NOW AVAILABLE

Before the Dolphins Guild

A story of Heroic Efforts to Save Two Navy Submarine Crews Trapped Under the Sea in 1915 and 1916

In the early days of submarining, before the Great War, two U.S. submarine disasters riveted the nation as the stories unfolded in local and national newspapers. In Hawaii, the USS F-4 left Honolulu on a routine training run in March 1915 — and disappeared with its crew of 21 men. At Northern California’s Humboldt Bay in December 1916, the USS H-3 crashed onto the sea floor during a treacherous bar crossing attempt and was pinned under roiling surf with its crew of 27. Both rescue attempts would become historic naval events, requiring tremendous courage, innovation, and stamina from all the crews and individuals involved.

Watch the Author Discuss the Legendary Submarine Incident with Humboldt Outdoors

WORKS BY JON HUMBOLDT GATES

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jon Humboldt Gates, author photo

Jon Humboldt Gates is the author of five non-fiction books, including his most recent historical work – Before the Dolphins Guild – A Story of Heroic Efforts to Save Two Navy Submarine Crews Trapped Under the Sea in 1915 and 1916 (2022). Other recent works by the author include, Firestorm (2018) – A Personal Narrative from the Epicenter of the Tubbs Firestorm, One of the Most Destructive Wildfires in California History; And, It’s Warm in Siberia – Travel Stories and Photographs from a Solo Journey Across the USSR in 1984 (Second Edition 2023).