USS Narwhal (SS-167), the lead ship of her class of submarine and one of the "V-boats", was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the narwhal. She was named V-5 (SC-1) when her keel was laid down on 10 May 1927 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine.
USS Narwhal (SS-167) at sea, 1931
V-5 a.k.a. USS Narwhal under construction at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, 1927
A Momsen lung in use during training â USS V-5 (SC 1) crewman A. L. Rosenkotter exits the submarine's escape hatch wearing the "Momsen Lung" emergency escape breathing device during the submarine's sea trials in July 1930. The emergency breathing device was named for its inventor, U.S. Navy submarine rescue pioneer Cdr. Charles "Swede" Momsen. The submarine V-5 was later renamed USS Narwhal (SS 167).
USS Luzon, damaged while serving under Japanese command by USS Narwhal
The V-boats were a group of nine United States Navy submarines built between World War I and World War II from 1921 to 1934 under authorization as the "fleet boat" program.
V-boats (left to right): Cachalot, Dolphin, Barracuda, Bass, Bonita, Nautilus, Narwhal, with submarine tender Holland.