HMS G2
HMS G2 was a British G-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War I.
 A G class submarine before bow modification. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | G2 |
| Builder | Chatham Dockyard |
| Laid down | 1 October 1914 |
| Launched | 23 December 1915 |
| Commissioned | 18 March 1916 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap, 16 January 1920 to Fryer, Sunderland. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | G-class submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 187 ft 1 in (57.0 m) |
| Beam | 22 ft 8 in (6.9 m) |
| Draught | 13 ft 4 in (4.1 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range | 2,400 nmi (4,400 km; 2,800 mi) at 12.5 kn (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph) surfaced |
| Complement | 30 |
| Armament |
|
Description
The G-class submarines were designed by the Admiralty in response to a rumour that the Germans were building double-hulled submarines for overseas duties. The submarines had a length of 187 feet 1 inch (57.0 m) overall, a beam of 22 feet 8 inches (6.9 m) and a mean draft of 13 feet 4 inches (4.1 m). They displaced 703 long tons (714 t) on the surface and 837 long tons (850 t) submerged. The G-class submarines had a crew of 30 officers and ratings. They had a partial double hull.[1]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 800-brake-horsepower (597 kW) Vickers two-stroke diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 420-horsepower (313 kW) electric motor. They could reach 14.25 knots (26.39 km/h; 16.40 mph) on the surface and 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) underwater. On the surface, the G class had a range of 2,400 nautical miles (4,400 km; 2,800 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph).[1]
The boats were intended to be armed with one 21-inch (53.3 cm) torpedo tube in the bow and two 18-inch (45 cm) torpedo tubes on the beam. This was revised, however, while they were under construction, the 21-inch tube was moved to the stern and two additional 18-inch tubes were added in the bow. They carried two 21-inch and eight 18-inch torpedoes. The G-class submarines were also armed with a single 3-inch (7.6 cm) deck gun.[1]
Career
Like the rest of her class, G2's role was to patrol an area of the North Sea in search of German U-boats. On 27 October 1918,[2] she torpedoed and sank the German submarine U-78 in the North Sea.[3] She survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1920.
Notes
- Gardiner & Gray, p. 90
- "WWI U-boats". uboat.net. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
- "German War Memorial Website". Retrieved 16 November 2017.
References
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
- McCartney, Innes (2008). British Submarines of World War I. New Vanguard. Vol. 145. Oxford, UK: Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84603-334-6.