USS T-1 and the fleet-submarine experiment

USS T-1, originally USS Schley, was an early American attempt to make submarines operate with and scout ahead of the battle fleet. A submarine could observe hostile ports where a cruiser would be too visible, but the design arrived before propulsion and radio technology could reliably support that mission. Before shortwave, radio range depended heavily on antenna size, wavelength, and transmitter power, leaving a submarine as an especially awkward radio platform. Engine failures, hull-pressure limits, and the difficulty of fitting an effective antenna all worked against the fleet-scout concept. Its short useful career shows a sound operational need outrunning the available engineering.