NAVYPEDIA

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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
UNITED KINGDOM
SUBMARINES
"L" submarines (L1) (8, 1917 - 1918)


Ships


Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
L1 (ex-E57)     Vickers, Barrow 5.1916 10.5.1917 11.1917 sold 3.1930
L2 (ex-E58)     Vickers, Barrow 5.1916 6.7.1917 12.1917 sold 3.1930
L3     Vickers, Barrow 6.1916 1.9.1917 1.1918 sold 2.1931
L4     Vickers, Barrow 6.1916 17.11.1917 2/1918 sold 2.1934
L5     Swan Hunter, Wallsend 8.1916 26.1.1918 5.1918 sold 1931
L6     Beardmore, Dalmuir 10/1916 14.1.1918 7/1918 sold 1.1935
L7     Cammell Laird, Birkenhead 5/1916 24.4.1917 12.1917 sold 2.1930
L8     Cammell Laird, Birkenhead 5.1916 7.7.1917 3.1918 sold 10.1930


Technical data


Displacement standard, t 
Displacement normal, t

891 / 1074

Length, m

70.4

Breadth, m

7.15

Draught, m

4.04

No of shafts

2

Machinery

2 Vickers diesels / 2 electric motors

Power, h. p.

2400 / 1600

Max speed, kts

17 / 10.5

Fuel, t

diesel oil 78

Endurance, nm(kts)3800(10) / 200(2)
Armament

L1 - 4, 7: 1 x 1 - 76/45 20cwt QF Mk II, 6 - 450 TT (4 bow, 2 beam, 10)

L5, 8: 1 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk IV, 6 - 450 TT (4 bow, 2 beam, 10)

L6: 1 x 1 - 102/41 QF Mk VII, 6 - 450 TT (4 bow, 2 beam, 10)

Complement

35

Diving depth operational, m50


Standard scale images


<i>L6</i> 1918
L6 1918


Project history

By 1916 there was an urgent need for a design to replace the 'E' class, which despite its wartime improvements was six years old, and hard to 'stretch' to accommodate further improvements. Alter all the experiments with double-and partially double-hulled boats, the Admiralty reverted in the well-tried saddle-tank design, but with higher speeds. The first pair, E57 and E58 were only intended to be lengthened 'E's, but showed so many improvements that they were chosen as prototypes for a new class and numbered L1 and L2. These had been ordered in February 1916 and laid down three months later.

L3-L8 were ordered in May 1916, and they were completed between November 1917 and March 1918. Armament varied: L 1 had a 3in AA gun on a disappearing mounting, and initially some had no gun at all. Eventually all carried their 4in gun on a platform at the forward end of the conning tower,

Modernizations

1918, L1, L3: - 1 x 1 - 76/45; + 1 x 1 - 102/41 QF Mk VII

1918, L2, L4, L7: - 1 x 1 - 76/45; + 1 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk IV

Naval service

No significant events.