BRITISH SUBMARINES
The British Fleet at the moment when war was declared possessed 82
submarine torpedo-boats built and 22 building. Some of these were,
however, stationed at the oversea naval bases. The composition and
distribution of the submarine flotillas at the outbreak of hostilities
were as follows:—
SUBMARINES IN HOME WATERS.
_Patrol Flotillas._
1st Flotilla. Devonport.
Depôt ship: _Onyx_.
Submarines: A.8 and A.9.
2nd Flotilla. Portsmouth.
Depôt ship: _Dolphin_.
Submarines: A.5, A.6, A.13 and B.1.
3rd Flotilla. Devonport.
Depôt ship: _Forth_.
Submarines: B.3, B.4, B.5, C.14,
C.15 and C.16.
4th Flotilla. Portsmouth.
Depôt ships: _Arrogant_ and _Hazard_.
Submarines: C.17, C.18, C.31, C.32, C.33, C.34, C.35.
5th Flotilla. Chatham.
Depôt ship: _Thames_.
Submarines: C.1, C.2, C.3, C.4, C.5, C.6.
6th Flotilla. Chatham.
Depôt ships: _Bonaventure_ and _Hebe_.
Submarines: C.7, C.8, C.9, C.10, C.12, C.13.
7th Flotilla. Chatham.
Depôt ships: _Vulcan_ and _Alecto_.
Submarines: C.19, C.20, C.21, C.22, C.23, C.24, C.25, C.26, C.27,
C.28, C.29, C.30.
8th Flotilla. Portsmouth.
Depôt ships: _Maidstone_ and _Adamant_.
Submarines: D.1, D.2, D.3, D.4, D.5, D.6, D.7, D.8, E.1, E.2, E.3,
E.4, E.5, E.6, E.7, E.8, E.9.
9th Flotilla. Devonport.
Depôt ship: _Pactolus_.
Submarines: A.10, A.11, A.12.
SUBMARINES ON FOREIGN STATIONS.
Attached to Mediterranean Fleet.—Submarines B.9, B.10, and B.11.
At Gibraltar.—Submarines B.6, B.7, and B.8.
Attached to China Squadron.—Submarines C.36, C.37, and C.38.
With Australian Fleet.—Submarines A.E.1[2] and A.E.2.
The statement that the headquarters of the various submarine flotillas
in home waters are at Chatham, Portsmouth, and Devonport, must not be
taken as indicating that these are the only points along the coast
protected by submarines. These places are merely the chief bases of the
_Patrol Flotillas_. The wide range of action of modern submarines
enables them to operate several hundred miles from any base or depôt,
and consequently Chatham becomes merely the _general store_, or
head-depôt, of what should be termed the North Sea Flotillas, which not
only patrol the whole East, North-East and South-East Coasts of England
and Scotland, but also have their floating secondary bases in the form
of _Depôt Ships_, which, with their attached submarines, are often at
Harwich, Newcastle, Rosyth, etc. In the same way Portsmouth is merely
the headquarters of the submarines patrolling the Channel; and Dover,
Portland, etc., are seldom without strong flotillas of submarines with
their Depôt ships. The Devonport Flotillas have the longest coast-line
to patrol, for their area covers not only the West Coast of England,
Wales and Scotland, but also the Irish Coast. They are, however,
furthest removed from the zone of war.
Considerable alterations have taken place in the composition and
distribution of the British submarine flotillas since the outbreak of
war, with the object of materially strengthening the Fleet in the main
theatre of operations, but the addition to the flotillas of new vessels
of the latest “E” type—nearly completed when war broke out—has made this
rearrangement possible without materially weakening the flotillas
guarding the more distant coasts of Great Britain or recalling vessels
from overseas.
[Illustration:
_Photo, Cribb, Southsea._]
THE BRITISH SUBMARINE “D.7.”
Displacement, 620 tons; Speed, 16·10 knots; Armament, 2 bow and 1 stern
torpedo tube.
There are 8 vessels of this class, completed between 1908‒12.
]
The first submarine torpedo-boat built for the British Navy was launched
from the yard of Messrs. Vickers Ltd., Barrow-in-Furness in 1901, and
was designated the No. 1. It was constructed from the designs of the
famous American inventor, Mr. John P. Holland, and was one of the most
successful boats afloat at that time. A series of exhaustive trials with
this and the succeeding five vessels, all of the same type and launched
during 1901‒2, proved conclusively the fighting value of this type of
craft, and a further order was given by the British Admiralty for four
new vessels embodying the improvements suggested by the trials of the
first five. These vessels were the first of the “A” class, and were
designated the “A’s 1, 2, 3, and 4.” They had a submerged displacement
of 180 tons, a length of 100 feet and a beam of 10 feet. They were
propelled by petrol motors of 190 H.-P. on the surface and by electric
motors of about 80 H.-P. when submerged. Their speed ranged from 8 knots
an hour on the surface to 5 knots when travelling submerged, and their
maximum surface endurance (or fuel capacity) was only 400 knots at 8
knots. Their armament consisted of three 18-inch Whitehead torpedoes and
one bow tube.
All these vessels were, however, obsolete and therefore scrapped before
the opening of hostilities, hence information concerning them is only of
interest as showing the rapid growth in size, power and armament of
British submarines. The next batch of vessels were the A’s 5 to 13,
launched at Barrow in 1904, but these, as will have been seen from the
table showing the composition and distribution of the submarine
flotillas at the outbreak of war, are still on the effective list. All
the following British submarines are now in the fighting line.
“A” CLASS.
(Completed 1904.)
A’s 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
These vessels are the oldest British submarines in commission. They were
built at Messrs. Vickers’ works at Barrow, and have a submerged
displacement of 204 tons. Their length is 150 feet. They are propelled
on the surface by petrol motors of 600 H.-P. and by electric engines of
100 H.-P. when submerged. Their surface and submerged speed is 11 knots
and 7 knots respectively. The cruising range, or maximum surface
endurance on the fuel carried, is 400 knots at 10 knots an hour, and the
endurance submerged three hours at full speed. Their armament consists
of two bow tubes with four 18-inch Whitehead torpedoes. Complement:
Eleven officers and men.
These vessels, which are now used almost entirely for harbour defence,
can be distinguished from later types by their high conning-towers and
single short periscopes. The A.7 was lost off Plymouth early in 1914,
and was never raised.
“B” CLASS.
(Completed 1904‒6.)
B’s 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
These are submarines of the improved Holland type, and are in every way
superior to their predecessors. They may be considered the first of the
sea-going type. Their submerged displacement is 316 tons; length 135
feet, and beam 13 ½ feet. The motive power is the same as in the
“A’s”—petrol for surface propulsion and electricity for use when
submerged. The horse-power of the petrol engines is 600, and that of the
electric engines 189. As in most submarines the supply of current for
driving the electric engines is derived from storage batteries charged
by dynamos driven from the petrol engines while the vessels are running
on the surface. In the “B” class a special system of encasing these
storage batteries was introduced. Their speed averages 12 knots on the
surface and 8 knots when submerged. The surface cruising range is 1,300
knots at 10 knots per hour, and the maximum submerged endurance 80‒100
knots at 5 knots per hour. Their armament consists of two bow tubes with
4‒6 18-inch Whitehead torpedoes. Complement: Sixteen officers and men.
The “B” type are vessels about 50 per cent. larger than the “A” type
which preceded them. The “B’s” have superstructures extending from the
bow to the conning-tower, forming a narrow deck which tends to disperse
the wave which heaped around the blunt noses of the “A’s” and original
Hollands. Vision when submerged is obtained by two panoramic periscopes,
each having an arc of vision of 60 degrees. In the more modern vessels
three periscopes are fitted. The twin screws of the “B’s” are placed
below the centre line of the vessel and consequently operate in deeper
water when the vessels are cruising on the surface. This gives them
better surface cruising qualities, as in a sea-way the propellers are
liable to race if worked too near the surface. The increase in the speed
of these vessels over that of the “A’s” was of great importance, as in
this respect lies the weakness of the submarine. The tactical advantages
derived from high speed in actual warfare cannot be over-estimated. The
speed of a fleet is governed by that of its slowest unit.
The distinguishing feature of the “B” type is the straight bow, the
forward superstructure, and the _two_ periscopes. The B.2 was run down
by the liner _Amerika_ in the Straits of Dover in October, 1912, and was
never recovered.
“C” CLASS.
(Completed 1906‒10.)
C’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38.
This class of submarines is composed of vessels of the improved “B”
type. They have a submerged displacement of 320 tons and are 135 feet
long and 13 ½ feet broad. The petrol motors develop 600 H.-P. and give
to these vessels a speed of 14 knots an hour on the surface. The power
of the electric engines was increased to 300 H.-P., giving a submerged
speed of just over 9 knots an hour. The surface cruising range is 2,000
knots at the most economical speed, and the submerged endurance 100
knots at 5 knots an hour. Their armament consists of two bow tubes with
six 18-inch Whitehead torpedoes; and their complement sixteen officers
and men.
In the later vessels of the “C” class heavy oil is used instead of
petrol, giving a great increase in power without the comparative
additional weight; enabling a wider radius of action. The vessels of
both the “B” and “C” classes are fitted with air-traps and
safety-helmets, giving the crew a possible means of escape in the event
of disaster while submerged.
The distinguishing feature of the “C” class is the sloping bow. The C.11
collided with the steamer _Eddystone_ in the North Sea in 1909 and was
irretrievably lost.
“D” CLASS.
(Completed 1908‒11.)
D’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
These are all modern vessels of the sea-going type, and are of
considerable fighting value. They, however, differ slightly from each
other: D.1 has a submerged displacement of 595 tons; D.2 of 600 tons;
and the remaining vessels of this class of 620 tons. They have an
approximate length of 150 feet and a beam of 15 feet. Heavy-oil engines
of 1,200 H.-P. drive them at a maximum speed of 16 knots an hour on the
surface, and electric motors of 550 H.-P. give them a submerged speed of
just over 10 knots an hour. All these vessels have twin-screws situated
below the centre line. Their cruising range on the surface is 4,000
miles, and when submerged 120 knots at 7 knots an hour. These vessels
were the first to be fitted with a special and more efficient pattern of
electric storage battery and a safer type of electric motor. The
armament of the “D’s” consists of two bow and one stern tube with six
18-inch Whitehead torpedoes. D’s 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are also fitted with
a small quick-firing, high-angle gun for defence against air-craft. This
gun is fixed on a disappearing mounting, enabling it to be quickly and
almost automatically lowered into a watertight cavity in the
superstructure before the submarine dives below the surface. The
complement of these vessels is twenty-one officers and men.
[Illustration:
_Photo, Cribb, Southsea._]
THE BRITISH SUBMARINE “C.34.”
Displacement, 320 tons; Speed, 14·9 knots; Armament, 2 bow torpedo
tubes.
There are 37 vessels of this class, completed between 1906‒12.
]
“E” CLASS.
(Completed 1912‒14.)
E’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.
These fine ocean-going submarines are the latest additions to the
British Flotillas. They have a submerged displacement of 800 tons, are
176 feet long and 22 ½ feet in beam. The heavy-oil engines of nearly
2,000 H.-P. give them a surface speed of over 16 knots, while the
electric engines of 800 H.-P. drive them at a maximum speed of 10 knots
an hour when submerged. Their surface cruising range is 5,000 miles at
economical speed, and the submerged endurance 140 knots at 8 knots an
hour. In point of armament the “E’s” are far more powerful than their
predecessors, being fitted with four tubes and carrying six of the
largest and most powerful Whitehead torpedoes. They are also equipped
with two 3-inch quick-firing guns on high-angle disappearing mountings
for defence against air-craft and hostile torpedo-boats and destroyers.
They have wireless telegraphic apparatus; and, like the vessels of the
“B,” “C” and “D” classes, have armoured conning towers and decks. Three
tall panoramic periscopes are fitted, and their high superstructures and
increased buoyancy when travelling on the surface enable them to keep
the sea in almost any weather.
AUSTRALIAN SUBMARINES:
A.E.1 and A.E.2.
These vessels are exactly the same as the “E” class. The fact that they
both accomplished the 13,000-mile voyage from Barrow to Sydney under
their own power and without convoy is practical proof of the wide range,
seaworthiness and general efficiency of the latest British Naval
Submarines. The A.E.1 mysteriously disappeared in Australian waters in
October, 1914, and has not been recovered.
BRITISH SUBMARINES BUILDING.
At the commencement of the great war there were 22 British submarines in
course of construction at the various shipbuilding works and naval
dockyards. Up to 1909 Messrs. Vickers Ltd., had constructed all the
British submarines, but in that year the vessels C.17 and C.18 were laid
down at Chatham Dockyard. Since then several other boats have been
constructed there, and of those now in hand some are being built by
Messrs. Vickers Ltd. at Barrow, others at Messrs. Scott’s shipbuilding
yards at Greenock, and a few by Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth and Co.
Ltd. at Newcastle-on-Tyne, and at H.M. Dockyard at Chatham.
Hitherto, British submarines, although divided into classes—each of
which has shown a marked improvement on the preceding class—have been
all of one type—the “Improved Holland.” Among the vessels being
constructed at the opening of hostilities they were, however, no less
than three different types. Those being built at Barrow and Chatham were
of the original design with modern improvements, but the submarines
under construction at Greenock were of the _Laurenti_, or Italian type,
and those at Newcastle-on-Tyne of the _Laubeuf_, or French type. In
addition to this wise departure from previous practice, two of the new
vessels have been given the names of _Nautilus_ and _Swordfish_.
The haze of war has obscured these vessels, and it is impossible to say
definitely which of them have taken their place in the active flotillas,
and further the necessity for observing the very strictest secrecy
regarding new types of warships at a time like the present makes it
advisable to give here only the briefest particulars and not to discuss
too freely the peculiarities of their design or their probable
capabilities.
“F” CLASS.
There are several vessels of this class now being constructed. They are
the latest improvement of the original Holland design and are sea-going
submarines of wide range, high speed and great fighting power. The F.1,
which was built at Chatham Dockyard, has a submerged displacement of
1,500 tons. Heavy-oil engines of about 5,000 H.-P. give her a maximum
speed of 20 knots an hour on the surface, and electric motors of 2,000
H.-P. drive her at 12 knots when submerged. The armament consists of six
torpedo tubes, ten torpedoes, and two quick-firing, high-angle guns.
“V” CLASS. “W” CLASS. “S” CLASS.
_Nautilus_ and _Swordfish_.
These three classes include the vessels of entirely different design to
those now forming the British flotillas. The “V,” or Vickers’ type, of
which four were under construction at the beginning of the war, are
large sea-going submarines with a submerged displacement of over 1,000
tons, and a probable surface speed of 20 knots. The “W” Class, of which
four are being built at Elswick, comprise vessels of the French
_Laubeuf_ type. The “S” Class, building at Greenock, and four in number,
are of the Italian, or F.I.A.T.—_Laurenti_ type. The two named
vessels—_Nautilus_ and _Swordfish_—are large sea-going submarines of
wide range and high speed. Their submerged displacement is about 1,000
tons, and their speed 20 knots on the surface and 12 knots when
submerged. The armament is six tubes, with eight torpedoes, and two
quick-firing guns. The complement of all these large submarines is about
25 officers and men.
-----
Footnote 1:
“Submarine Engineering of To-day.” By Charles W. Domville-Fife.
(London: Seeley, Service & Co. Ltd. 1914.)
Footnote 2:
Sunk October, 1914.