Loading AI tools
Submarine class From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The British V-class submarine (officially "U-Class Long hull 1941–42 programme") was a class of submarines built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.[1]
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2013) |
 V-class profile | |
HMS Voracious | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | V class |
| Builders | Vickers-Armstrong |
| Operators | |
| Preceded by | U class |
| Succeeded by | Amphion class |
| Planned | 42 |
| Completed | 34 named (8 more never named) of which only 22 were completed. |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 204 ft 6 in (62.33 m) |
| Beam | 16 ft 1 in (4.90 m) |
| Draught | 15 ft 3 in (4.65 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 shaft diesel-electric, 2 Paxman diesel generators + electric motors, 615 hp (459 kW) / 825 hp (615 kW) |
| Speed |
|
| Complement | 33 |
| Armament |
|
Forty-two vessels were ordered to this design, all to be built by Vickers-Armstrong at either Barrow-in-Furness or at Walker-on-Tyne, but only 22 were completed. Note that seven of these vessels received 'U' names (conversely, four of the U class had received names beginning with 'V').
The V-class submarines were very similar to the preceding U-class (short-hull) boats, of which they constituted a linear development, but had 3/4-inch pressure hull plating instead of 1/2-inch for deeper diving, also a lengthened stern and fining at the bows to reduce noise and improve underwater handling.
They were sometimes referred to as Vampire-class submarines after HMS Vampire.[2]
It was one of this class, HMS Venturer (P68), that would go down in history as the only submarine to sink another submarine while submerged - that submarine was the German U-864.
The vessels which were ordered are shown below in their programme order (not all completed construction):
The first eight vessels were ordered on 5 December 1941 under that year's programme.
The next eighteen vessels were ordered on 21 May 1942 under that year's programme, but six of these were cancelled in early 1944.
A further six vessels were ordered on 17 November 1942 under the same year's programme, but four of these were cancelled on 23 January 1944.
Finally, a further ten vessels were ordered under the 1943 Programme, but all of these were cancelled on 20 November 1943; eight of these were never given names.
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
