Odin Class
Early Patrol Submarine

- Odin Class
- Odin
- Olympus
- Orpheus
- Osiris
- Oswald
- Otus
The 'O' class were built to replace the 'L' class which were considered not to have the endurance to serve in the Far East. They carried approximately 200 tons more fuel than the 'L' class which was carried in riveted exterior saddle tanks.
One of the faults with this class was the FUEL tanks which were prone to leaking and left a tell tale streak on the surface.
Odin, Olympus, Orpheus, and Oswald were war losses the survivors by 1942 were used for training.
6 Built
| Submarine | Builder | Built |
| Osiris Otus Oswald |
Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness | 1928 |
| Odin | H.M. Dockyard, Chatham. | 1928 |
| Olympus Orpheus |
Beardmore, Dalmuir. | 1928 1929 |
Technical Information
| Displacement (tons): | 1,475
sf 2,038 sm |
| Length (ft): | 283.5 oa |
| Breadth (ft) | 29' 10" oa |
| Draught/Height (ft): | 16' 1" |
| Machinery: | Admiralty
Diesel 4,400 hp diesel engine. 1,320 electric motor. Twin screws. |
| Speed (kts): | 17.5 sf 10 sm |
| Oil Supply (tons): | 200 tons |
| Armament: | 8 x 21
inch tubes, 6 bow, 2 stern. 14 reloads. 1 x 4 inch gun. 2x machine gun. |
| Range: | 8,500 miles at 10 knots sf. |
| Complement: | 50-56 officers and ratings. |
| sm = submerged, sf = surfaced, oa = overall, hp = horsepower, na = not available. | |
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H.M. Submarine Odin
| Type: | Odin Class | |
| Pennant No.: | 84P 84.N N.84 |
|
| Laid Down: | 23rd July 1927. | H.M. Dockyard, Chatham. |
| Commissioned: | 21st December 1929. | Not known at present. |
| Commander: | 1940. | Lt. Cdr. K. MacI. Woods. |
| Complement: | 56. | 5 Officers and 51 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 1929-1930. 1930-1939. 1939-1940 - 8th Flotilla. 1940 - 1st Flotilla. |
Portsmouth. Hong Kong. Lucia, Columbo. HMS Medway, Alexandria. (At Malta in June 1940). |
| Sank by the Italian destroyer Strale in the Gulf of Taranto. | ||
| Fate: | Sank by Italian destroyer June 1940. | |
| It should be noted that although some boats were attached to H.M.S. Medway at Singapore, they often operated in a detached mode covering the China Station such as Hong Kong and even to the point of patrolling the Siberian Coast. | ||
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H.M. Submarines Parthian and Olympus

H.M. Submarine Olympus
| Type: | Odin Class | |
| Pennant No.: | 35.P 35.N N.35 |
|
| Laid Down: | 14th April 1927. | Beardmore, Dalmuir. |
| Commissioned: | 14th June 1930. | Not known at present. |
| Commander: | 1939 1942. |
Cdr. H.
V. King. Lt. Cdr. H. D. Dymott. |
| Complement: | 56. | 5 Officers and 51 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 1930-1931. 1931-1939. 1939-1940 - 8th Flotilla. 19401942 - 1st Flotilla. |
Portsmouth. China Station. Lucia, Columbo. Malta. |
| Cdr. King
was awarded the O.B.E. for carrying out an unsuccessful pursuit
of the Graf Spee which had sunk the 'Africa Shell' in the Mozambique
Channel on 15th November 1939. Whilst in dry dock in Malta in July 1940 was hit by a bomb and put out of action for some considerable time. 1941, sinks or damages a small transporter of around 1.800 tons. This boat had been adapted for carrying stores and personnel to and from Malta. When leaving Malta on 8th May 1942 she had, with her own crew and passengers, a total of 98 people onboard. |
||
| Fate: | Lost, possibly mined, off Malta, 9 survivors. | |
| It should be noted that although some boats were attached to H.M.S. Medway at Singapore, they often operated in a detached mode covering the China Station such as Hong Kong and even to the point of patrolling the Siberian Coast. | ||
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H.M. Submarine Orpheus
| Type: | Odin Class | |
| Pennant No.: | 46.P N.46 |
|
| Laid Down: | Not known at present. | Beardmore, Dalmuir. |
| Commissioned: | 23rd September 1930. | Not known at present. |
| Commander: | 1934 1940. |
W. Barry. Lt. Cdr. J.A.S. Wise. |
| Complement: | 56. | 5 Officers and 51 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 1930-1931 1931-1939 1939-1940 - 8th Flotilla. 1940 |
Portsmouth China Station Lucia, Colombo. Malta |
| Possibly
sunk by the Italian destroyer Tribune off Tobruk around 19th June
1940. No survivors. |
||
| Fate: | Sank by Italian destroyer June 1940. | |
| It should be noted that although some boats were attached to H.M.S. Medway at Singapore, they often operated in a detached mode covering the China Station such as Hong Kong and even to the point of patrolling the Siberian Coast. | ||
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H.M. Submarine Osiris
| Type: | Odin Class | |
| Pennant No.: | 67.P N.67 |
|
| Laid Down: | 12th May 1927. | Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness. |
| Commissioned: | 27th February 1929. | Not known at present. |
| Commander: | 1940 | Lt. Cdr. J.R. Harvey. |
| Complement: | 56. | 5 Officers and 51 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 1929-1930 1930-1937 1938-1939 1939-1942 1942-1944 |
Portsmouth China Station Portsmouth Mediterranean East Indies |
| Sank the Italian destroyer Pelestro near Brindisi on 22nd September 1940. | ||
| Fate: | Sold and scrapped in South Africa September 1946. | |
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H.M. Submarine Oswald
| Type: | Odin Class | |
| Pennant No.: | 58.P N.58 |
|
| Laid Down: | 30th May 1927. | Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness. |
| Commissioned: | 1st May 1929. | Not known at present. |
| Commander: | 1940 1940 |
Cdr. G.M.
Sladen. Lt. Cdr. D.A. Fraser. |
| Complement: | 56. | 5 Officers and 51 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 1929-1930 1930-1937 1938-1939 1939-1940 - 1st Flotilla. |
Portsmouth China Station Portsmouth Malta. |
| Sunk by Italian destroyer Vivaldi 1st/2nd August 1940. | ||
| Fate: | Lost after being rammed by Italian destroyer Vivaldi, 52 survivors. | |
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H.M. Submarine Otus
| Type: | Odin Class | |
| Pennant No.: | 92.P N.92 |
|
| Laid Down: | 31st May 1927. | Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness. |
| Commissioned: | 5th July 1929. | Not known at present. |
| Commander: | 1942 | Lt. R.M. Favell. |
| Complement: | 56. | 5 Officers and 51 Ratings. |
| Service Career: | 1929-1930 1930-1939 1939-1940 1940-1942 1942 1942 1943 |
Portsmouth China Station East Indies Mediterranean Transporting supplies to Malta Home Waters South Atlantic |
| Fate: | Sold and scuttled in South Africa May 1946/1949. | |
| It should be noted that although some boats were attached to H.M.S. Medway at Singapore, they often operated in a detached mode covering the China Station such as Hong Kong and even to the point of patrolling the Siberian Coast. | ||
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