USS Plunger (1897)

USS Plunger, the first submarine torpedo boat to be built for the United States Navy, was authorized by the United States Congress on 3 March 1893, designed by John P. Holland, a contract for her construction was awarded to Holland Torpedo Boat Company on 13 March 1895. However, the boat and the contract were canceled in April 1900.

Plunger, was a 149-ton experimental steam-driven vessel. She was constructed at Columbian Iron Works and Dry Dock Co., Baltimore, Maryland, launched in August 1897 and ran dock trials in 1898. However, her complex machinery arrangement proved unworkable and the boat was not accepted for service. For one thing, the craft was prone to overheating, making it nearly impossible for the crew to operate it for any extended period. The contract was canceled in 1900, with the funds already paid for her applied to the purchase price of a new submarine, which became USS Plunger (SS-2). The original Plunger was retained by the Holland Torpedo Boat Company. Though considered for reconstruction with new engines, she remained inactive until scrapped in 1917.