"B" Class Submarine (1904)

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The Royal Navy's eleven "B" Class Submarines entered service between July 1903 and early 1906.

They were modest improvements on the preceding class, offering greater reserve buoyancy and enlarged casing to improve surface operations. There were ten in commission at the start of the war.[1]

Submarine technology was advancing at such a rate that the "B" and "C" class submarines were considered coastal submarines by the time the Great War broke out.[2]

After the war, the "B" and "C" class submarines were described as "very good in their day", but with too small a radius to be able to truly operate on enemy coasts.[3]

Service

At the commencement of the Great War, there were ten "B" class submarines in service, B 2 having been lost before the war. Only B 10 was lost in the war, to air attack.[4]

B 6, B 7, B 8, B 9 and B 11 served with the British Adriatic Squadron until 30 October 1916 when they were withdrawn to Malta to be paid off. In August 1917 they were converted to surface patrol boats with a raised wheelhouse, and a 12-pdr gun and re-designated as "S" class patrol boats, e.g., S 6. They were returned to service with the Adriatic Squadron.

By war's end, the obsolescent boats were out of combat service.

Torpedoes

  • two 18-in tubes forward, four torpedoes

See Also

Footnotes

  1. The Technical History and Index, Vol. 3, Part 21. p. 5.
  2. The Technical History and Index, Vol. 3, Part 21. p. 11.
  3. The Technical History and Index, Vol. 3, Part 21. p. 5.
  4. The Technical History and Index, Vol. 3, Part 21. p. 5.

Bibliography

  • Gray, Randal (editor) (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. (on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk).


"B" Class Submarine
B 1 B 2 B 3 B 4 B 5
  B 6 B 7 B 8  
  B 9 B 10 B 11  
<– "A" Class Submarines (UK) "C" Class –>