River-class submarine

Last updated

HMS Thames.jpg
HMS Thames
Class overview
NameRiver-class
BuildersVickers-Armstrong
OperatorsNaval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy
Preceded by S class
Succeeded by Grampus class
Costcirca £500,000 (in 1931-1933)
Built1931-1934
In service1934-1945
In commission1934-1945
Planned20
Completed3
Cancelled17
Lost1
Retired2
General characteristics
Type Submarine
Displacement
  • 2,206 tons surfaced (Thames 2,165 tons)
  • 2,723 tons submerged (Thames 2,680 tons)
Length345 ft (105 m)
Beam28 ft 3 in (8.61 m)
Draught15 ft 11 in (4.85 m)
Propulsion
  • 2 shaft diesel electric
  • 2 supercharged diesels 10,000 hp (7,500 kW) max
  • 2 electric motors 2,500 hp (1,900 kW)
Speed
  • 22 knots (41 km/h) surfaced
  • 10 knots (19 km/h) submerged
Range12,000  nmi (22,000  km; 14,000  mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced
Test depth300 feet (91 m), entered into records as max depth
Complement61
Sensors and
processing systems
ASDIC
Armament
Aircraft carriednone
NotesLast fleet submarine design adopted by the Royal Navy

The River class, or Thames class, were a class of submarines built for the Royal Navy. Operating during the Second World War, the three boats of the class comprised Thames, Severn and Clyde. All the submarines were named after rivers in the United Kingdom. One was lost during the war and the rest taken out of service following it.

Contents

Design

The River class was the last attempt by the Admiralty to produce "fleet submarines", submarines fast enough to operate as part of a fleet, which at the time meant being able to manage somewhere around 20 knots (37 km/h) while surfaced. The previous attempts had been the steam powered K-class submarines and the large 12-inch (305 mm) gunned M-class submarines. The M class were K-class hulls re-engined with diesels and modified to take a single 12 in (305 mm) naval gun directly forward of the conning tower.

A design was drawn up in the late 1920s and three vessels were built by Vickers in Barrow: Thames in 1932, and Severn and Clyde in 1935. The latter two were a little larger than Thames. Initially 20 were planned, but changes in thinking and cost-cuts limited the building to just the three.

The design compromised on diving depth to keep weight down and speed up. They had a safe diving depth of some 300 feet (90 m) compared to the Odin class before them which had managed 500 feet (150 m). They were powered by two diesel engines delivering 8,000  bhp (6,000 kW). Two Ricardo engines drove generators that supercharged the diesels up to 10,000 bhp (7,500 kW). This gave them a surface speed of 22 knots (41 km/h). A rather unfortunate fault with the River-class was a tendency for engine trouble after several long journeys. Another alarming fault, although this was confined to Clyde was the hydroplanes failing, causing the submarine to bottom. This would put a great stress on the hull of the submarine, as it was of riveted construction, rather than the welded construction of other British submarines.

Operational history

During the Second World War, they initially operated in the North Sea and Mediterranean, then moved to the Far East in the latter stages.

Clyde and Severn set sail from Gibraltar heading to take up station in Freetown on 31 August 1939, just four days before the outbreak of hostilities. On their arrival, they joined South Atlantic Command and were tasked with convoy defence duties. [1] They arrived on September 7, with Clyde departing on her first war patrol the following day.

Thames was lost off Norway on 23 September 1940 during an operation to sink the German Battlecruiser Gneisenau. It failed to do this, but sank the escorting torpedo boat Luchs. [2] The wreck of the Thames is yet to be found. When it is discovered, it is highly likely that it is to be left alone, because like all ships lost in wartime, it is considered to be a war grave.

Clyde was used on six occasions to deliver supplies to the besieged island of Malta in September 1941. Severn was used as part of the escort for Convoy SL16F in January 1940, along with the Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS Cheshire and the destroyers HMS Hardy and HMS Hostile. Convoy duty was not something that was alien to Severn and Clyde, as they would carry out this duty on a regular basis due to their long range. Clyde and Severn would both go through an extensive refit in the USA

Severn had the most colourful service out of all three. It would be used in the aftermath of the Battle of the River Plate to hunt for German Surface Raiders and their support ships. April 5, 1940 would see Severn join the northbound convoy FN139. It would also be put on standby for potential involvement in the hunt for the Bismarck, but the Bismarck was sunk before the Severn was called into action. It would be used for part of Operation Hawthorn during June - July 1943. Severn and Clyde, whether it was by choice or accident, would often be stationed together. Severn and Clyde were in service in the Far East (operating out of Trincomalee) when they were taken out of service - Severn in December 1944 and Clyde in July 1945. Both ships were believed to have been scrapped by the end of 1946.

Boats

Related Research Articles

German submarine U-556 was a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was laid down on 2 January 1940 at the Blohm & Voss yard in Hamburg as yard number 532, launched on 7 December 1940, and commissioned on 6 February 1941 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Herbert Wohlfarth, who commanded her for her entire career. U-556 conducted only two patrols, sinking six ships totalling 29,552 gross register tons (GRT) and damaging one other of 4,986 GRT, before she was sunk on 27 June 1941.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Q-ship</span> Heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry

Q-ships, also known as Q-boats, decoy vessels, special service ships, or mystery ships, were heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. This gave Q-ships the chance to open fire and sink them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warship</span> Ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare

A warship or combatant ship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the navy branch of the armed forces of a nation, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are typically faster and more maneuverable than merchant ships. Unlike a merchant ship, which carries cargo, a warship typically carries only weapons, ammunition and supplies for its crew.

Flower-class corvette World War II British corvette class

The Flower-class corvette was a British class of 294 corvettes used during World War II by the Allied navies particularly as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the Battle of the Atlantic. Royal Navy ships of this class were named after flowers.

HMS <i>K13</i> British K Class submarine

HMS K13 was a steam-propelled First World War K class submarine of the Royal Navy. She sank in a fatal accident during sea trials in early 1917 and was salvaged and recommissioned as HMS K22.

<i>Leopard</i>-class frigate Class of frigate of the Royal Navy

The Type 41 or Leopard class were a class of anti-aircraft defence frigates built for the Royal Navy and Indian Navy in the 1950s. The Type 41, together with the Type 61 variant introduced diesel propulsion into the Royal Navy, the perceived benefits being long range, low fuel use, reduced crew, and reduced complexity.

HMS <i>President</i> (1918) Minesweeper of the Royal Navy

HMS President is a retired Flower-class Q-ship that was launched in 1918. She was renamed HMS President in 1922 and moored permanently on the Thames as a Royal Navy Reserve drill ship. In 1982 she was sold to private owners and, having changed hands twice, served as a venue for conferences and functions as well as the offices for a number of media companies. She has been moved to Chatham on the Medway in Kent since 2016, but is due to return to the capital. She had the suffix "(1918)" added to her name in order to distinguish her from HMS President, the Royal Naval Reserve base in St Katharine Docks. She is one of the last three surviving Royal Navy warships of the First World War. She is also the sole representative of the first type of purpose built anti-submarine vessels, and is the ancestor of World War II convoy escort sloops, which evolved into modern anti-submarine frigates.

The history of the submarine goes back to antiquity. Humanity has employed a variety of methods to travel underwater for exploration, recreation, research and significantly, warfare. While early attempts, such as those by Alexander the Great, were rudimentary, the advent of new propulsion systems, fuels, and sonar, propelled an increase in submarine technology. The introduction of the diesel engine, then the nuclear submarine, saw great expansion in submarine use – and specifically military use – during World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. The Second World War use of the U-Boat by the Kriegsmarine against the Royal Navy and commercial shipping, and the Cold War's use of submarines by the United States and Russia, helped solidify the submarine's place in popular culture. The latter conflicts also saw an increasing role for the military submarine as a tool of subterfuge, hidden warfare, and nuclear deterrent. The military use of submarines continues to this day, predominantly by North Korea, China, the United States and Russia.

HMS <i>Severn</i> (N57) Royal navy submarine

HMS Severn (N57) was an ocean-going submarine of the River class. She was built by Vickers Armstrong, at Barrow, and launched on 16 January 1934. She was completed on 12 January 1935.

British S-class submarine (1914)

The S class was a class of three submarines, built by Scotts in Greenock, Scotland for the Royal Navy, and launched in 1914–1915. The boats were an experimental design for the Royal Navy, based on an Italian design by Cesare Laurenti and the FIAT-San Giorgio works. The S class was the first British submarine to be built in Scotland, and the first to feature a double hull. The boats were not considered a success, and were not popular with Royal Navy officers. S1 and S2 saw limited service in the North Sea during the start of the First World War, before all three boats of the class were transferred to the Italian Regia Marina upon its entry to the war in 1915. In Italian service, S1 and S2 were active in the Adriatic Sea, and S3 was part of the Submarine School. All three were stricken in 1919 after the war, and scrapped.

HMS <i>Sea Rover</i> S-class submarine of the Royal Navy

HMS Sea Rover was a third-batch S-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War II. Completed in July 1943, she conducted one war patrol off Norway, before being re-assigned to the Pacific theater. Arriving in February 1944, the boat conducted several patrols in the Strait of Malacca, sinking one transport, one gunboat, one merchant, three sailing vessels, two coasters, and one lighter. During this time, she was attacked several times by aircraft and surface ships; in one attack, she took on two tons of water from leaks caused by depth charges. Sea Rover collided with an Australian corvette in December 1944, and she was sent back to England, then the United States, for repairs. After the war ended, the boat was sent back to England, placed in reserve, then sold for scrap in October 1949.

HMS <i>Sibyl</i> (P217) Submarine of the Royal Navy

HMS Sibyl was an S-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War, and part of the Third Group built of that class. She was built by Cammell Laird and launched on 29 April 1942.

HMS <i>P222</i> S-class submarine

HMS P222 was a third-batch S-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War II. Commissioned in 1942, the boat had an uneventful first war patrol in the Alboran Sea. She intercepted the Vichy French merchant ship SS Mitidja in July, then provided protection for an Allied convoy to Malta in Operation Pedestal the next month. The navy intended that she was to be sighted on the surface by enemy aircraft to discourage potential attacks by surface warships. Though P222 did not encounter enemy forces, the convoy arrived at its destination on 15 August after sustaining severe losses. She then reconnoitred along the coast of Algeria in advance of Operation Torch, and was attacked by a French patrol ship, but sustained no damage.

<i>Balilla</i>-class submarine Submarine class of the Italian navy

The Balilla class were the first submarines to be built for the Italian navy following the end of World War I. They were large ocean-going cruiser submarines designed to operate in the Indian Ocean based in Italy's East African colonies. The design was double-hulled and based on the German Type UE II submarine U-boats, one of which, U-120 was supplied to the Italians as a war reparation. A 425 horsepower (317 kW) auxiliary diesel engine was installed as an extra generator.

HMS <i>Rover</i> (N62) Submarine of the Royal Navy

HMS Rover was a Rainbow-class submarine designed and built by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering in Barrow-in-Furness for the Royal Navy and was launched on 11 June 1930. During its early career, Rover served in the Far East. During World War II, the submarine operated in the Mediterranean Sea, attacking several Italian convoys and providing assistance to the crippled cruiser HMS York during the evacuation of Crete in 1941, before returning to the Far East to operate against the Japanese. The vessel survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1946.

HMS <i>Ekins</i> Frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Ekins (K552) was a British Captain-class frigate of the Royal Navy that served during World War II. Originally constructed as a United States Navy Buckley class destroyer escort, she served in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1945.

HMS <i>Wivern</i> (D66) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

The second HMS Wivern, was a Modified W-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service in World War II.

HMS <i>Dart</i> (K21) 1943 River-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Dart (K21) was a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy. Dart was built to the RN's specifications as a Group I River-class frigate.

HMS <i>Dianella</i> Royal Navy World War II Flower-class corvette

HMS Dianella was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War.

HMS <i>Teviot</i> (K222) River-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Teviot (K222) was a River-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN) from 1942–1955. She served in convoy defence duties in the North Atlantic and Eastern Fleet during World War II. After the war, she served in the South African Navy as HMSAS Teviot before returning to Royal Navy service after six months. Teviot was built to the RN's specifications as a Group I River-class frigate.

References

  1. HMS Clyde Service History for Second World War
  2. HMS Thames Service History for Second World War

Bibliography