HMS H4

HMS H4 was a British H-class submarine built by the Canadian Vickers Co., Montreal. She was laid down on 11 January 1915 and was commissioned on 5 June 1915. After her commissioning, HMS H4 and sister ships H1, H2 and H3 crossed the Atlantic from St. John's, Newfoundland to Gibraltar being escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Calgarian. H4 sank the U-boat UB-52 in the Adriatic on 23 May 1918. She was sold on 30 November 1921 in Malta.

HMS H4 at Brindisi, August 1916
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS H4
Builder: Canadian Vickers, Montreal
Laid down: 11 January 1915
Commissioned: 5 June 1915
Fate: Sold, 30 November 1921
General characteristics
Class and type: H class submarine
Displacement:
  • 363 long tons (369 t) surfaced
  • 434 long tons (441 t) submerged
Length: 150 ft 3 in (45.80 m)
Beam: 15 ft 4 in (4.67 m)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced
  • 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 1,600 nmi (3,000 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
  • 130 nmi (240 km) at 2 kn (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph) submerged
Complement: 22
Armament:
HMS H4

Design

Like all pre-H11 British H-class submarines, H4 had a displacement of 364 tonnes (401 short tons) at the surface and 434 tonnes (478 short tons) while submerged.[2] It had a total length of 171 feet (52 m),[3] a beam length of 15 feet 4 inches (4.67 m), and a draught length of 12 feet (3.7 m).[4] It contained a diesel engines providing a total power of 480 horsepower (360 kW) and two electric motors each providing 320 horsepower (240 kW) power.[4] The use of its electric motors made the submarine travel at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph). It would normally carry 16.4 tonnes (18.1 short tons) of fuel and had a maximum capacity of 18 tonnes (20 short tons).[5]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) and a submerged speed of 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph). British H-class submarines had ranges of 1,600 nautical miles (3,000 km; 1,800 mi).[2] H4 was fitted with a 6 pounds (2.7 kg) Hotchkiss quick-firing gun (6-pounder) and four 18 inches (460 mm) torpedo tubes. Its torpedo tubes were fitted to the bows and the submarine was loaded with eight 18 inches (460 mm) torpedoes.[2] It is a Holland 602 type submarine but was designed to meet Royal Navy specifications. Its complement was twenty-two crew members.[2]

References
  1. Britain 6-pdr / 8cwt [2.244"/40 (57 mm)] QF Marks I and II
  2. "H-class". Battleships-Cruisers, Cranston Fine Arts. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  3. Derek Walters (2004). The History of the British 'U' Class Submarine. Casemate Publishers. pp. 2–. ISBN 978-1-84415-131-8.
  4. 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. Retrieved from Naval-History on 20 August 2015.
  5. J. D. Perkins (1999). "Building History and Technical Details for Canadian CC-Boats and the Original H-CLASS". Electric Boat Company Holland Patent Submarines. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  • Hutchinson, Robert. Submarines, War Beneath The Waves, From 1776 To The Present Day.


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