NAVYPEDIA

Photo

B6 1930

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
B1 (ex-A4)			SECN, Cartagena	2.1917	2.6.1921	2.1922	stricken 10.1941
B2			SECN, Cartagena	8.1917	1.10.1921	6.1922	stricken 5.1951
B3			SECN, Cartagena	1.1920	18.3.1922	8.1922	stricken 6.1940
B4			SECN, Cartagena	5.1920	31.10.1922	5.1923	stricken 7.1941
B5			SECN, Cartagena	1.1921	4.1.1925	12.1925	lost 12-16.10.1936
B6			SECN, Cartagena	9.1921	6.6.1925	1.1926	sunk 19.9.1936

Technical data

Displacement standard, t
Displacement normal, t	556 / 740
Length, m	62.5 pp 64.2 oa
Breadth, m	5.60
Draught, m	3.44
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 Nelseco 8-cyl diesels / 2 electric motors
Power, h. p.	1400 / 420
Max speed, kts	16.2 / 10.5
Fuel, t	diesel oil 81
Endurance, nm(kts)	8000(10.5) / 125(4.5)
Armament	4 - 450 TT (2 bow, 2 stern, 8)
Complement	28
Diving depth operational, m	60

Graphics

Project history

First combat Spanish-built submarines, built according to the law from 17.2.1915 under the licence and with assistance of Electric Boats Company under design "Holland 105F". They were ordered 7.2.1916. B1 in building was named A4. Single-hulled. Rather perfect and successful ships for time, by 1936 they became outdated and had big deterioration of hulls and machineries. Maximal diving depth under the design was 60m, to Civil war it actually did not exceed 20-25m.

Modernizations

1928, all: + 1 x 1 - 76/45 Vickers Mk SS

Naval service

All boats in 1936 remained under control of Republicans. B1 and B2 since late 1937 were laid up into reserve at Cartagena because of bad technical condition. B3 in December, 1936 was hard damaged as result of collision with Norwegian s/s Frank, repair in Cartagena lasted till the end of war. B4 in December, 1936 was damaged by aircraft of Nationalists at Malaga, she passed to Cartagena for repair, but 15.3.1937 was stricken from Republican fleet. At agony of Republic in the end of March, 1939 these four submarines were foundered on shallow water: B1 and B2 at Cartagena, B3 and B4 at Portman near Cartagena. All were soon salvaged by Nationalists, but never commissioned again and sold for scrap, except for B2, used till 1948 as a TS (without diving ability), and since 1948 as battery charge plant at Ferrol. B1 was used as target and sunk in 1949. B5 was lost in strait of Gibraltar: she was sunk by seaplane of Nationalists 12.10.1936 or scuttled 16.10.1936 by her commander sympathising to Nationalists. B6 19.9.1936 at Cape Peñas was sunk by gunfire of Nationalists destroyer Velasco and armed tug Galicia with assistance of sympathising to Francists commander of submarine.