HMS H5

HMS H5 was a British H-class submarine of the Royal Navy that served in the First World War. The boat, which was launched on 1 April 1915, was lost after being rammed by a British merchant ship off Caernarfon Bay in March 1918. It had been mistaken as a German U-boat and sank with the loss of all hands.^[1]

A view from the bridge of HMS H5.
History
United Kingdom
Name	H5
Builder	Canadian Vickers, Montreal
Laid down	11th January 1915
Launched	1 April 1915
Commissioned	10 June 1915
Fate	Sunk, 2 March 1918
General characteristics
Class and type	H-class submarine
Displacement	364 long tons (370 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	1 × 480 hp (358 kW) diesel engine 2 × 620 hp (462 kW) electric motors
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	4 × 18 in (457 mm) bow torpedo tubes 8 × 18 inch torpedoes

Design

Like all pre-H11 British H-class submarines, H5 had a displacement of 364 long tons (370 t) at the surface and 434 long tons (441 t) while submerged.^[2] It had a total length of 150 feet 3 inches (45.8 m), a beam of 15 feet 4 inches (4.67 m), and a draught of 12 feet (3.7 m).^[3] 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.^[3] The use of its electric motors made the submarine travel at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph). It would normally carry 16.4 long tons (16.7 t) of fuel and had a maximum capacity of 18 long tons (18 t).^[4]

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] H5 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 carried eight 18 inches (460 mm) torpedoes.^[2] She is a Holland 602 type submarine but was designed to meet Royal Navy specifications. Her complement was twenty-two crew members.^[2]

Service record

On 14 July 1916 H5 spotted the SM U-51 leaving the Ems and torpedoed her. U-51 sank with the loss of 34 of her crew; four men survived.^[5]

Sinking

HMS H5 was sunk after being rammed by the British merchantman Rutherglen when mistaken for a German U-boat on 2 March 1918. All on board perished including a US Navy observer, Lieutenant Earle Wayne Freed Childs from the American submarine AL-2. He became the first US submariner to lose his life in the First World War. All on board are commemorated on Panel 29 at Royal Navy Submarine Museum. The wreck's site is designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act. In 2010, a plaque commemorating the 26 crew was dedicated on Armed Forces Day in Holyhead.^[6]