British V-class submarine#Ships

{{Short description|Submarine class}}

{{for|the First World War V class|British V-class submarine (1914)}}

{{more citations needed|date=January 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}

{{Infobox ship begin|sclass=2}}

{{Infobox ship image

|Ship image=Shadowgraph V british class submarine.svg

|Ship caption=V-class profile

}}

{{Infobox ship image

|Ship image=HMS Voracious SLV Green 1945.jpg

|Ship caption=HMS Voracious

}}

{{Infobox ship class overview

|Name=V class

|Builders=Vickers-Armstrong

|Operators=*{{navy|United Kingdom}}

|Class before=U class

|Class after={{sclass|Amphion|submarine|4}}

|Subclasses=

|Cost=

|Built range=

|In service range=

|In commission range=

|Total ships building=

|Total ships planned=42

|Total ships completed=34 named (8 more never named) of which only 22 were completed.

|Total ships cancelled=

|Total ships active=

|Total ships laid up=

|Total ships lost=

|Total ships retired=

|Total ships preserved=

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

|Hide header=

|Header caption=

|Ship type=Submarine

|Ship tonnage=

|Ship displacement=*Surfaced – 545 tons standard, 658 tons full load

  • Submerged – 740 tons

|Ship length={{convert|204|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}

|Ship beam={{convert|16|ft|1|in|m|abbr=on}}

|Ship height=

|Ship draught={{convert|15|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}}

|Ship depth=

|Ship power=

|Ship propulsion=2 shaft diesel-electric, 2 Paxman diesel generators + electric motors, {{cvt|615|hp|lk=in}} / {{cvt|825|hp}}

|Ship speed=*{{cvt|11.25|kn}} surfaced

  • {{convert|10|kn}} submerged

|Ship range=

|Ship endurance=

|Ship test depth=

|Ship boats=

|Ship capacity=

|Ship troops=

|Ship complement=33

|Ship crew=

|Ship time to activate=

|Ship sensors=

|Ship EW=

|Ship armament=*4 British 21-inch torpedo torpedo tubes – (bow internal), 8 torpedoes

|Ship armour=

|Ship aircraft=

|Ship aircraft facilities=

|Ship notes=

}}

The British V-class submarine (officially "U-Class Long hull 1941–42 programme") was a class of submarines built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–46

History

Forty-two vessels were ordered to this design, all to be built by Vickers-Armstrong at either Barrow-in-Furness or at Walker-on-Tyne, but only 22 were completed. Note that seven of these vessels received 'U' names (conversely, four of the U class had received names beginning with 'V').

The V-class submarines were very similar to the preceding U-class (short-hull) boats, of which they constituted a linear development, but had {{convert|3/4|in|adj=on}} pressure hull plating instead of {{convert|1/2|in|adj=on}} for deeper diving, also a lengthened stern and fining at the bow to reduce noise and improve underwater handling.

They were sometimes referred to as Vampire-class submarines after {{HMS|Vampire|P72|6}}.[http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/v_class.htm Vampire-class Submarines]

It was one of this class, {{HMS|Venturer|P68|6}}, that is the only submarine to sink another submarine while submerged - that submarine was the German {{GS|U-864||2}}.

Ships

The vessels which were ordered are shown below in their programme order (not all completed construction):

The first eight vessels were ordered on 5 December 1941 under that year's programme.

  • {{HMS|Venturer|P68}} - sold to Norway in 1946, renamed as Utstein
  • {{HMS|Viking|P69}}
  • {{HMS|Veldt|P71}}, completed as Pipinos (Y8)
  • {{HMS|Vampire|P72}}
  • {{HMS|Vox|P73}}
  • {{HMS|Vigorous|P74}}
  • {{HMS|Virtue|P75}}
  • {{HMS|Visigoth|P76}}

The next eighteen vessels were ordered on 21 May 1942 under that year's programme, but six of these were cancelled in early 1944.

  • {{HMS|Vivid|P77}}
  • {{HMS|Voracious|P78}}
  • {{HMS|Vulpine|P79}} - Transferred to the Royal Danish Navy after the war as U2
  • {{HMS|Varne|P81}}
  • {{HMS|Upshot|P82}}
  • {{HMS|Urtica|P83}}
  • HMS Vineyard (P84), completed as {{ship|French submarine|Doris|P84}}
  • {{HMS|Variance|P85}}, completed as HNoMS Utsira
  • {{HMS|Vengeful|P86}}, transferred to Greece in 1945 as {{ship|Greek submarine|Delfin|Y-9}}
  • {{HMS|Vortex|P87}}, completed as {{ship|French submarine|Morse|P87}}
  • cancelled
  • HMS Veto (P88), cancelled 23 January 1944 and scrapped on the slip
  • HMS Virile (P89), cancelled 23 January 1944 and scrapped on the slip
  • HMS Visitant (P91), cancelled 23 January 1944 (never laid down)
  • HMS Upas (P92), cancelled February 1944 and scrapped on the slip
  • HMS Ulex (P93), cancelled February 1944 (never laid down)
  • HMS Utopia (P94), cancelled February 1944 (never laid down)
  • {{HMS|Virulent|P95}}
  • {{HMS|Volatile|P96}}

A further six vessels were ordered on 17 November 1942 under the same year's programme, but four of these were cancelled on 23 January 1944.

  • {{HMS|Votary|P29}}
  • {{HMS|Vagabond|P18}}
  • cancelled
  • HMS Vantage, cancelled 23 January 1944 (never laid down)
  • HMS Vehement (P25), cancelled 23 January 1944 (never laid down)
  • HMS Venom (P27), cancelled 23 January 1944 (never laid down)
  • HMS Verve (P28), cancelled 23 January 1944 (never laid down)

Finally, a further ten vessels were ordered under the 1943 Programme, but all of these were cancelled on 20 November 1943; eight of these were never given names.

  • cancelled
  • HMS Unbridled (P11), cancelled 20 November 1943 (never laid down)
  • HMS Upward (P16), cancelled 20 November 1943 (never laid down)
  • Eight more unnamed boats

Notes

{{reflist}}

References

{{Commons category|British V class submarines}}

  • [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/class.html?ID=51&navy=HMS Allied Warships – Submarine – V class]
  • {{cite book|first=Derek |last=Walters |title=The History of the British 'U' Class Submarine |publisher=Leo Cooper |date=2004 |isbn=1-84415-131-X}}

{{British V class submarine}}

{{WWII British ships}}

V class