HMS R3

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.

History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS R3
Builder: Chatham Dockyard, Kent
Laid down: 4 February 1917
Launched: 8 June 1918
Commissioned: 17 March 1919
Decommissioned: September 1919
Fate: Sold, 21 February 1923
General characteristics
Class and type: R-class submarine
Displacement:
  • 410 long tons (417 t) surfaced
  • 503 long tons (511 t) submerged
Length: 163 ft 9 in (49.91 m)
Beam: 15 ft 3 in (4.65 m)
Draught: 11 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
Range: 2,400 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 depth: 150 feet (45.7 m)
Complement: 2 officers and 20 ratings
Sensors and
processing systems:		 Bow hydrophone array
Armament: 6 × bow 18-inch (45 cm) torpedo tubes

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. Harrison, Chapter 10

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)". Submariners Association: Barrow in Furness Branch. Archived from the original on 19 May 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.