V Class Small Patrol Submarines 1941

There was very little difference between this and the preceding 'U' class, they were able to dive deeper by adopting a partly welded construction. They had more powerful diesel engines which improved the surface speed and they were some ten feet longer in length.

The construction of the class was cut back after the close of the Mediterranean war, and eventually abandoned at the end of the hostilities in Europe. Fortytwo of this class were originally authorised but twenty were cancelled.

They had a more raking stern than the 'U' class and were easily distinguished by the direction finding loop which was positioned aft of the casing as opposed to just aft of the conning tower in the 'U' class.

Considerable numbers of the 'U' and 'V' class were transferred to Allied Navies.

8 Built

Submarine	Builder	Built
Vampire Veldt Venturer Vigorous Viking Virtue Visigoth Vox	Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness	1943 - 1944

Technical Information

Displacement (tons):	545 sf 740 sm
Length (ft):	204.5 (loa)
Breadth (ft)	16
Draught/Height (ft):	15.25
Machinery:	2 x 6 cylinder Davey Paxman diesel engines. 800/760 h.p. General Electric Motors.
Speed (kts):	12.75 kts sf 9 kts sm
Oil Supply (tons):	55
Armament:	4 x 21 inch bow tubes. 8 torpedoes. 1 x 3 inch/45 QF MkI 3 x 0.303 inch Lewis or Vickers MG.
Range:	5,000/120 nmiles at 10/2 kts sf/sm.
Complement:	37 (4 Officers and 33 Others).
sm = submerged, sf = surfaced, oa = overall, hp = horsepower, na = not available

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Vampire Crest

H.M. Submarine Vampire 1944

Type:	V Class
Pennant No.:	P.72	Renamed February 1943.
Laid Down:	9th November 1942.	Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness.
Commissioned:	13th November 1943.	Not known at present.
Commander:	Not known at present.	Not known at present.
Complement:	37	4 Officers and 33 Ratings.
Service Career:	Not known at present.	Not known at present.

Fate:	Scrapped 5th March 1950.

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Type:	V Class
Pennant No.:	P.71	Renamed February 1943.
Laid Down:	2nd November 1942.	Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness.
Commissioned:	1st November 1943.	Not known at present.
Commander:	Not known at present.	Not known at present.
Complement:	37	4 Officers and 33 Ratings.
Service Career:	Not known at present.	Not known at present.
	Transferred to the Greek Navy and renamed PIPINOS in 1943 and returned on 10th December 1957.
Fate:	Scrapped on 23rd February 1958.