British L-class submarine

British L-class submarine
L52, L22, L20 & L6, at Gosport in 1933
Class overview
Operators:	Royal Navy Soviet Navy
Preceded by:	British E class submarine
Succeeded by:	Odin class submarine
In commission:	1917 - 1942
Planned:	73
Completed:	27
General characteristics
Type:	Submarine
Displacement:	Group 1 & 2 : 890 long tons (904 t) surfaced 1,074 long tons (1,091 t) submerged Group 3 : 960 long tons (975 t) surfaced 1,150 long tons (1,168 t) submerged
Length:	Group 1 : 222 ft (67.7 m) Group 2 : 228 ft (69.5 m) Group 3 : 230 ft 6 in (70.3 m)
Beam:	23 ft 6 in (7.16 m)
Speed:	Surfaced Group 1 : 17.3 knots (32.0 km/h; 19.9 mph) Group 2 : 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) Group 3 : 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph) Submerged 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph)
Range:	Group 1 & 2 : 2,800 nmi (5,200 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced Group 3 : 4,800 nmi (8,900 km) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
Complement:	Group 1 : 35 Group 2 : 38 Group 3 : 44
Armament:	Group 1 : • 6 × 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 beam) • 10 × 18-inch torpedoes • 1 × 4-inch gun Group 2 : • 4 × 21-inch (533 mm) bow torpedo tubes • 2 × 18-inch (450 mm) beam torpedo tubes • 8 × 21-inch and 2 × 18-inch torpedoes • 1 × 4-inch gun or • 4 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (bow) • 16 × mines • 1 × 4-inch gun Group 3 : • 6 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (bow) • 12 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedoes • 2 × 4-inch (102 mm) guns

The British L class submarine were originally planned under the emergency war programme as an improved version of the British E class submarine. The scale of change allowed the L class to become a separate class.

The armament was increased when the 21-inch torpedoes came into service. The Group 3 boats had two QF 4-inch guns fore and aft of the lengthened conning tower. Also, 76 tons of fuel oil was carried in external wing tanks for the first time in British submarines. Several of the Group 1 boats were configured as minelayers including L11 and L12. In the Group 2 boats, L14, L17 and L24 to L27 were built as minelayers carrying 16 mines but without the two beam torpedo tubes.

The introduction of the L class came too late to contribute significantly in World War I. L2 was accidentally depth-charged by three American destroyers in early 1918. L12 torpedoed the German submarine UB-90. L10 torpedoed the German destroyer S33 in October 1918 but was sunk by accompanying destroyers.

L55 was sunk in 1919 during the British naval intervention in the Russian civil war by Bolshevik Russian destroyers. She was salvaged by the Russians and was re-commissioned by the Russians with her original service number.

The L class served throughout the 1920s and the majority were scrapped in the 1930s but three remained operational as training boats during World War II. The last three were scrapped in 1946 after long distinguished service.

Group 1 (L1-class)

HMS L1 HMS L2 HMS L3 HMS L4

HMS L5 HMS L6 HMS L7 HMS L8

Group 2 (L9-class)

HMS L9 HMS L10 HMS L11 HMS L12 HMS L14 HMS L15 HMS L16 HMS L17 HMS L18 HMS L19 HMS L20 HMS L21

HMS L22 HMS L23 HMS L24 HMS L25 HMS L26 HMS L27 L28 to L32 were broken-up after commencement HMS L33 L34 and L35 were cancelled L36 to L49 were not ordered L50 and L51 were cancelled

Group 3 (L50-class)

HMS L52 HMS L53 HMS L54 HMS L55 HMS L56

L57 to L68 were cancelled HMS L69 L70 was cancelled HMS L71 L72 to L74 were cancelled

References

• Submarines, War Beneath The Waves, From 1776 To The Present Day, by Robert Hutchinson
• 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. OCLC 67375475.