HMS H4

HMS H4 at Brindisi, August 1916
History
Name:	HMS H4
Builder:	Canadian Vickers, Montreal
Laid down:	11 January 1915
Commissioned:	5 June 1915
Fate:	Sold, 30 November 1921
General characteristics
Class and type:	H class submarine
Displacement:	363 long tons (369 t) surfaced 434 long tons (441 t) submerged
Length:	150 ft 3 in (45.80 m)
Beam:	15 ft 4 in (4.67 m)
Propulsion:	1 × 480 hp (358 kW) diesel engine 2 × 620 hp (462 kW) electric motors
Speed:	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) submerged
Range:	1,600 nmi (3,000 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 130 nmi (240 km) at 2 kn (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph) submerged
Complement:	22
Armament:	4 × 21 in (533 mm) bow torpedo tubes 8 × 21 inch torpedoes 1 × QF 6 pounder gun

HMS H4 was a British H-class submarine built by the Canadian Vickers Co., Montreal. She was laid down on 11 January 1915 and was commissioned on 5 June 1915. After her commissioning, HMS H4 and sister ships H1, H2 and H3 crossed the Atlantic from St. John's, Newfoundland to Gibraltar being escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Calgarian. H4 sank the U-boat UB-52 in the Adriatic on 23 May 1918. She was sold on 30 November 1921 in Malta.

Like all pre-H11 British H-class submarines, H4 had a displacement of 364 tonnes (401 short tons) at the surface and 434 tonnes (478 short tons) while submerged. It had a total length of 171 feet (52 m), a beam length of 15 feet 4 inches (4.67 m), and a draught length of 12 feet (3.7 m). 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. 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).

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).H4 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. It is a Holland 602 type submarine but was designed to meet Royal Navy specifications. Its complement was twenty-two crew members.