HMS H5

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HMS H5 view from bridge.gif
A view from the bridge of HMS H5.
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameH5
Builder Canadian Vickers, Montreal
Laid down11th January 1915
Launched1 April 1915
Commissioned10 June 1915
FateSunk, 2 March 1918
General characteristics
Class and type H-class submarine
Displacement
  • 364 long tons (370 t) surfaced
  • 434 long tons (441 t) submerged
Length150 ft 3 in (45.80 m)
Beam15 ft 4 in (4.67 m)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced
  • 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) submerged
Range
  • 1,600 nmi (3,000 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 130 nmi (240 km) at 2 kn (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph) submerged
Complement22
Armament

HMS H5 was a British H-class submarine of the Royal Navy that served in the First World War. The boat, which was launched on 1 April 1915, was lost after being rammed by a British merchant ship off Caernarfon Bay in March 1918. It had been mistaken as a German U-boat and sank with the loss of all hands. [1]

Contents

Design

Like all pre-H11 British H-class submarines, H5 had a displacement of 364 long tons (370 t) at the surface and 434 long tons (441 t) while submerged. [2] It had a total length of 150 feet 3 inches (45.8 m), a beam of 15 feet 4 inches (4.67 m), and a draught of 12 feet (3.7 m). [3] It contained a diesel engines providing a total power of 480 horsepower (360 kW) and two electric motors each providing 320 horsepower (240 kW) power. [3] The use of its electric motors made the submarine travel at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph). It would normally carry 16.4 long tons (16.7 t) of fuel and had a maximum capacity of 18 long tons (18 t). [4]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) and a submerged speed of 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph). British H-class submarines had ranges of 1,600 nautical miles (3,000 km; 1,800 mi). [2] H5 was fitted with a 6 pounds (2.7 kg) Hotchkiss quick-firing gun (6-pounder) and four 18 inches (460 mm) torpedo tubes. Its torpedo tubes were fitted to the bows and the submarine carried eight 18 inches (460 mm) torpedoes. [2] She is a Holland 602 type submarine but was designed to meet Royal Navy specifications. Her complement was twenty-two crew members. [2]

Service record

On 14 July 1916 H5 spotted the SM U-51 leaving the Ems and torpedoed her. U-51 sank with the loss of 34 of her crew; four men survived. [5]

Sinking

HMS H5 was sunk after being rammed by the British merchantman Rutherglen when mistaken for a German U-boat on 2 March 1918. All on board perished including a US Navy observer, Lieutenant Earle Wayne Freed Childs from the American submarine AL-2 . He became the first US submariner to lose his life in the First World War. All on board are commemorated on Panel 29 at Royal Navy Submarine Museum. The wreck's site is designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act. In 2010, a plaque commemorating the 26 crew was dedicated on Armed Forces Day in Holyhead. [6]

Related Research Articles

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HMS <i>H1</i> Submarine of the Royal Navy

HMS H1 was a H-class submarine built by Canadian Vickers Co., Montreal for the British Royal Navy. She was laid down on 11 January 1915 and was commissioned on 26 May 1915. H1 crossed the Atlantic from St. John's, Newfoundland to Gibraltar escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Calgarian. She was accompanied by H2, H3 and H4. H1 mistakenly sank the H5 off Cattaro on 15 April 1918. H1 was sold on 7 March 1921 in Malta.

HMS <i>H3</i> Submarine of the Royal Navy

HMS H3 was a British H-class submarine built by Canadian Vickers Co, Montreal. She was laid down on 11 January 1915 and was commissioned on 3 June 1915. After commissioning she crossed the Atlantic from St. John's, Newfoundland to Gibraltar escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Calgarian. She was accompanied by H1, H2 and H4. H3 was mined in the Gulf of Cattaro, Adriatic on 15 July 1916.

HMS <i>H4</i> Submarine of the Royal Navy

HMS H4 was a British H-class submarine built by the Canadian Vickers Co., Montreal. She was laid down on 11 January 1915 and was commissioned on 5 June 1915. After her commissioning, HMS H4 and sister ships H1, H2 and H3 crossed the Atlantic from St. John's, Newfoundland to Gibraltar being escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Calgarian. H4 sank the U-boat UB-52 in the Adriatic on 23 May 1918. She was sold on 30 November 1921 in Malta.

HMS <i>H10</i> Submarine of the Royal Navy

HMS H10 was a British H-class submarine built by the Canadian Vickers Co., Montreal. She was laid down on an unknown date and was commissioned in June 1915.

HMS C24 was one of 38 C-class submarines built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. The boat survived the First World War and was sold for scrap in 1921.

HMS C27 was one of 38 C-class submarines built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.

HMS C29 was one of 38 C-class submarines built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. C29 served in the First World War until she was sunk by mine on 29 August 1915.

HMS H51 was a British H class submarine built by HM Dockyard, Pembroke Dock. She was laid down on an unknown date, launched on 15 November 1918 and commissioned into the British Royal Navy on 1 September 1919. It had a complement of twenty-two crew members.

HMS H50 was a British H class submarine built by William Beardmore and Company, Dalmuir. She was laid down on 23 January 1918 and was commissioned on 3 February 1920. She had a complement of 22 crew members. HMS H50 was one of seven ships to survive to the end of World War II. She was sold for scrapping in July 1945 in Troon.

HMS <i>H47</i> Submarine of the Royal Navy

HMS H47 was a British H class submarine built by William Beardmore and Company, Dalmuir. She was laid down on 20 November 1917 and was commissioned on 25 February 1919. It had a complement of twenty-two crew members. HMS H47 was sunk in a collision with British L class submarine L12 off Milford Haven, Wales on 9 July 1929. Twenty one of the crew were lost with only three survivors.

HMS H42 was a British H class submarine that sank with the loss of all 24 of its crew after an accidental collision in 1922. The sub was built by Armstrong Whitworth, Newcastle Upon Tyne. She was laid down in September 1917 and was commissioned on 1 May 1919.

HMS <i>H21</i> Submarine of the Royal Navy

HMS H21 was a British H class submarine built by Vickers Limited, Barrow-in-Furness, as the first of the Batch 3 H class submarines. She was launched on 20 October 1917 and was commissioned on 28 January 1918. H21 was an improved design of the H class which produced a larger displacement and the latest 21 inch torpedo tubes replacing the old 18 inch torpedo tubes. This would be incorporated into all batch 3 H class submarines. HMS H21 was sold to John Cashmore Ltd on 13 July 1926 for scrapping at Newport.

HMS <i>H22</i> Submarine of the Royal Navy

HMS H22 was a British H class submarine built by Vickers Limited, Barrow-in-Furness, as part of the Batch 3 H class submarines. She was launched on 14 November 1917 and was commissioned on 6 November 1918.

HMS H23 was a British H class submarine built by Vickers Limited, Barrow-in-Furness as part of the Batch-3 H class submarine. She was launched on 29 January 1918 and was commissioned on 25 May 1918. She had a complement of 22 crew members.

HMS H24 was a British H-class submarine built by Vickers Limited, Barrow-in-Furness, as part of the Batch 3 H-class submarines. She was launched on 14 November 1917 and was commissioned on 30 April 1918.

HMS H26 was a British H class submarine built by Vickers Limited, Barrow-in-Furness, as part of the Batch 3 H class submarines. She was launched on 15 November 1917 and was commissioned on 29 December 1918. It had a complement of twenty-two crew members.

HMS <i>G2</i> British G-class submarine

HMS G2 was a British G-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I.

HMS <i>G7</i> Submarine of the Royal Navy

HMS G7 was a British G-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I.

HMS K17 was a British K class submarine built by Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness.

References

  1. ↑ "WW1 shipwrecks pictured by sonar off Welsh coast". BBC News. 7 October 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "H-class". Battleships-Cruisers, Cranston Fine Arts. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 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. Retrieved from Naval-History on 20 August 2015.
  4. ↑ J. D. Perkins (1999). "Building History and Technical Details for Canadian CC-Boats and the Original H-CLASS". Electric Boat Company Holland Patent Submarines. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  5. ↑ National Archives, Kew: HW 7/3, Room 40, History of German Naval Warfare 1914–1918
  6. ↑ "Ceremony for Armed Forces Day marks submarine tragedy". BBCNews. BBC. 19 June 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2010.

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