L Class
Overseas Submarine
- L Class Group One
- L1
- L2
- L3
- L4
- L5
- L6
- L7
- L8
The 'L' class signalled the Admiralty's return to the saddle-tank type of submarine. They were originally intended to be a larger and much improved design of the 'E' class.
The scale of improvement prompted the Admiralty to designate them a class of their own. The class is more or less divided into the three groups shown above. Group One were armed with four 18 inch bow tubes and two beam tubes. Group Two were armed with four 21 inch bow tubes and two 18 inch beam tubes. Some of this group were configured as minelayers and were also fitted with four 21 inch bow tubes.
This class was also fitted with a gun forward of the conning tower. L1 to L8 were fitted with a 3 inch high-angle anti-aircraft gun, eventually all were fitted with a 4 inch gun.
The 'L' class formed the backbone of the British submarine flotillas during the 1920's. They served from the Home waters to the China Station. The first 'L' boats were despatched to China in 1919, twelve boats of the class served in the China Station.
By 1929 there were only 30 boats remaining in service, ten of these held in reserve in Home waters. By 1939 only three were left in existence, these saw some operational employment during 1940 otherwise they were used for training purposes.
In 1944 the boats were sent to Canada where they finished their days giving anti-submarine training to convoy escort groups.
8 Built
| Submarine | Builder | Built |
| L1 - L4 | Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness | 1916 - 1918 |
| L5 | Swan Hunter, Wallsend. | 1916 - 1918 |
| L6 | Beardmore, Dalmuir. | 1916 - 1918 |
| L7, L8 | Cammell Laird, Birkenhead. | 1916 - 1918 |
L1 and L2 were the ex E57 and E58 respectively.
Technical Information
| Displacement (tons): | 890 sf 1,074 sm |
| Length (ft): | 222 (oa) |
| Breadth (ft) | 23.5 |
| Draught/Height (ft): | 13.5 |
| Machinery: | 2 x 12
cylinder solid injection Vickers type diesels 2400 bhp. 4 x electric motors 1600 bhp 1 x 20 hp aux motor for slow running. Twin screws. |
| Speed (kts): | 17 sf 10.5 sm |
| Oil Supply (tons): | 76 tons. |
| Armament: | 1 x 3
inch gun, later replaced by 4 inch. 4 x 18 inch bow tubes, 2 x 18 inch beam tubes. |
| Range: | n/a |
| Complement: | L1 - L33:
38 officers and ratings. L50's: 44 officers and ratings |
| sm = submerged, sf = surfaced, oa = overall, hp = horsepower, na = not available. | |
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H.M. Submarine L1
Possibly August 1923 after Hong
Kong had been hit by a typhoon.
| Type: | L Class | Group One. |
| Pennant No.: | L.1 | |
| Laid Down: | 18th May
1916. As E.57. |
Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness. |
| Commissioned: | 18th November 1917. | Not known at present. |
| Commander: | Not known at present. | Not known at present. |
| Complement: | 36 | 3 Officers and 33 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 1923 - Reserve Flotilla | Hong Kong. |
| Fate: | Sold March 1930. | |
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| Type: | L Class | Group One. |
| Pennant No.: | L.2 | |
| Laid Down: | 18th May
1916. As E.58. |
Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness. |
| Commissioned: | 18th December 1917. | Not known at present. |
| Commander: | Not known at present. | Not known at present. |
| Complement: | 36 | 3 Officers and 33 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 1923 - Reserve Flotilla. | Hong Kong. |
| Fate: | Sold March 1930. | |
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| Type: | L Class | Group One. |
| Pennant No.: | L.3 | |
| Laid Down: | 21st June 1916. | Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness. |
| Commissioned: | 31st January 1918. | Not known at present. |
| Commander: | ----- | Not known at present. |
| Complement: | 36 | 3 Officers and 33 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 1923 - Reserve Flotilla. | Hong Kong. |
| Fate: | Sold February 1931. | |
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| Type: | L Class | Group One. |
| Pennant No.: | L.4 | |
| Laid Down: | 21st June 1916. | Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness. |
| Commissioned: | 26th February 1918. | Not known at present. |
| Commander: | ----- | Not known at present. |
| Complement: | 36 | 3 Officers and 33 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 1918 | Falmouth |
| Fate: | Sold February 1934. | |
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H.M. Submarine L5
This picture courtesy of Stephen
Johnson
| Type: | L Class | Group One. |
| Pennant No.: | L.5 | |
| Laid Down: | 28th August 1916. | Swan Hunter, Wallsend. |
| Commissioned: | 15th May 1918. | Not known at present. |
| Commander: | Not known at present. | Not known at present. |
| Complement: | 36 | 3 Officers and 33 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 1929. | Portsmouth. |
| This boat was in collission with a dredger in 1929, she was lucky enough to be able to surface and return to harbour with a severely damaged periscope. | ||
| Fate: | Sold 1931. | |
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| Type: | L Class | Group One. |
| Pennant No.: | L.6 | |
| Laid Down: | 19th October 1916. | Beardmore, Dalmuir . |
| Commissioned: | 10th July 1918. | Not known at present. |
| Commander: | ----- | Not known at present. |
| Complement: | 36 | 3 Officers and 33 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 1918 | Falmouth |
| Fate: | Sold 1935. | |
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| Type: | L Class | Group One. |
| Pennant No.: | L.7 | |
| Laid Down: | 28th May 1916. | Cammell Laird, Birkenhead. |
| Commissioned: | 22nd Decembeer 1917. | Not known at present. |
| Commander: | ----- | Not known at present. |
| Complement: | 36 | 3 Officers and 33 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 1918 | Falmouth |
| Fate: | Sold 1930. | |
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| Type: | L Class | Group One. |
| Pennant No.: | L.8 | |
| Laid Down: | 28th May 1916. | Cammell Laird, Birkenhead. |
| Commissioned: | 12th March 1918. | Not known at present. |
| Commander: | Not known at present. | Not known at present. |
| Complement: | 36 | 3 Officers and 33 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 1923 - Reserve Flotilla. | Hong Kong. |
| Fate: | Sold October 1930. | |
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