K VIII-class submarine

Summary

The K VIII-class submarine was a three boat class of submarines of the Koninklijke Marine (Royal Netherlands Navy). The class varied from K V-class submarine due to the removal of two external torpedo tubes, which were removed to reduce the boats' vulnerability to depth charging. The boat had a diving depth of 50 metres (160 ft). K VIII-class submarine was built after the John Philip Holland design. [1]

Dutch Submarine K X, in Surabaya, Dutch East Indies.
Dutch submarine K X, in Surabaya, Dutch East Indies
Class overview
NameK VIII class
BuildersKoninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde, Vlissingen, Netherlands
Operators
Preceded byK V class
Succeeded byK XI class
Built1917–1923
In commission1922–1944
Completed3
Retired3
General characteristics
TypePatrol submarine
Displacement
  • Surfaced:
  • 520 long tons (528 t) standard
  • 583 long tons (592 t) full load
  • Submerged:
  • 715 long tons (726 t) standard
  • 810 long tons (823 t) full load
Length64.41 m (211 ft 4 in)
Beam5.6 m (18 ft 4 in)
Draught3.55 m (11 ft 8 in)
Propulsion
  • K VIII
  • 2 × 900 hp (671 kW) 8-cylinder MAN 2-stroke diesel engines
  • K IX & K X
  • 2 × 775 hp (578 kW) 6-cylinder Sulzer 2-stroke diesel engines
  • All
  • 2 × 200 hp (149 kW) electric motors
  • 2 shafts
Speed
  • K VIII
  • 16 kn (30 km/h) surfaced
  • 8 kn (15 km/h) submerged
  • K IX & K X
  • 15 kn (28 km/h) surfaced
  • 8 kn (15 km/h) submerged
Range
  • 3,500 nmi (6,500 km) at 11 kn (20 km/h) surfaced
  • 25 nmi (46 km) at 8 kn (15 km/h) submerged
Test depth50 m (160 ft)
Complement31
Armament

All ships were still in service at the start of World War II. During the war K IX was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy and renamed K9.[2]

Boats edit

Name Laid down Launched Commissioned Decommissioned
K VIII 31 October 1917 28 March 1922 15 September 1922 15 July 1942
K IX
Renamed:
HMAS K9
1 March 1919 23 December 1922 21 June 1923 (Dutch navy)
22 June 1943 (Australian navy)
15 July 1942 (Dutch navy)
31 March 1944 (Australian navy)
K X 1 November 1919 2 May 1923 24 September 1923 2 March 1942

References edit

  1. ^ K VIII-class submarine, naval-encyclopedia.com
  2. ^ Description of class