Frank Cable

A diagram of the "Holland VI" prototype, piloted by Cable in its pre-commissioning phase

Frank Taylor Cable (1863-1945) was an early pioneer in submarine development and piloted the first United States Navy submarine during its pre-commissioning trials.

Cable was a qualified electrician and employee of the Electro-Dynamic Company owned by financier Isaac Rice. Rice was a financial supporter of inventor John Phillip Holland whose Holland Torpedo Boat Company was developing a prototype submarine, the ""Holland VI", for the United States Navy.

When the "Holland VI" sank in New York harbor on 13 October 1897, Cable was dispatched by Rice to assist with the repairs. The submarine's internal components had been flooded with corrosive salt water, leading to short circuits and corrosion. Cable had previously specialised in the design and production of propulsion machinery, including diesel engines and electric motors and was able to co-ordinate repair work and restore the submarine's operations.

The USS Frank Cable (background) was named in Cable's honor in 1978. The attack submarine USS Salt Lake City (foreground) differs markedly from Cable's 1900 prototype

Cable was retained as an electrician at Holland's company — while still working for Rice — and made a number of changes to the submarine design. A key proposal of Cable's was to improve the submarine's handling by relocating the rudder and stern diving planes to a position aft of the propellor. The proposal was accepted and by 4 July 1898 the "Holland VI" was ready for seagoing trials. Cable was chosen as the civilian trial captain and successfully commanded the vessel during its early operations. The Holland VI was purchased by the United States Navy on 11 April 1900 with the initial designation of USS Holland and the subsequent designation of SS-1. The craft was officially commissioned into U. S. Navy service on 12 October 1900.

Following the commissioning of the USS Holland, Cable was engaged to train prospective submarine crews in Britain, Japan and Russia. Upon his return to the United States in 1905, he went on to become a co-founder of the Electric Boat Company, the primary manufacturer of United States naval submarines in the early twentieth century. He was appointed company general manager in 1930 and died in 1945.

In 1978 the submarine tender USS Frank Cable was named in his honour.

References

• History of The Electric Boat Company and Frank Cable's role therein. www.gdeb.com/about/centennial/eb-100yrs-2.html

Further reading

• Morris, Richard Knowles (October 1998). "Who Built Those Subs?". Naval History. 12 (5). United States Naval Institute. ISSN 1042-1920. OCLC 16311980.
• Cable, Frank T. (1924). The Birth and Development of the American Submarine. New York: Harper & Bros. OCLC 1729052. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)