Thames Class Submarines - Fleet Submarines

These boats were designed once again with the idea of keeping up with the Fleet.
The original intention was to build twenty of this class but due to a change of Admiralty policy during 1933 the orders were cancelled after only three of the class had been completed.

In order to keep the weight ratio down the diving depth was set at 300 feet. As with the previous 'O' class this class also carried fuel in external tanks but unlike the 'O's these tanks were welded and not riveted.

All three of this class served in WWII, Thames being lost in 1940, the other two were taken of the active list whilst in the Far East in 1945.

3 Built

Submarine	Builder	Built
Clyde Severn Thames	Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness	1933 - 1935

Technical Information

Displacement (tons):	1,850 sf 2,723 sm Thames 1,805 sf Thames 2,680 sm
Length (ft):	345 (loa)
Breadth (ft)	28.25
Draught/Height (ft):	13.75 Thames 13.5
Machinery:	10 cylinder Admiralty diesel engines 10,000 hp diesel engine. Admiralty electric motors 2,500 hp Electric motor. Twin Screws
Speed (kts):	22.5 kts sf 10 kts sm Thames 21.75 kts sf Thames 10 kts sm
Oil Supply (tons):	216
Armament:	6 x 21 inch bow tubes 12 reloads. 1 x 4 inch. 2 x Machine guns.
Range:	10,000 miles at 8 kts sf. 118 miles at 4 kts sm. 13 miles at 10kts sm.
Complement:	61 officers and ratings.
sm = submerged, sf = surfaced, oa = overall, hp = horsepower, na = not available.

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H.M. Submarine Thames (Pre War)

Type:	Thames Class
Pennant No.:	71.F 71.N N.71
Laid Down:	6th January 1931.	Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness.
Commissioned:	14th September 1932.	Not known at present.
Commander:	1940.	Lt. Cdr. W.D. Dunkerley.
Complement:	61.	5 Officers and 56 Ratings.
Service Career:	1932-1934. 1934-1939. 1939. 1939 - 2nd Flotilla. 1939 - 2nd Flotilla. 1940 - 2nd Flotilla.	Portmouth. Mediterranean. Portsmouth. HMS Forth, Dundee. HMS Forth, Rosyth. HMS Forth, Dundee.
	1933 - Despatched to the Baltic to asses the boat in ice covered seas. 1938-1939 - Completed journey around Africa. 1939-1940 - Served in Home Waters. Carried out war patrols in the North Sea and off Norway.
Fate:	Lost, presumed mined off Norway 22nd/23rd July 1940.

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H.M. Submarine Severn

Type:	Thames Class
Pennant No.:	57.F 57.N N.57
Laid Down:	27th March 1933.	Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness.
Commissioned:	12th January 1935.	Not known at present.
Commander:	1940 1941.	Lt. Cdr. B.W. Taylor. Lt. Cdr. A. N. G. Campbell.
Complement:	61.	5 Officers and 56 Ratings.
Service Career:	1934-1935. 1935-1939. 1939 - 8th Flotilla. 1940 - 6th Flotilla.	Portsmouth. Mediterranean. Gibraltar. H.M.S. Titania, Blyth.
	1939 - South Atlantic, based at Freetown. 1940-1941 - Served in Home Waters. April-June 1940 - Was part of the submarine force which was in the Kattegat and off the coast of Norway during the German invasion of Norway. Sank one ship of 1,786 ton (Monark) on the 4th May and unsuccessfully attacked another of approx 6,000 ton. 1941-1944 - Served in the Mediterranean. 1941 - Sank two ships of 4,200 ton. 7th August 1941 - Sank the Submarine Bianchi. October/November 1943 - Was used to supply the Aegean island of Leros and Samos. 1944 onwards Eastern Fleet.
Fate:	Sold and scrapped in India 1946.

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H.M. Submarine Clyde

Type:	Thames Class
Pennant No.:	12.F 12.N N.12
Laid Down:	15th May 1933.	Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness.
Commissioned:	12th April 1935.	Not known at present.
Commander:	1940 1940. 1941.	Lt. Cdr. R.L.S. Gaisford. Lt. Cdr. D. Ingram. Lt. Cdr. D. Ingram.
Complement:	61.	5 Officers and 56 Ratings.
Service Career:	1935-1936. 1936-1939. 1939 - 8th Flotilla. 1940 - 6th Flotilla. 1941 - 2nd Flotilla 1941 - 8th Flotilla. 1944.	Portsmouth. Mediterranean. Gibraltar. H.M.S. Titania, Blyth. Rosyth. H.M.S. Maidstone, Gibraltar. Eastern Fleet.
	1939 - Patrolled the Freetown-Natal Route in the South Atlantic. 1940-1941 - Served in Home Waters. April-June 1940 - Was part of the submarine force which was in the Kattegat and off the coast of Norway during the German invasion of Norway. 13th May 1940 - Attacked without success the raider Widder (Schiff 21). 20th June 1940 - Torpedoed the German battlecruiser Gneisenau off the Norwegian coast hitting her in the bows and effectively putting her out of action for many months. Lt. Cdr. D. Ingram was awarded the D.S.C. for the above action. 1941-1944 - Served in the Mediterranean sinking two ships of 4,300 tons. April/October/November 1942 - "Magic Carpet" run to Malta. 1944 onwards Eastern Fleet.
Fate:	Sold and scrapped in South Africa 1946.

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