E Class
Minelaying Submarine
Overhead view showing 'E' class minelaying configuration
- E Class Group Three Minelayers
- E24
- E34
- E41
- E45
- E46
- E51
This class was the backbone of the Royal Navy during WWI and bore the brunt of the submarine contribution to the war effort. A few experiments were carried out with the 'E' class including the carrying of seaplanes. Seven of the class were sent to the Baltic to assist the Russians, E.11 failed to arrive and E.13 was lost on passage.
Six of this class were configured as minelayers, they could carry 20 mines in vertical chutes which were situated in the saddle tanks, five each side, two mines to a chute.
The main base for this class serving in the North Sea was Harwich, which operated a maximum of eighteen boats. They also operated from the Tees and Blyth, and also in 1918 from Killybegs in Ireland.
At the end of WWI the 'E' class were operating from Harwich (11), Tees (6), Killybegs (2), Mediterranean (6) and Adriatic (4). Most of them were put on sale during 1919-1920, only E.48 survived into the late 1920's.
6 Built
| Submarine | Builder | Built |
| E21 | Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness | 1914 - 1916 |
| E34 | Thornycroft, Woolston | 1915 - 1917 |
| E41, E45, E46 | Cammell Laird, Birkenhead | 1914 - 1916 |
| E51 | Scott's, Greenock | 1915-1917 |
Technical Information
| Displacement (tons) | 658 sf 777 sm |
| Length (ft): | 181 oa |
| Breadth (ft): | 22.5 oa |
| Draught/Height (ft): | 12.5 |
| Machinery: |
Vickers-Admiralty
Diesel Engines 1,600 hp 840 hp electric motors, 2 screws. |
| Speed (kts): | 15.25
sf 9.75 sm |
| Oil Supply (tons): | 45/50 |
| Armament: |
3 x 18 inch tubes, 2 bow, 1 stern. 1 x 12 pdr/40 QF. 20 mines S Mk IV or S Mk IV* Reloads: 6. |
| Range: | 3225/85 nm at 10/5 kts |
| Complement: | 3 Officers and 28 Ratings |
| sm = submerged, sf = surfaced, oa = overall, hp = horsepower, na = not available. | |
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Minelayer
| Type: | E Class | Group Three - Minelayer |
| Pennant No.: | E.24 | |
| Laid Down: | 18th January 1915. | Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness. |
| Commissioned: | 10th January 1916. | Lt. Cdr. Napier. |
| Commander: | 1916 | Lt. Cdr. Napier. |
| Complement: | 31 | 3 Officers, 28 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 9th Flotilla. | Harwich. |
| This boat was the second 'E' boat to be converted to a minelayer, the first being E41. | ||
| Fate: | Disappeared on her second patrol, sometime after 10th March which is the date she returned from her first patrol. | |
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'Minelayer'
| Type: | E Class | Group Three - Minelayer |
| Pennant No.: | E.34 | |
| Laid Down: | 24th January 1915. | Thornycroft, Woolston. |
| Commissioned: | March 1917. | Lt. R. I. Pulleyne DSO DSC. |
| Commander: | 1917 - 1918 | Lt. R. I. Pulleyne DSO DSC. |
| Complement: | 31 | 3 Officers, 28 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 8th Flotilla. | HMS Maidstone, Harwich. |
| Sank UB-16 about May 1918. | ||
| Fate: | Lost
with all hands, cause unknown, on or around 20th July 1918. One belief is that whilst returning from her twenty-fourth minelaying operation off Vlieland, she probably strayed into a minefield laid in that area by E51 some time earlier. She was the last 'E' boat to be lost in WWI. |
|
Some dates and Commanding Officers supplied courtesy of the RN Submarine Museum/Alex Geary
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'Minelayer'
First submarine
converted to carry mines.
| Type: | E Class | Group Three - Minelayer |
| Pennant No.: | E.41 | |
| Laid Down: | December 1914. | Cammell Laird, Birkenhead. |
| Commissioned: | June 1915. | Lt. Cdr. N. Holbrook VC. |
| Commander: | 1915 - 1916 1916 |
Lt. Cdr.
N. Holbrook VC. Lt. A. Winser. |
| Complement: | 31 | 3 Officers, 28 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 8th Flotilla. | Harwich. |
| Fate: | Sold 1922. | |
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'Minelayer'
| Type: | E Class | Group Three - Minelayer |
| Pennant No.: | E.45 | |
| Laid Down: | Not known at present. | Cammell Lair, Birkenhead. |
| Commissioned: | August 1916. | Lt. Cdr. G. R. S. Watkins DSO. |
| Commander: | 1916 - 1917 1917 1917 - 1919 1919 |
Lt. Cdr. G. R. S. Watkins DSO. Lt. Cdr. J. A. Gaimes DSO. Lt. R. W. Blacklock DSC. Lt. E. R. Lewes. |
| Complement: | 31 | 3 Officers, 28 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | Not known at present. | |
| Fate: | Not known at present. | |
Some dates and Commanding Officers supplied courtesy of the RN Submarine Museum/Alex Geary
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'Minelayer'
| Type: | E Class | Group Three - Minelayer |
| Pennant No.: | E.46 | |
| Laid Down: | Not known at present. | Cammell Lair, Birkenhead. |
| Commissioned: | October 1916. | Lt. Cdr. H. G. Higgins DSO. |
| Commander: | 1916 - 1918 1918 - 1919 1919 |
Lt. Cdr. H. G. Higgins DSO. Lt. L. H. Ashmore. Lt. H. L. Rendel. |
| Complement: | 31 | 3 Officers, 28 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | Not known at present. | |
| Fate: | Not known at present. | |
Some dates and Commanding Officers supplied courtesy of the RN Submarine Museum/Alex Geary
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'Minelayer'
| Type: | E Class | Group Three - Minelayer |
| Pennant No.: | E.51 | |
| Laid Down: | March 1915. | Scotts, Greenock. |
| Commissioned: | 27th January 1917. | Lt. H. R. Marrack. DSC. |
| Commander: | 1917-1919 1919 |
Lt. H.
R. Marrack. DSC. Lt. H. B. Crane. |
| Complement: | 31 | 3 Officers, 28 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 1917 1919 |
9th Flotilla
- Harwich - HMS Maidstone. Portsmouth |
| Carried
out 25 mining missions laying a total of 500 mines during the war.
(Much of the above information provided by Dave Perkins of Canada - ex submariner.) |
||
| Fate: | Paid off
into reserve October 1919 at Portsmoouth. Sold 13th October 1921. |
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