HMS L5

	HMS L5
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS L5
Builder	Swan Hunter, Wallsend
Laid down	23 August 1916
Launched	26 January 1918
Commissioned	15 May 1918
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 1931
General characteristics
Class and type	L-class submarine
Displacement	891 long tons (905 t) surfaced; 1,074 long tons (1,091 t) submerged;
Length	231 ft 1 in (70.4 m)
Beam	23 ft 6 in (7.2 m)
Draught	13 ft 3 in (4.0 m)
Installed power	2,400 bhp (1,800 kW) (diesel); 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) (electric);
Propulsion	2 × diesel engines ; 2 × electric motors ;
Speed	17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph) surfaced; 10.5 kn (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) submerged;
Range	3,800 nmi (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) on the surface
Test depth	100 feet (30.5 m)
Complement	35
Armament	6 × 18 in (457 mm) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 beam); 1 × 4-inch deck gun ;

Last updated January 21, 2023

HMS L5 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 1931.

Design and description

The L-class boats were enlarged and improved versions of the preceding E class. The submarine had a length of 231 feet 1 inch (70.4 m) overall, a beam of 23 feet 6 inches (7.2 m) and a mean draft of 13 feet 3 inches (4.0 m). They displaced 891 long tons (905 t) on the surface and 1,074 long tons (1,091 t) submerged. The L-class submarines had a crew of 35 officers and ratings.^[1]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 12-cylinder Vickers ^[2]1,200- brake-horsepower (895 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 600-horsepower (447 kW) electric motor.^[1] They could reach 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) on the surface and 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) underwater.^[3] On the surface, the L class had a range of 3,200 nautical miles (5,900 km; 3,700 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).^[1]

The boats were armed with a total of six 18-inch (45 cm) torpedo tubes. Four of these were in the bow and the remaining pair in broadside mounts. They carried 10 reload torpedoes, all for the bow tubes.^[4] They were also armed with a 4-inch (102 mm) deck gun.^[5]

Construction and career

HMS L5 was laid down on 23 August 1916 by Swan Hunter at their Wallsend shipyard, launched on 1 September 1917, and completed on 15 May 1918. She was based at Falmouth, Cornwall in 1918. L5 was assigned to the 4th Submarine Flotilla and HMS Titania in 1919 and sailed to Hong Kong, arriving on 14 April 1920. She served on the China Station with other vessels of this class in the 1920s. On 20 October 1927 off Hong Kong, L5 and HMS L4 rescued the crew of the merchant ship SS Irene from a pirate attack after firing her deck gun. HMS L5 was sold in 1931 and broken up in Charlestown, Fife.

Notes

1 2 3 Gardiner & Gray, p. 93
↑ Harrison, Chapter 25
↑ Harrison, Chapters 3
↑ Harrison, Chapter 27
↑ Akermann, p. 165

Related Research Articles

HMS L23 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 1931.

HMS L4 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 1934.

HMS L6 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 1935.

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 L8 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 L52 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 1935.

HMS L69 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 1939.

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 L9 was an L-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I. The boat survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1927.

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 L23 was a L-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I. The boat was not completed before the end of the war and was one of three L-class boats to serve during World War II. L23 was sold for scrap in 1946.

HMS L16 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 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 L19 was a L-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I. The boat was not completed before the end of the war and was sold for scrap in 1937.

HMS L21 was a L-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I. The boat was not completed before the end of the war and was sold for scrap in 1939.

HMS L22 was a L-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I. The boat was not completed before the end of the war and was sold for scrap in 1935.

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

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.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[gg9-1] 1 2 3 Gardiner & Gray, p. 93

[2] Harrison, Chapter 25

[3] Harrison, Chapters 3

[4] Harrison, Chapter 27

[5] Akermann, p. 165

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]