engine power. With no radio contact and only limited battery reserves, the crew had to act fast and think creatively.
They turned to whatever materials they had on board—sheets, hammocks, and blankets—to fashion makeshift sails. Against all odds, their homemade rigging caught the wind, allowing them to navigate roughly 80 miles toward Hilo Harbor over the course of three days.
This clever solution not only saved the sub and its crew, but also earned a lasting place in naval lore as one of the most inventive feats of seamanship in U.S. Navy history.
R-class submarines
The USS R-14 belonged to a group of 27 R-class submarines constructed for the U.S. Navy between 1918 and 1919. Designed in the wake of America’s entry into World War I, most of these subs were finished too late to see wartime action. Intended to replace the earlier O-class, the R-class introduced several important innovations—most notably, they were the first American submarines to feature 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, a standard still used today.
In addition to torpedoes, the R-class boats were armed with a 76 mm deck gun, providing defensive and offensive capability on the surface, including some protection against aircraft. Each submarine measured about 186 feet in length, with a displacement of roughly 640 tons. They used a diesel-electric propulsion system common for the era: two 600-horsepower diesel engines powered surface operations, while a pair of 467-horsepower electric motors took over when submerged, since diesel engines couldn’t run without air.
The R-class could reach speeds of 12.5 knots (approximately 14.4 mph) on the surface and 10.5 knots (about 12.1 mph) underwater. While they arrived too late for combat service in WWI, the R-class helped lay the foundation for future American submarine design, introducing systems and specifications that would shape the next generation of undersea warfare.
USS R-14
The construction of the USS R-14 began in 1918, and she was commissioned by the end of 1919. Although she did not see active combat during WWI, the submarine played an essential role in the Pacific Fleet during peacetime, contributing to the development and refinement of submarine and anti-submarine warfare tactics. Additionally, she was involved in several search and rescue missions.
The USS R-14 remained in service throughout WWII, primarily functioning as a training vessel, and was overhauled in 1941. She was officially removed from the Naval Vessel Register in May 1945 and was dismantled in 1946.
The return to wind power
In 1921, the USS R-14 was participating in a search and rescue mission for the USS Conestoga, a US Navy ocean-going tug. Conestoga had disappeared while on her way to the South Pacific Ocean, which prompted a major search for the vessel.
In May of 1921, while surfaced and searching for the Conestoga, R-14 ran out of fuel and lost radio communications. The crew was about 100 nautical miles away from Pearl Harbor when the vessel ran out of fuel, a distance too far for her to reach on battery power alone. On top of this, the USS R-14 only carried enough food to last the crew 5 days.
The submarine was dead in the water, without any power and no way of calling for help.
Fortunately, the submarine’s engineering officer Roy Trent Gallemore came up with an unusual but smart plan. Gallemore suggested going back to the basics, and sailing R-14 to Pearl Harbor under wind power.
To do this, the crew tied together several bunk bed frames and attached them to the torpedo-loading crane in front of the conning tower. They then tied a foresail made out of eight hammocks to the bed frame assembly.
With just this one sail, R-14 began to move at a speed of 1.2 mph and gained rudder control. Gallemore’s plan was clearly working, so the crew added another sail made from six blankets to the radio mast, which increased the submarine’s speed by a further 0.58 mph. A third sail comprised of eight blankets added another 0.58 mph to the R-14‘s speed.
The submarine was eventually able to start charging its batteries. R-14 and all of its crew arrived at Hawaii 64 hours later, after a long and slow journey.
R-14‘s captain, Lieutenant Alexander Dean Douglas received a commendation for his crew’s clever problem solving from Chester W. Nimitz, his Submarine Division Commander.
The USS Conestoga would never be found in the search, or for another 95 years. The tug boat was discovered in 2009 just off the coast of California, and its identity was confirmed in 2015.