ROYAL NAVY 'H' CLASS SUBMARINE
These boats were built as Coastal Defence Submarines.
Both Group 1 and Group 2 boats were all built outside the UK. Group 1 in
Montreal Canada and Group 2 in the USA at Quincy Massachusetts.
The Group 3 boats were all built in th UK.
During WW1 H4 and H5 had success when sinking UB52 and U51 in 1916. H5 was
later lost with all hand in 1918 when she was rammed in the Irish Sea by the
steamship Rutherglen. H3 and H10 were both lost during in WW1.
H6 had an interesting career serving three countries. Whilst serving in the
Royal Navy, she ran aground off Holland and was latter purchased by that
country. When the Germans invaded in 1940, she was scuttled the later raised
and re-commissioned by the Germans. She was renamed UD1 and served until
1945 when she was again scuttled.
Nine of the Group 3 boats served during WW2. H31 and H49 were both lost. The
seven others were sold for scrap between 1944 and 1945.
| 'H' Class Specification: | |||
| Group 1 (H1-H10) | Group 2 (H11-H20) | Group 3 (H21-H52) | |
| Commissioned | 1915 | 1915 to 1919 | 1918 to 1920 |
| Length (feet): | 150.25 | 150.25 | 171 |
| Beam (feet): | 15.3 | 15.3 | 15.3 |
| Displacement (tons): | 364 (surfaced) 434(submerged) |
364 (surfaced) 434 (submerged) |
423 (surfaced) 510 (submerged) |
| Speed (knots): | 13 (surfaced) 10 (submerged) |
13 (surfaced) 10 (submerged) |
11.5(surfaced) 9 (submerged) |
| Armament: | Four 18" Bow Tubes | Four 18" Bow Tubes | Four 21" Bow Tubes |
| Engines: | 480hp diesel Two 620hp electric motors |
480hp diesel Two 620hp electric motors |
480hp diesel Two 620hp electric motors |
| Range (n/miles): | 1600 | 1600 | 2985 |
| Compliment: | 22 | 22 | 22 |