British D class submarine

British D class submarine
HMS D1 (WWI).jpg
HMS D1
Class overview
Builders: Vickers, Barrow
HM Dockyard, Chatham
Operators:  Royal Navy
Preceded by: British C class submarine
Succeeded by: British E class submarine
Completed: 8
General characteristics
Class and type: D class submarine
Displacement: Surfaced= 483 tons / Submerged= 595 tons
Length: 163.0 ft (49.7 m) (oa)
Beam: 13.6 ft (4.1 m) (oa)
Propulsion: 550hp electric 1750hp diesel twin screws
Speed: Surfaced=14.0 kts / Dived= 10.0 (design) 9.0 (service)
Range: Surface= 2500nm at 10 kts / Submerged=45nm at 5knots
Complement: 25
Armament:

3 x 18-inch (45-cm) torpedo tubes (2 forward, one aft, 6 torpedoes)[1]

1 x 12 pdr (76 mm) QF gun[2]

The D class submarine was the Royal Navy's first class of submarines capable of operating significantly beyond coastal waters. They were also the first boats to be fitted with wireless transmitters. All ten were laid down between 1907 and 1910.

Contents

Specification

The patrol submarines evolved from the C class boats. They were designed to be propelled by diesel motors on the surface to avoid the problems with petrol engines experienced with the A class. These boats were designed for foreign service with an endurance of 2500 nmi at 10 knots on the surface and much improved living conditions for a larger crew.

D boats were fitted with twin screws for greater manoeuvrability and were fitted with saddle tanks. The D class were the first submarines to be equipped with deck guns forward of the conning tower beginning with D6. Also, reserve buoyancy was increased to 20.6%. Armament also included three 18 inch torpedo tubes (2 vertically in the bow and 1 in the stern). D class was also the first class of British submarine to have standard radio fitted. The aerial was attached to the mast of the conning tower that was lowered before diving.

With their enlarged bridge structure the boat profile was recognisably that of the modern submarine. The D Class submarines were considered to be so innovative that the prototype D1 was built in utmost secrecy in a securely guarded building shed. She was launched at Barrow with equal secrecy, with only departmental heads and a few officers from the cruiser HMS Mercury, that was currently in dock being present. Once moved to the fitting out berth, she was once again screened from view.

The boats cost between £79,910 and £89,410 each excluding the deck gun.

Operations

The D class were based at Harwich, Immingham, Blyth and Dover. Their wartime role was to sink German warships. In the latter stages of World War I the D class were used for training crews based at Portsmouth.

During WWI the boats patrolled the North Sea and the Heligoland Bight, and protected cross channel troopships. During the war, four boats (D2, D3, D5, and D6) were lost, and the remainder (D4, D7, and D8) were paid off in July 1919.

Boats

A model of HMS D1

Eight D-class boats were built:

There were plans for a further two, D9 and D10, but these were launched at Chatham Dockyard as HMS E1 and HMS E2.

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Fitzsimons, Bernard. Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare (London: Phoebus, 1978), Volume 7, p.674, "D.1".
  2. ^ Fitzsimons, p.674.

Sources

  • Submarines, war beneath the waves, from 1776 to the present day, by Robert Hutchinson
  • Fitzsimons, Bernard. Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare (London: Phoebus, 1978), Volume 7, pp. 673-4, "D.1".

External links

v · d · eBritish D-class submarine

D1 · D2 · D3 · D4 · D5 · D6 · D7 · D8
v · d · e
British naval ship classes of the First World War
Aircraft/Seaplane carriers

AnneS · ArgusS · Ark RoyalS · Ben-my-ChreeS · CampaniaS · EmpressS · EngadineS · Furiousm · ManxmanS · NairanaS · PegasusS · Raven IIS · RivieraS · VindexS · VindictiveS
Dreadnought battleships
Pre-dreadnought battleships
Battlecruisers
Armoured cruisers
Heavy cruisers
Light cruisers

TownG · Arethusa · CG, C · DanaeC · EmeraldA
Protected cruisers

Apollo · Astraea · Eclipse · Blake · Pearl · Edgar · Powerful · Diadem · Arrogant · Pelorus · Highflyer · Challenger · Topaze
Scout cruisers
Destroyer flotilla leaders
Destroyers

AG · BG · CG · DG · EG · F · G · H · I · K · L · Admiralty M · Hawthorn M · Thornycroft M · Yarrow M · Yarrow Later M · RG · SG, C · Talisman · V and WG, C
Monitors
Minesweepers
Gunboats

Fly · Insect
Submarines

A · B · C · D · E · F · G · HC · J · K · LC · MC · RC · V

S – Single ship of class     •    C – One or more completed after the war    •    X – Cancelled     •    G – Grouping of several classes;A – All completed after the war     •    

 •    V – Conversions     •  m – converted from Courageous class

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • British H class submarine — H4 at Brindisi, August 1916 Class overview Operators …   Wikipedia

  • British E class submarine — The British E class submarines started out as improved versions of the British D class submarine. All of the first group and some of the second group were completed before the outbreak of World War One.The group 1 boats of the E class cost… …   Wikipedia

  • British U class submarine — The British U class submarines (officially War Emergency 1940 and 1941 programmes, short hull [Conways All the worlds Fighting Ships 1922 46] ) were a class of 49 small submarines built just before and during the Second World War. The class is… …   Wikipedia

  • British F class submarine — The F class submarine was built for the Royal Navy as a coastal submarine based on the doubled hulled British V class submarine (WW1) with very few minor improvements. The only important improvement was the addition of a stern torpedo tube. The F …   Wikipedia

  • British C class submarine — The British C class submarines were the last class of petrol engined submarines of the Royal Navy and marked the end of the development of the Holland class in the Royal Navy. Thirty eight were constructed between 1905 and 1910 and they served… …   Wikipedia

  • British V class submarine — The British V class submarine (officially U Class Long hull 1941 42 program [Conways All the worlds Fighting Ships 1922 46] ) was a class of submarines built for the Royal Navy during World War II. 42 vessels were ordered to this design, all to… …   Wikipedia

  • British L class submarine — The British L class submarine were originally planned under the emergency war programme as an improved version of the British E class submarine. The scale of change allowed the L class to become a separate class. The armament was increased when… …   Wikipedia

  • British J class submarine — The British J class submarine was a First World War submarine designed as a counter to a perceived (but incorrect) threat from high speed German U boats.Reports that the Germans had submarines capable of speeds equal to that of surface vessels… …   Wikipedia

  • British V class submarine (1914) — The British V class submarines were built by Vickers, Barrow during World War I in response to Scotts, Greenock building the British S class submarine (1914) and Armstrong Whitworth building the British W class submarine.4 V class submarines were …   Wikipedia

  • British S class submarine (1914) — The British S class submarine of 1914 were built by Scotts, Greenock just before World War 1. The S class was based on an Italian design of the Laurenti boats. 3 vessels were constructed and all 3 were transferred to the Italian Navy in October… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”