Odin-class submarine

Last updated

O Class (AWM 301134).jpg
Oxley and Otway
Class overview
NameOdin class or O class
Operators
Preceded by L class
Succeeded by Parthian class
Subclasses Capitan O'Brien class
In commission22 July 1927–1945
Completed9
Lost6
Retired3
General characteristics
Type Submarine
Displacement
  • Group 1:
  • 1,311 long tons (1,332  t) surfaced
  • 1,892 long tons (1,922 t) submerged
  • Group 2:
  • 1,781 long tons (1,810 t) surfaced
  • 2,030 long tons (2,060 t) submerged
Length
  • Group 1: 275 ft (83.8 m)
  • Group 2: 283 ft 6 in (86.4 m)
Beam
  • Group 1: 28 ft (8.5 m)
  • Group 2: 30 ft (9.1 m)
Propulsion
  • Diesel-electric
  • 2 × diesel engines, 4,600 hp (3,400 kW)
  • 2 × electric motors, 350 hp (260 kW)
  • 2 screws
Speed
  • Group 1:
  • 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph) surfaced
  • 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) submerged
  • Group 2:
  • 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph) surfaced
  • 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) submerged
Range
  • 8,400  nmi (15,600 km; 9,700 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 70 nmi (130 km; 81 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth300 ft (91.4 m)
Complement54
Sensors and
processing systems
ASDIC
Armament

The Odin-class submarine (or "O class") was a class of nine submarines developed and built for the Royal Navy (RN) in the 1920s. The prototype, Oberon, was followed by two boats originally ordered for the Royal Australian Navy, but transferred to the RN in 1931 because of the poor economic situation in Australia, and six modified boats ordered for the RN. Three modified boats were built for the Chilean Navy as the Capitan O'Brien-class submarines in 1929.

Contents

Design

The class was built to replace the ageing L-class submarines which did not have adequate endurance for use in the Pacific Ocean. These boats were theoretically able to dive to 500 feet (150 m), though none were formally tested beyond 300 feet (91 m). Armament consisted of eight 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (6 bow, 2 stern) and one 4-inch (102 mm) gun. The boats were of a saddle tank type with fuel carried in riveted external tanks. These external tanks proved vulnerable to leaking after depth charge damage, thus betraying the position of the submarine. These boats were the first British submarines fitted with Asdic and VLF radio which could be used at periscope depth.

Boats

Construction data for prototype boat
BoatBuilderLaunchedFate
Oberon (ex-O1) Chatham Dockyard 24 September 1926Scrapped, 1945
Construction data for Oxley-class submarines
BoatBuilderLaunchedFate
Otway Vickers, Barrow7 September 1926Scrapped, 1945
Oxley Vickers, Barrow29 September 1926Sunk in a friendly fire incident by Triton near Norway, 10 September 1939
Construction data for Odin-class submarines
BoatBuilderLaunchedFate
Odin Chatham Dockyard5 May 1928Sunk by Italian destroyer Strale in the Gulf of Taranto, 14 June 1940
Olympus William Beardmore and Company 11 December 1928Mined off Malta, 8 May 1942
Orpheus William Beardmore and Company26 February 1929Sunk by Italian destroyer Turbine in the Mediterranean, 19 June 1940
Osiris Vickers, Barrow19 May 1928Scrapped, September 1946, Durban.
Oswald Vickers, Barrow19 June 1928Sunk by Italian destroyer Ugolino Vivaldi off Calabria, 1 August 1940
Otus Vickers, Barrow31 August 1928Scuttled, September 1946, off Durban.

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