British D-class submarine

	HMS D1
Class overview
Name	D class
Builders	Vickers, Barrow ; HM Dockyard, Chatham ;
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	C class
Succeeded by	E class
Completed	8
Lost	4
General characteristics
Type	Submarine
Displacement	483 tons surfaced / 595 tons submerged
Length	163.0 ft (49.7 m) (oa)
Beam	13.6 ft (4.1 m) (oa)
Propulsion	550 hp (410 kW) electric 1750 hp diesel twin screws
Speed	14.0 kn surfaced / 10.0 (design) 9.0 (service) submerged
Range	2500 nmi at 10 kn, surface / 45 nmi at 5 kn, submerged
Complement	25
Armament	3 × 18-inch (45-cm) torpedo tubes (2 forward, one aft, 6 torpedoes); 1 × 12-pounder (76 mm) QF gun ;

Last updated January 21, 2023

The D-class submarine was the Royal Navy's first class of submarines capable of operating significantly beyond coastal waters. They were also the first boats to be fitted with wireless transmitters. Ten were laid down between 1907 and 1910, though only 8 were completed as D-class boats. The final two hulls were completed as British E-class submarine.

Design and description

The patrol submarines evolved from the C-class boats. They were designed to be propelled by diesel motors on the surface to avoid the problems with petrol engines experienced with the A class. These boats were designed for foreign service with an endurance of 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) on the surface and much improved living conditions for a larger crew.

D-class boats were fitted with twin screws for greater manoeuvrability and were fitted with saddle tanks. The D class were the first submarines to be equipped with deck guns forward of the conning tower beginning with D6. Also, reserve buoyancy was increased to 20.6%. Armament also included three 18-inch (460 mm) torpedo tubes (2 vertically in the bow and 1 in the stern). The D class was also the first class of British submarines to have standard radio fitted. The aerial was attached to the mast of the conning tower that was lowered before diving.

With their enlarged bridge structure the boat profile was recognisably that of the modern submarine. The D-class submarines were considered to be so innovative that the prototype, D1, was built in utmost secrecy in a securely guarded building shed. She was launched at Barrow with equal secrecy, with only departmental heads and a few officers from the cruiser HMS Mercury, that was currently in dock being present. Once moved to the fitting out berth, she was once again screened from view.

The boats cost between £79,910 and £89,410 each excluding the deck gun.

Operations

The D class were based at Harwich, Immingham, Blyth and Dover. Their wartime role was to sink German warships. In the latter stages of World War I the D class were used for training crews based at Portsmouth.

During World War I the boats patrolled the North Sea and the Heligoland Bight, and protected cross channel troopships. During the war, four boats (D2, D3, D5, and D6) were lost, and the remainder (D4, D7, and D8) were paid off in July 1919.

Boats

Eight D-class boats were built:

There were plans for a further two, D9 and D10, but these were launched at Chatham Dockyard as HMS E1 and HMS E2.

Related Research Articles

The British C-class submarines were the last class of petrol engined submarines of the Royal Navy and marked the end of the development of the Holland class in the Royal Navy. Thirty-eight were constructed between 1905 and 1910 and they served through World War I.

The R-class submarines were a class of 12 small British diesel-electric submarines built for the Royal Navy during World War I, and were forerunners of the modern attack submarine, in that they were designed specifically to attack and sink enemy submarines, their battery capacity and hull shape being optimized for underwater performance.

HMS D2 was one of eight D-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during the first decade of the 20th century.

HMS D4 was a British D-class submarine built by Vickers, Barrow. D4 was laid down on 24 February 1910, launched 27 May 1911 and was commissioned on 29 November 1911. She was the first submarine to be fitted with a gun for offensive use.

HMS L1 was the lead boat of the L-class submarines built for the Royal Navy during World War I.

HMS C31 was one of 38 C-class submarines built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She struck a mine in 1915 and sank with the loss of all hands.

HMS C29 was one of 38 C-class submarines built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.

HMS C32 was one of 38 C-class submarines built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. The boat ran aground in the Baltic in 1917 and had to be destroyed to prevent her capture.

HMS L2 was a L-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I.

HMS L7 was a L-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I. The boat survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1930.

HMS Scotsman was a third-batch S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. After training exercises in Britain during which she ran aground, requiring repairs, she was transferred to the Pacific fleet as the war with Germany had ended. The submarine sank one junk en route to her submarine unit, but arrived after the end of the Pacific war and World War II. She was scrapped in November 1964.

HMS Sterlet was a second-batch S-class submarine built during the 1930s for the Royal Navy. Completed in 1938, the boat fought in the Second World War. The submarine is one of the 12 boats named in the song Twelve Little S-Boats. Thus far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to be named Sterlet.

HMS Snapper was a second-batch S-class submarine built during the 1930s for the Royal Navy. Completed in 1935, the boat participated in the Second World War. Snapper is one of the 12 boats named in the song "Twelve Little S-Boats".

HMS L71 was a late-model L-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. The boat was not completed before the end of the war and was sold for scrap in 1938.

HMS L11 was a L-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was one of five boats in the class to be fitted as a minelayer. The boat survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1932.

HMS L12 was a L-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was one of five boats in the class to be fitted as a minelayer. The boat survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1932.

HMS L14 was a L-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was one of five boats in the class to be fitted as a minelayer. The boat survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1934.

HMS L17 was a L-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was one of five boats in the class to be fitted as a minelayer. The boat survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1934.

HMS L9 was a L-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I. The boat was completed after the war and was sold for scrap in 1936.

HMS L25 was a L-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was one of five boats in the class to be fitted as a minelayer. The boat survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1935.

References

↑ Fitzsimons, Bernard. Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare (London: Phoebus, 1978), Volume 7, p.674, "D.1".
↑ Fitzsimons, p.674.

Works cited

Akermann, Paul (2002). Encyclopaedia of British Submarines 1901–1955 (reprint of the 1989 ed.). Penzance, Cornwall: Periscope Publishing. ISBN 1-904381-05-7.
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.
Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
Harrison, A. N. (January 1979). "The Development of HM Submarines From Holland No. 1 (1901) to Porpoise (1930) (BR3043)". RN Subs. Retrieved 27 September 2022.

External links

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[1] Fitzsimons, Bernard. Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare (London: Phoebus, 1978), Volume 7, p.674, "D.1".

[2] Fitzsimons, p.674.

[1]

[2]

v t e British D-class submarines
D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8
Preceded by: C class Followed by: E class
List of submarines of the Royal Navy List of submarine classes of the Royal Navy

v t e British naval ship classes of the First World War
Aircraft/Seaplane carriers	Empress ^S^V Riviera ^S^V Engadine ^S^V Ark Royal ^S Ben-my-Chree ^S^V Campania ^S^V Raven II ^S^V Anne ^S^V Vindex ^S^V Manxman ^S^V Furious ^M Pegasus ^S^V Nairana ^S^V Argus ^S^V Vindictive ^S^V
Dreadnought battleships	Dreadnought ^S Bellerophon St Vincent Neptune ^S Colossus Orion King George V Erin ^S Agincourt ^S Iron Duke Canada ^S Queen Elizabeth Revenge
Pre-dreadnought battleships	Royal Sovereign Majestic Canopus Formidable London Duncan King Edward VII Swiftsure Lord Nelson
Battlecruisers	Invincible Indefatigable Lion Queen Mary ^S Tiger ^S Renown Courageous Admiral ^S^C Incomparable ^X
Armoured cruisers	Cressy Drake Monmouth Devonshire Duke of Edinburgh Warrior Minotaur
Heavy cruisers	Hawkins
Light cruisers	Town ^G Arethusa C ^{G, C} Danae ^C Emerald ^A
Protected cruisers	Apollo Astraea Eclipse Blake Pearl Edgar Powerful Diadem Arrogant Pelorus Highflyer Challenger Topaze
Scout cruisers	Adventure Forward Pathfinder Sentinel Boadicea Blonde Active
Destroyer flotilla leaders	Swift ^S Faulknor Marksman Parker Thornycroft (or Shakespeare) ^C Admiralty (or Scott) ^C
Destroyers	A ^G B ^G C ^G D ^G E ^G F G H I K L Admiralty M Hawthorn M Thornycroft M Yarrow M Yarrow Later M Medea Arno ^S R ^G S ^{G, C} Talisman V and W ^{G, C}
Torpedo boats	TB 81 ^S TB 98 TB 109 TB 114 Cricket ^G
Monitors	Marshal Ney Abercrombie Lord Clive Humber Gorgon M15 M29 Erebus
Minesweepers	Racecourse Hunt Dance
Gunboats	Fly Insect
Submarines	A B C D E F G H ^C J K L ^C M ^C R ^C Swordfish ^S V
Sloops	P Cadmus Flower Acacia Azalea Arabis Anchusa Aubrietia 24 ^C
A All completed after the war C One or more completed after the war G Grouping of several classes M converted from Courageous class S Single ship of class V Conversions X Cancelled