| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Armstrong Whitworth |
| Operators: | Royal Navy |
| Built: | 2500nm at 9 kts surfaced |
| Completed: | 4 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | British W class |
| Displacement: |
W1, W2 331 tons surfaced/499 tons submerged |
| Length: | W1, W2 171' 11"; W3, W4 149' 11" |
| Beam: | W1, W2 15' 4"; W3, W4 17' 10" |
| Propulsion: | 2-shaft diesel, electric motors, 740bhp/ 380shp |
| Speed: | 13 knots surfaced/ 8 knots submerged |
| Range: | 2500 nmi at 9 knots |
| Complement: | 18 |
| Armament: | 2-18in TT (bow) torpedoes, 4-18in torpedoes in external drop collars (removed), 1-3in AA gun |
The W class submarines were built for the Royal Navy as experimental boats. They were based on a French Schneider-Laubeuf design. The design for W3 and W4 was heavily modified to meet Royal Navy requirements, overcoming some of the deficiencies of the 'off the shelf' design. In particular, the drop-collars were removed in the later boats.
Only 4 W class were built from 1913 to 1916. The first 2 boats took 15 and 17 months to build which at the time was a remarkable feat compared to other building times.
The W class had a very good performance with excellent diving control and efficient venting and flooding systems. The W class did have problems with habitability but other than that, they were good submarines.
All 4 of the W class submarine were transferred to the Italian Navy in August 1916, where they retained their numbering.
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