L52, L22, L20 & L6, at Gosport in 1933 |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators: | Royal Navy |
| Preceded by: | British E class submarine |
| Succeeded by: | Odin class submarine |
| Planned: | 73 |
| Completed: | 27 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Submarine |
| Displacement: | Group 1 & 2 : 890 long tons (904 t) surfaced 1,074 long tons (1,091 t) submerged Group 3 : 960 long tons (975 t) surfaced 1,150 long tons (1,168 t) submerged[1] |
| Length: | Group 1 : 222 ft (68 m) Group 2 : 228 ft (69 m) Group 3 : 230 ft 6 in (70.26 m) |
| Beam: | 23 ft 6 in (7.16 m) |
| Speed: | Surfaced Group 1 : 17.3 knots (32.0 km/h; 19.9 mph) Group 2 : 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) Group 3 : 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph) Submerged 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) |
| Range: | Group 1 & 2 : 2,800 nmi (5,200 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced Group 3 : 4,800 nmi (8,900 km) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced[1] |
| Complement: | Group 1 : 35 Group 2 : 38 Group 3 : 44 |
| Armament: | Group 1 : • 6 × 18 in (457 mm) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 beam) • 10 × 18 inch torpedoes • 1 × 4-inch gun Group 2 : • 4 × 21 in (533 mm) bow torpedo tubes • 2 × 18 in (457 mm) beam torpedo tubes • 8 × 21 inch and 2 × 18 inch torpedoes • 1 × 4-inch gun or • 4 × 21 in (533 mm) bow torpedo tubes • 16 × mines • 1 × 4-inch gun Group 3 : • 6 × 21 in (533 mm) bow torpedo tubes • 12 × 21 inch torpedoes • 2 × 4-inch guns[1] |
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 the 21-inch torpedoes came into service. The Group 3 boats had two QF 4-inch guns fore and aft of the lengthened conning tower. Also, 76 tons of fuel oil was carried in external wing tanks for the first time in British submarines. Several of the Group 1 boats were configured as minelayers including L11 and L12. In the Group 2 boats, L14, L17 and L24 to L27 were built as minelayers carrying 16 mines but without the two beam torpedo tubes.
The introduction of the L class came too late to contribute significantly in World War I. L2 was accidentally depth-charged by three American destroyers in early 1918. L12 torpedoed the German submarine UB-90. L10 torpedoed the German destroyer S33 in October 1918 but was sunk by accompanying destroyers.
L55 was sunk in 1919 during the British naval intervention in the Russian civil war by Bolshevik Russian destroyers. She was salvaged by the Russians and was re-commissioned by the Russians with her original service number.
The L class served throughout the 1920s and the majority were scrapped in the 1930s but three remained operational as training boats during World War II. The last three were scrapped in 1946 after long distinguished service.
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