Summary
HMS E23 was an E-class submarine built by Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 28 September 1914 and was commissioned on 6 December 1915. E23 torpedoed the German dreadnought SMS Westfalen (18,900 tons), holing her off Terschelling on 19 August 1916. E23 was sold on 6 September 1922 in Sunderland.[1]
 E-class submarine (HMS E20)
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | E23 |
| Builder | Vickers, Barrow |
| Laid down | 28 September 1914 |
| Launched | 28 September 1915 |
| Commissioned | 6 December 1915 |
| Fate | Sold, 6 September 1922 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | E-class submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 181 ft (55 m) |
| Beam | 15 ft (4.6 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Complement | 3 officers, 28 ratings |
| Crew | 30 |
| Armament |
|
Design edit
Like all post-E8 British E-class submarines, E23 had a displacement of 662 long tons (673 t) at the surface and 807 long tons (820 t) while submerged. She had a length of 180 ft (55 m) and a beam of 22 ft 8.5 in (6.922 m).[2] She was powered by two 800 hp (600 kW) Vickers eight-cylinder two-stroke diesel engines and two 420 hp (310 kW) electric motors.[3][4] The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 16 kn (18 mph; 30 km/h) and a submerged speed of 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h). British E-class submarines had a fuel capacity of 50 t (55 short tons) of diesel and ranges of 3,255 nmi (3,746 mi; 6,028 km) when travelling at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h).[2] E23 was capable of operating submerged for five hours when travelling at 5 kn (5.8 mph; 9.3 km/h).
E23 was armed with a 12-pounder 76 mm (3.0 in) QF gun, mounted forward of the conning tower. She had five 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes, two in the bow, one either side amidships and one in the stern with ten torpedoes on board.[3]
E-class submarines had wireless systems with 1 kW (1.3 hp) power ratings; in some submarines, these were later upgraded to 3 kW (4.0 hp) systems by removing a midship torpedo tube. Their maximum design depth was 100 ft (30 m) although in service some reached depths of below 200 ft (61 m). Some submarines contained Fessenden oscillator systems.[2]
Crew edit
Her complement was three officers and 28 men.[2]
References edit
- ^ Hutchinson, Robert (2001). Jane's submarines : war beneath the waves from 1776 to the present day. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0007105588.
- ^ a b c d Innes McCartney; Tony Bryan (20 February 2013). British Submarines of World War I. Osprey Publishing. pp. 11–12. ISBN 978-1-4728-0035-0.
- ^ a b Akerman, P. (1989). Encyclopaedia of British submarines 1901–1955. p.150. Maritime Books. ISBN 1-904381-05-7
- ^ "E Class". Chatham Submarines. Archived from the original on 13 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.