The USS E-2 (SS-25), originally designated USS Sturgeon, was an E-class submarine constructed for the United States Navy. Laid down on December 22, 1909, by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company in Quincy, Massachusetts, she was launched on June 16, 1911, and sponsored by Miss Margaret Nelson Little. Prior to commissioning, she was renamed E-2 on November 17, 1911, and officially entered service on February 14, 1912. Designed as a relatively small and experimental vessel, E-2 served primarily in the Atlantic Submarine Flotilla, operating out of Newport, Rhode Island. Her early service involved developmental exercises and training missions, including cruises to Guantanamo Bay and the Gulf of Mexico between January and April 1914, and subsequent operations off Florida in 1915. A notable event in her history occurred on January 15, 1916, when she suffered a devastating explosion and fire while in dry dock at the New York Navy Yard. The accident was caused by hydrogen gas igniting during battery testing—tests conducted under the supervision of the Edison Storage Battery Company to evaluate a new nickel–iron battery designed to prevent gas buildup and chlorine asphyxiation. At the time, 32 personnel, including Navy and civilian electricians and mechanics, were aboard; four men lost their lives, and seven were injured. An investigation led by Lieutenant Chester W. Nimitz cleared her commanding officer, Lieutenant Charles M. Cooke Jr., of blame, and E-2 was subsequently placed out of commission to serve as a laboratory for battery testing. Recommissioned in March 1918, E-2 participated in training and experimental work at New London, before deploying to Norfolk for anti-submarine operations off Cape Hatteras during World War I. She conducted four patrols, notably engaging in extended submerged searches for enemy submarines, earning commendations from the Chief of Naval Operations for her long-range anti-submarine efforts. After the war, she returned to training duties. E-2 was decommissioned on October 20, 1921, at Philadelphia and sold on April 19, 1922. Her service underscores her role as an experimental and training vessel during a formative period of submarine development and operations in the U.S. Navy.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.