HMS E6

HMS E6
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS E6
Builder: Vickers, Barrow
Cost: £106,900
Laid down: 12 November 1911
Commissioned: 17 October 1913
Fate: Sunk by mine, 26 December 1915
General characteristics
Class and type: E-class submarine
Displacement:
  • 652 long tons (662 t) surfaced
  • 795 long tons (808 t) submerged
Length: 178 ft (54 m)
Beam: 15 ft 5 in (4.70 m)
Propulsion:
  • 2 × 800 hp (597 kW) diesel
  • 2 × 420 hp (313 kW) electric
  • 2 screws
Speed:
  • 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) surfaced
  • 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 3,000 nmi (5,600 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)
  • 65 nmi (120 km) at 5 kn (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph)
Complement: 31
Armament: 4 × 18-inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes (1 bow, 2 beam, 1 stern)

HMS E6 was a British E-class submarine built by Vickers Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 12 November 1911 and was commissioned on 17 October 1913. She cost £106,900.

Design

The early British E-class submarines, from E1 to E8, had a displacement of 652 tonnes (719 short tons) at the surface and 795 tonnes (876 short tons) while submerged. They had a length overall of 180 feet (55 m) and a beam of 22 feet 8.5 inches (6.922 m), and were were powered by two 800 horsepower (600 kW) Vickers eight-cylinder two-stroke diesel engines and two 420 horsepower (310 kW) electric motors.[1][2] The class had a maximum surface speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) and a submerged speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), with a fuel capacity of 50 tonnes (55 short tons) of diesel affording a range of 3,225 miles (5,190 km; 2,802 nmi) when travelling at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), while submerged they had a range of 85 miles (137 km; 74 nmi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph).[1]

The early 'Group 1' E class boats were armed with four 18 inches (460 mm) torpedo tubes, one in the bow, one either side amidships, and one in the stern; a total of eight torpedoes were carried. Group 1 boats were not fitted with a deck gun during construction, but those involved in the Dardanelles campaign had guns mounted forward of the conning tower while at Malta Dockyard. [1]

E-Class submarines had wireless systems with 1 kilowatt (1.3 hp) power ratings; in some submarines, these were later upgraded to 3 kilowatts (4.0 hp) systems by removing a midship torpedo tube. Their maximum design depth was 100 feet (30 m) although in service some reached depths of below 200 feet (61 m).[1]

Crew

Her complement was three officers and 28 men. [1]

Service history

E6 had a short career in World War I. On 5 August 1914, she was towed by the light cruiser Amethyst to Terschelling along with E8 which was towed by the destroyer Ariel. E6 and E8 then made the first Heligoland Bight patrol.[3] On 28 August 1914, E6 and E8 other boats took positions in a planned raid against the German Heligoland Bight patrol using surface ships. On 25 September 1914, E6 fouled on two mines in Heligoland Bight, but escaped. E6 was mined on 26 December 1915 in the North Sea off Harwich.

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Akerman, P. (1989). Encyclopaedia of British submarines 1901–1955.  p.150. Maritime Books. ISBN 1-904381-05-7
  2. ↑ "E Class". Chatham Submarines. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  3. ↑ Keyes, Sir Roger (1934). The Naval Memoirs of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes. Vol. 1: The Narrow Seas to the Dardanelles 1910-1915. London: Thornton Butterworth. p. 68.

References

External links


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