HMS E55
{{short description|Submarine of the Royal Navy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2017}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image= E55 submarine.jpg |Ship caption= HMS E55 }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country= United Kingdom |Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}} |Ship name= E55 |Ship namesake= |Ship ordered= |Ship builder=William Denny, Dumbarton |Ship yard number=1032 |Ship original cost= |Ship laid down= |Ship launched= 5 February 1916 |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned= March 1916 |Ship decommissioned= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship homeport= |Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship honours= |Ship fate=Sold, 6 September 1922 |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship type= |Ship displacement=*{{convert|662|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} surfaced
|Ship length={{convert|181|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|15|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship draft= |Ship power= |Ship propulsion=*2 × {{convert|800|hp|0|abbr=on}} diesel
|Ship speed=*{{convert|15|kn|lk=in}} surfaced
|Ship range=*{{convert|3000|nmi|km|abbr=on}} at {{convert|10|kn|abbr=on}} surfaced
|Ship endurance= |Ship test depth= |Ship complement= 31 |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament=
|Ship armour= |Ship notes= }} |
HMS E55 was a British E-class submarine built by William Denny, Dumbarton as Yard No.1032. She was launched on 5 February 1916 and was delivered on 25 March 1916.{{cite book |last1=Lyon |first1=David John |title=The Denny List - Part III |date=1975 |publisher=National Maritime Museum |location=Greenwich}} E55 was sold for scrap at Newcastle on 6 September 1922.
Design
Like all post-E8 British E-class submarines, E55 had a displacement of {{convert|662|LT|t}} at the surface and {{convert|807|LT|t}} while submerged. She had a total length of {{convert|180|ft|m}}{{cite book|author1=Innes McCartney|author2=Tony Bryan|title=British Submarines of World War I|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JWFapIxWZSUC&pg=PA11|date=20 February 2013|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=978-1-4728-0035-0|pages=11–12}} and a beam of {{convert|22|ft|8.5|in}}. She was powered by two {{convert|800|hp}} eight-cylinder two-stroke diesel engines and two {{convert|420|hp}} electric motors made by Bellis & Marcom.Akerman, P. (1989). Encyclopaedia of British submarines 1901–1955. 149–150. Maritime Books. {{ISBN|1-904381-05-7}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=boO7WGL21EQC&dq=British+submarines+deck+gun+1901%E2%80%931955.&pg=PA330]{{cite web|url=http://www.csubmarine.org/html/class/eclass.html|title=E Class|publisher=Chatham Submarines|accessdate=20 August 2015|archive-date=9 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209083802/http://www.csubmarine.org/html/class/eclass.html|url-status=dead}} The submarine had a maximum surface speed of {{convert|16|kn|km/h mph}} and a submerged speed of {{convert|10|kn|km/h mph}}. British E-class submarines had fuel capacities of {{convert|50|LT|t}} of diesel and ranges of {{convert|3255|mi|km nmi}} when travelling at {{convert|10|kn|km/h mph}}. E55 was capable of operating submerged for five hours when travelling at {{convert|5|kn|km/h mph}}.
E55 was constructed with a QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun QF gun mounted forward of the conning tower, although this was later removed. She had five 18 inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes, two in the bow, one either side amidships, and one in the stern; a total of 10 torpedoes were carried.
E-Class submarines had wireless systems with {{convert|1|kW}} power ratings; in some submarines, these were later upgraded to {{convert|3|kW}} systems by removing a midship torpedo tube. Their maximum design depth was {{convert|100|ft}} although in service some reached depths of below {{convert|200|ft}}. Some submarines contained Fessenden oscillator systems.
Service
E55 joined the 8th Submarine Flotilla, part of the Harwich Force, following commissioning.{{cite magazine |title=Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands, &c.: II.—Harwich Force: Eighth Submarine Flotilla| magazine=The Navy List |date=March 1916 |page=13 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92030254 |access-date=5 October 2023 |via=National Library of Scotland}} In mid-April 1916, E55 was fitted with knife-edged hydroplanes and bow for experiments in net cutting, which allowed the effectiveness of different types of anti-submarine net to be evaluated.Naval Staff Monograph No. 31 1926, p. 143 On 3 May, E55 left Harwich to patrol off Terschelling as part of Operation XX, a large scale operation in which a seaplane attack on Tondern would be carried out in an attempt to lure the German High Seas Fleet out to sea where it could be attacked.Naval Staff Monograph No. 31 1926, pp. 196–197, 200 E55 saw nothing of interest during the operation.Naval Staff Monograph No. 31 1926, p. 207 On 30 May 1916, the eve of the Battle of Jutland, E55, together with {{HMS|E26||2}} and {{HMS|D1||2}}, set out from Harwich to patrol off the Vyl Lightvessel.Campbell 1998, p. 15 E55 arrived near Horns Rev on 31 May, and after sighting a German airship, settled to the bottom to save her batteries, and although several explosions were heard, nothing was seen during daylight on 1 June. On the afternoon of 2 June, E55 spotted the German submarine {{SMU|U-64||2}}, and fired a single torpedo which missed.Campbell 1998, p. 317Naval Staff Monograph No. 33 1927, p. 51 On 29 July 1916, E55 attacked a German submarine off the Schouwen Bank, but two torpedoes missed while a third stuck in the torpedo tube and could not be launched.Naval Staff Monograph No. 33 1927, p. 66
In August 1916, the Royal Navy reorganised its submarine flotillas, with the Harwich based submarines, including E55, joining the newly established 9th Submarine Flotilla.Naval Staff Monograph No. 33 1927, p. 68{{cite magazine |title=Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands, &c.: II.—Harwich Force: Ninth Submarine Flotilla| magazine=The Navy List |date=October 1916 |page=13 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92097994 |access-date=14 October 2023 |via=National Library of Scotland}} E55 remained part of the 9th Flotilla until the end of the war.{{cite web|title=Ships of the Royal Navy - Location/Action Date, 1914–1918: Part 2 - Admiralty "Pink Lists", 11 November 1918|url=http://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyBritishShips-Locations2PL1811.htm|publisher=Naval-History.net|access-date=14 October 2023}} In May 1919, E55 was listed as part of the 3rd Submarine Flotilla, part of the Atlantic Fleet.{{cite magazine |title=Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands, &c.: I.—Atlantic Fleet: Submarines: Third Flotilla| magazine=The Navy List |date=May 1919 |page=11 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/92444190 |access-date=14 October 2023 |via=National Library of Scotland}}
E55 was sold for scrap on 6 September 1922.Dittmar & Colledge 1972, p 85
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book |last=Campbell |first=John |title=Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting |year=1998 |location=London |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |isbn=0-85177-750-3}}
- {{cite book |last1=Dittmar |first1=F. J. |last2=Colledge |first2=J. J. |title=British Warships 1914–1919 |year=1972 |location=Shepperton, UK |publisher=Ian Allan |isbn=0-7110-0380-7}}
- {{cite book | last = Hutchinson | first = Robert | title = Jane's Submarines: War Beneath the Waves from 1776 to the Present Day | url = https://archive.org/details/janessubmarinesw0000hutc | url-access = registration | year = 2001 | location = London | publisher = HarperCollins | isbn = 978-0-00-710558-8 | oclc = 53783010 }}
- {{cite book|title= Monograph No. 31: Home Waters Part VI: From October 1915 to May 1916|series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical)|volume= XV|year=1926|publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division|url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XV_opt.pdf |ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 31|1926}} }}
- {{cite book |title= Monograph No. 33: Home Waters Part VII: From June 1916 to November 1916 |series=Naval Staff Monographs (Historical) |volume= XVII |year=1927 |publisher=Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XVII_opt.pdf |ref={{harvid|Naval Staff Monograph No. 33|1927}} }}
{{British E class submarine}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:E55}}
Category:British E-class submarines of the Royal Navy
Category:Ships built on the River Clyde