G class submarine. Photo: R N Submarine Museum, Gosport. |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | G |
| Builders: | Chatham Dockyard, Armstrong Whitworth, Vickers, Scott's |
| Operators: | Royal Navy |
| Completed: | 14 |
| Cancelled: | 1 |
| Lost: | 4 |
| Retired: | 10 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | submarine |
| Displacement: | Surfaced / Submerged: 703 tons / 837 tons |
| Length: | 57.5 m |
| Beam: | 6.92 m |
| Draught: | 4.15 m |
| Propulsion: |
Twin-shaft, 2 x 800 bhp Vickers diesel, 2 x 840 shp electric motors |
| Speed: | Surfaced / Submerged: 14.5 knots (27 km/h) / 10.0 knots |
| Range: | 44.14 tons of fuel oil giving 3,160 nm surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h). 95 nm submerged, at 3 knots (6 km/h). |
| Complement: | 31 |
| Armament: | Torpedoes: 2 x 18" bow tubes, 2 x 18" beam tubes, 1 x 21" stern tube. 10 torpedoes in total. Guns: 1 x 3" 10 cwt. Mk.1 Elswick Quick Fire High Angle {QFHA}, forward. 1 x 12 pdr. 8 cwt. Mk. 1 gun HA mounting, aft. |
The Royal Navy's G-class of diesel/electric submarines were launched between 1914 and 1917, and intended for operations in the North Sea and German Bight in World War I against German U-boats. The design was based on the E-class, adopting the double hull concept, but in practice showed little improvement, the ships notoriously slow to dive [1]. [1].
A total of 14 boats were built at four yards: G1 to G5 by Chatham Dockyard, G6 & G7 by Armstrong Whitworth, G8 to G13 by Vickers, and G14 by Scott's on the Clyde. G15 was ordered from Samuel White's yard at Cowes, Isle of Wight, but cancelled [2]. The class was distinguished by the 21" torpedo, an electric oven in the galley, and Fessenden Underwater Sound Telegraphy. The G-class had their bows raised during the war to increase buoyancy and improve seakeeping.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:British_G_class_submarines British G class submarines] at Wikimedia Commons
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