HMS R3

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British WWI Submarine HMS R3a.JPG
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameHMS R3
Builder Chatham Dockyard, Kent
Laid down4 February 1917
Launched8 June 1918
Commissioned17 March 1919
DecommissionedSeptember 1919
FateSold, 21 February 1923
General characteristics
Class and type R-class submarine
Displacement
  • 410 long tons (417 t) surfaced
  • 503 long tons (511 t) submerged
Length163 ft 9 in (49.91 m)
Beam15 ft 3 in (4.65 m)
Draught11 ft 6 in (3.51 m)
Installed power
  • 240  bhp (180 kW) (diesel)
  • 1,200 hp (890 kW) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph) surfaced
  • 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) submerged
Range2,400  nmi (4,400 km; 2,800 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) surfaced; 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth150 feet (45.7 m)
Complement2 officers and 20 ratings
Sensors and
processing systems		Bow hydrophone array
Armament6 × bow 18-inch (45 cm) torpedo tubes

HMS R3 was one of 10 R-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 1923.

Contents

Design and description

The R-class submarine was designed to meet an Admiralty requirement for a specialised hunter-killer submarine with an emphasis on submerged performance. The boats had a length of 163 feet 9 inches (49.9 m) overall, a beam of 15 feet 3 inches (4.6 m) and a mean draft of 11 feet 6 inches (3.5 m). They displaced 410 long tons (420 t) on the surface and 503 long tons (511 t) submerged. The R-class submarines had a crew of 2 officers and 20 ratings. [1] They had a diving depth of 150 feet (45.7 m). [2]

For surface running, the boats were powered by a single eight-cylinder [3] 240- brake-horsepower (179 kW) diesel engine that drove the single propeller shaft. When submerged it was driven by a 1,200-horsepower (895 kW) electric motor. They could reach 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph) on the surface and 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) underwater. On the surface, the R class had a range of 2,400 nautical miles (4,400 km; 2,800 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) and 60  nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged. [4]

The boats were armed with six 18-inch (45 cm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They carried six reload torpedoes for a grand total of a dozen torpedoes. They were equipped with an array of five hydrophones in the bow to allow them to locate and engage targets while submerged. [4]

Construction and career

HMS R3 was laid down on 4 February 1917 at Chatham Dockyard, launched on 8 June 1918 and commissioned on 17 March 1919. She came too late to see any combat in World War I, like most of the other R class submarines. R3 was paid off in September 1919, then was sold on 21 February 1923.

Notes

  1. ↑ Gardiner & Gray, p. 93
  2. ↑ Harrison, Chapter 19
  3. ↑ Harrison, Chapter 25
  4. 1 2 Harrison, Chapter 10

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References

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