HMS K4
 HMS K4 ran aground on Walney Island in January 1917 and remained stranded there for some time | |
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMS K4 |
| Builder: | Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness |
| Laid down: | 28 June 1915 |
| Commissioned: | 1 January 1917 |
| Fate: | Sunk, 31 January 1918 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | K-class submarine |
| Displacement: | 1,980 long tons (2,010 t) surfaced 2,566 long tons (2,607 t) submerged |
| Length: | 339 ft (103 m) |
| Beam: | 26 ft 6 in (8.08 m) |
| Draught: | 20 ft 11 in (6.38 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × 10,500 shp (7.8 MW) Brown-Curtis or Parsons geared steam turbines 2 × Yarrow boilers 4 × 1,440 hp (1,070 kW) electric motors 1 × 800 hp (600 kW) Vickers diesel generator for charging batteries on the surface 2 × 3-blade 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) diameter screws |
| Speed: | 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph) surfaced 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged |
| Range: | Surfaced : 800 nmi (1,500 km; 920 mi) at 24 kn (44 km/h; 28 mph) 12,500 nmi (23,200 km; 14,400 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) Submerged : 8 nmi (15 km; 9.2 mi) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) 40 nmi (74 km; 46 mi) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) |
| Complement: | 59 (6 officers and 53 ratings) |
| Armament: | 8 × 18 in (460 mm) torpedo tubes, (4 beam, 4 bow) 8 × spare torpedoes 2 × 18 in torpedo tubes fitted on deck (later removed) 2 × BL 4 in (100 mm) Mk.XI guns 1 × 3 in (76 mm) gun |
HMS K4 was a British K class submarine built by Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 28 June 1915 and commissioned on 1 January 1917, one year before the end of World War I.
Accident 17 November 1917
On 17 November 1917, K4 collided with sister ship K1 during an accident off the Danish coast. The light cruiser Blonde operating with K1 had to make a sharp turn to avoid three units from the 4th Cruiser Squadron. And in the confusion, K4 collided with K1. The crew of K1 were rescued and K1 sunk by the Blonde.
Loss
K4 was lost on 31 January 1918 during the night time fleet exercises later known as the Battle of May Island (Operation E.C.1) when she was attached to the 13th Submarine Flotilla. While attempting to avoid a collision with K3, she became the victim of collisions with K6 and K7. She was lost with all hands. The wreck is designated as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.[1]
References
Publications
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
- Hutchinson, Robert (2005). Janes Submarines: War Beneath The Waves, from 1776 to the Present Day. HarperCollins. ISBN 0060819006.
Coordinates: 56°15′N 2°11′W / 56.250°N 2.183°W