HMS H11

History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS H11
Builder:	Fore River Yard
Commissioned:	1915
Fate:	Sold, 20 October 1920
General characteristics
Class and type:	British H-class submarine

HMS H11 was a British H-class submarine built by Fore River Yard, Quincy, Massachusetts. She was laid down on an unknown date and was commissioned in 1915. H11 along with HMS H12 to HMS H20 were all built in America but were interned by the United States government until the United States entered World War I. H11 was sold on 20 October 1920 in Dover and lost on tow to the breaker's yard. The wreck was identified by marine archaeologist Innes McCartney in 2007.

Design

Like all pre-H21 British H-class submarines, H11 had a displacement of 364 tonnes (401 short tons) at the surface and 434 tonnes (478 short tons) while submerged.^[1] It had a total length of 171 feet (52 m),^[2] a beam length of 15 feet 4 inches (4.67 m), and a draught length of 12 feet (3.7 m).^[3] It contained a diesel engines providing a total power of 480 horsepower (360 kW) and two electric motors each providing 320 horsepower (240 kW) power.^[3] The use of its electric motors made the submarine travel at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph). It would normally carry 16.4 tonnes (18.1 short tons) of fuel and had a maximum capacity of 18 tonnes (20 short tons).^[4]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) and a submerged speed of 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph). British H-class submarines had ranges of 1,600 nautical miles (3,000 km; 1,800 mi) at speeds of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).^[1] H11 was fitted with a 6 pounds (2.7 kg) Hotchkiss quick-firing gun gun (6-pounder) and four 18 inches (460 mm) torpedo tubes. Its torpedo tubes were fitted to the bows and the submarine was loaded with eight 18 inches (460 mm) torpedoes.^[1] It is a Holland 602 type submarine but was designed to meet Royal Navy specifications. Its complement was twenty-two crew members.^[1]

References

1. "H-class". Battleships-Cruisers, Cranston Fine Arts. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
2. Derek Walters (2004). The History of the British 'U' Class Submarine. Casemate Publishers. pp. 2–. ISBN 978-1-84415-131-8.
3. 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. OCLC 67375475. Retrieved from Naval-History on 20 August 2015.
4. J. D. Perkins (1999). "Building History and Technical Details for Canadian CC-Boats and the Original H-CLASS". Electric Boat Company Holland Patent Submarines. Retrieved 20 August 2015.

Bibliography

• Submarines, War Beneath The Waves, From 1776 To The Present Day, by Robert Hutchinson