British T class submarine
HMS Thorn
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | T class |
| Operators: |
 Royal Navy
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| Preceded by: | Grampus class |
| Succeeded by: | U class |
| Completed: | 53 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Submarine |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 276 ft 6 in (84.28 m) |
| Beam: | 25 ft 6 in (7.77 m) |
| Draught: |
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| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | |
| Range: | 8,000 nmi (9,200 mi; 15,000 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced with 131 tons of fuel |
| Complement: | 48 |
| Armament: |
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The Royal Navy's T class (or Triton class) of diesel-electric submarines was designed in the 1930s to replace the O, P, and R classes. Fifty-three members of the class were built just before and during the Second World War, where they played a major role in the Royal Navy's submarine operations. Four boats in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy were known as the Zwaardvisch class.
In the decade following the war, the oldest surviving boats were scrapped and the remainder converted to anti-submarine vessels to counter the growing Soviet submarine threat. The Royal Navy disposed of its last operational boat in 1969, although it retained one permanently moored as a static training submarine until 1974. The last surviving boat, serving in the Israel Sea Corps, was scrapped in 1977.
Design began in 1934 but was constrained by the 1930 London Naval Treaty restricting the total British submarine fleet to 52,700 tons, a maximum of 2,000 tons for any boat, and maximum armament of one 5.1 in (130 mm) gun. The "Repeat P"s, as the design was originally called, were intended to be large and powerful enough to operate against Japan in the absence of other British naval units. Britain was in a financial crisis and would have difficulty affording enough boats to meet their allowance.
It was expected from British work on ASDIC that other nations would develop something similar. To that end a smaller vessel around 1,100 tons would better avoid detection. In the face of expected enemy anti-submarine measures any attack would probably have to be made at long range without the aid of the periscope but on ASDIC. To counter the resultant inaccuracy a large salvo of at least eight torpedoes would be needed.
The eventual design had 8 bow torpedo tubes (two external), two external tubes amidships angled to fire forward, and a single 4-inch (100 mm)/40 caliber deck gun. Maximum operational diving depth was 300 ft (91 m) with an estimated crush depth of 626 ft (191 m). The design was finalised in 1935 and on 24 June the decision was made to drop the "Repeat P" designation and give all boats names starting with "T".
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Wikipedia