HMSG11
G11submarine before bow modification byWilliam Lionel Wyllie
| |
History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name | G11 |
Builder | Vickers,Barrow in Furness |
Laid down | 28 March 1915 |
Launched | 22 February 1916 |
Commissioned | 13 May 1916 |
Fate | Wrecked offHowick, Northumberland,22 November 1918 NU261176 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | G-classsubmarine |
Displacement |
|
Length | 188 ft 8 in (57.51 m) |
Beam | 22 ft 8 in (6.91 m) |
Draught | 13 ft 7 in (4.14 m) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
|
Speed |
|
Range |
|
Capacity | 44.14 long tons (44.85 t)diesel fuel |
Complement | 31 |
Armament | 1 × 3 in (76 mm) gun, 1 × 12-pounder gun, 4 ×18-inch (450-mm)torpedo tubes(2 bow, 2 beam), 1 × stern 21 inch torpedo tube (10torpedoes,all tubes combined) |
HMSG11was aG-classsubmarineof theRoyal Navyin service during theFirst World War.One of six of her class built byVickersatBarrow in Furness,she was launched on 22 February 1916, and commissioned on 13 May 1916.
Description
[edit]The G-class submarines were designed by theAdmiraltyin response to a rumour that the Germans were buildingdouble-hulledsubmarines for overseas duties. The G-class had a length of 187 feet 1 inch (57.0 m)overall,abeamof 22 feet 8 inches (6.9 m) and a meandraftof 13 feet 4 inches (4.1 m). Theydisplaced703 long tons (714 t) on the surface and 837 long tons (850 t) submerged. The G-class submarines had a crew of 30 officers andratings.They had a partial double hull.[1]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 800-brake-horsepower(597 kW)Vickerstwo-strokediesel engines,each driving onepropeller shaft.When submerged each propeller was driven by a 420-horsepower (313 kW)electric motor.They could reach 14.25knots(26.39 km/h; 16.40 mph) on the surface and 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) underwater. On the surface, the G class had a range of 2,400nautical miles(4,400 km; 2,800 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph).[1]
The boats were intended to be armed with one21-inch (53.3 cm)torpedo tubein the bow and two18-inch (45 cm)torpedo tubes on the beam. This was revised, however, while they were under construction, the 21-inch tube was moved to the stern and two additional 18-inch tubes were added in the bow. They carried two 21-inch and eight 18-inch torpedoes. The G-class submarines were also armed with a single 3-inch (7.6 cm)deck gun.[1]
War service
[edit]Like the rest of her class,G11's role was to patrol an area of theNorth Seain search ofGermanU-boats.
Loss
[edit]On 22 November 1918, whilst under the temporary command ofLieutenant CommanderGeorge Fagan Bradshaw,G11was returning to her base atBlyth, Northumberland,fromDogger Bankpatrol following theArmistice.Sailing through dense fog, she overshot Blyth and ran aground on rocks below cliffs nearHowick,some 30 mi (48 km) to the north. The boat'sloghad been disabled earlier and Bradshaw underestimated her speed in the inclement weather, with the result that the boat had travelled substantially further than he had reckoned. The impact tore the keel off and the boat was abandoned, two of her crew drowning during the evacuation.[2][3]
G11's regular captainLieutenantRichard Douglas SandfordVChad not sailed on her last mission, having succumbed totyphoid fever.He died atEstonhospital the day after learning his ship had been lost.
Citations
[edit]- ^abcGardiner & Gray, p. 90
- ^"G11".rnsubs.co.uk.Retrieved26 September2022.
- ^"George Fagan Bradshaw".rnsubs.co.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 25 January 2022.Retrieved26 September2022.
References
[edit]- Colledge, J. J.;Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969].Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy(Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing.ISBN978-1-86176-281-8.