The later O-boats (O-11 through O-16) were designed by Lake Torpedo Boat Company to different specifications from the earlier ones designed by Electric Boat. They did not perform as well, and are sometimes considered a separate class.[1] The submarines had a length of 175feet overall, a beam of 16feet and a mean draft of 13feet. They displaced 491LT on the surface and 566LT submerged. The O-class submarines had a crew of 29 officers and enlisted men. They had a diving depth of 200feet.[2]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 4400NaN0 diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 370hp electric motor. They could reach 14kn on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the O class had a range of 5500nmi at .[2]
The boats were armed with four 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They carried four reloads, for a total of eight torpedoes. The O-class submarines were also armed with a single 3"/50 caliber deck gun.[2]
O-16 was laid down on 7 October 1916 by California Shipbuilding Company in Long Beach, California. The boat was launched on 9 February 1918 sponsored by Mrs. I. H. Mayfield, and commissioned on 1 August 1918. Commissioning during the final months of World War I, O-16 had little wartime duty. After the war, she reported to Cape May, New Jersey, where she went into dry-dock on 20 September 1919. In October, the boat sailed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where a dangerous fire in her superstructure on 29 December was brought under control before it did major damage.
In 1922, O-16 was stationed at Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone, for diving tests and maneuvers. She cruised in formation with,,, and submarine tender to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on 26 January, and continued maneuvers in and around the Virgin Islands. In April, she returned to Coco Solo, where electricians and engineers put her in prime condition.
In November 1923, O-16 sailed to Philadelphia, where she decommissioned on 21 June 1924 after just five and a half years of service, and was turned over to the Commandant, Navy Yard, Philadelphia. Struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 9 May 1930, the boat was scrapped in accordance with the London Naval Treaty on 30 July 1930.