HMS A3

HMS A3 was an A-class submarine built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She sank in 1912. The wreck is a Protected Wreck managed by Historic England.

HMS A3
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS A3
Builder	Vickers, Sons & Maxim, Barrow-in-Furness
Yard number	295
Laid down	6 November 1902
Launched	9 May 1903
Commissioned	13 July 1904
Fate	Sunk in collision 2 February 1912 Refloated Sunk as target 17 May 1912
General characteristics
Class and type	A-class submarine
Displacement	190 long tons (193 t) surfaced 206 long tons (209 t) submerged
Length	105 ft (32.0 m)
Beam	12 ft 9 in (3.9 m)
Draught	10 ft 8 in (3.3 m)
Installed power	450 bhp (340 kW) (petrol engine) 150 hp (110 kW) (electric motor)
Propulsion	1 × 16-cylinder Wolseley petrol engine 1 × electric motor
Speed	10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) submerged
Range	320 nautical miles (590 km; 370 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
Complement	2 officers and 9 ratings
Armament	2 × 18-inch (45 cm) torpedo tubes

Design and description

A3 was a member of the first British class of submarines, although slightly larger, faster and more heavily armed than the lead ship, HMS A1. The submarine had a length of 105 feet 1 inch (32.0 m) overall, a beam of 12 feet 9 inches (3.9 m) and a mean draft of 10 feet 8 inches (3.3 m). They displaced 190 long tons (190 t) on the surface and 206 long tons (209 t) submerged. The A-class submarines had a crew of 2 officers and 9 ratings.^[1]

For surface running, the boats were powered by a single 16-cylinder 450-brake-horsepower (336 kW) Wolseley petrol engine that drove one propeller shaft. When submerged the propeller was driven by a 150-horsepower (112 kW) electric motor. They could reach 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) on the surface and 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) underwater. On the surface, A3 had a range of 320 nautical miles (590 km; 370 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph);^[1] the boat had a range of 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged.^[2]

The boats were armed with two 18-inch (45 cm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They could carry a pair of reload torpedoes, but generally did not as doing so that they had to compensate for their weight by an equivalent weight of fuel.^[3]

Construction and career

Submarine A3. Sunk at Spithead by collision with HMS Hazard, with the loss of 14 lives, 2 February 1912

A3 was laid down by Vickers, Sons & Maxim as Yard No.295 at Barrow-in-Furness on 6 November 1902 and was launched on 9 May 1903.^[4][5] She was commissioned on 13 July 1904.^[4] She primarily served as a coastal defense and training submarine in her over seven years of service.

On 2 February 1912, A3, along with several other submarines dispatched from the port of Gosport, conducted training exercises on target ships in the Solent.^[6] Whilst attacking the depot ship HMS Hazard, the semi-submerged A3 accidentally collided with its target 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) southwest of the East Princessa Buoy in the eastern Solent.^[7] Its rudder and propeller were both disabled, and the holed submarine sank immediately with all 14 hands lost.^[6] The King sent his immediate condolences to the families of the lost seamen.^[7]

The submarine was raised from the bottom on 11 March and was brought into the south lock of Portsmouth dockyard the following day, slung below a salvage lighter; the lock was pumped dry so that the 14 bodies could be recovered and the damages surveyed.^[8]

After being towed from Portsmouth to Portland Naval Dockyard, the wreck was towed offshore into Weymouth Bay and, after some technical experiments on the hull, it was sunk as a gunnery target by shells from HMS St. Vincent on 17 May 1912.^[9][10] In July 2016 the wreck of A3 was officially designated as a protected site.^[11]