Her keel was laid down on 10 December 1900 at San Francisco, California, by Union Iron Works, a subcontractor for the Holland Torpedo Boat Company of New York City.

[2] Over the next three and a half years, Grampus operated out of the San Francisco, California, area, principally in training and experimental work.

On 16 February 1915, she was hoisted onto the collier Hector, which sailed soon thereafter for the Philippines with A-3 and her sister ship, A-5 (ex-Pike), as deck cargo.

Hector arrived at Olongapo, site of the Subic Bay Naval Base, on 26 March, and returned A-3 to the water 10 April.

Commissioned at Olongapo a week later, on 17 April, A-3 was assigned to the First Submarine Division, Torpedo Flotilla, Asiatic Fleet, and remained in active service with that unit until decommissioned at Cavite on 25 July 1921.