E-class submarine (HMS E20)
History
United Kingdom
NameE23
BuilderVickers, Barrow
Laid down28 September 1914
Launched28 September 1915
Commissioned6 December 1915
FateSold, 6 September 1922
General characteristics
Class and typeE-class submarine
Displacement
  • 662 long tons (673 t) surfaced
  • 807 long tons (820 t) submerged
Length181 ft (55 m)
Beam15 ft (4.6 m)
Propulsion
  • 2 × 800 hp (597 kW) diesel
  • 2 × 420 hp (313 kW) electric
  • 2 screws
Speed
  • 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) surfaced
  • 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) submerged
Range
  • 3,000 nmi (3,500 mi; 5,600 km) at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h)
  • 65 nmi (75 mi; 120 km) at 5 kn (5.8 mph; 9.3 km/h)
Complement3 officers, 28 ratings
Crew30
Armament

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]

Design

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

Her complement was three officers and 28 men.[2]

References

  1. ^ Hutchinson, Robert (2001). Jane's submarines : war beneath the waves from 1776 to the present day. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0007105588.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ a b Akerman, P. (1989). Encyclopaedia of British submarines 1901–1955.  p.150. Maritime Books. ISBN 1-904381-05-7
  4. ^ "E Class". Chatham Submarines. Archived from the original on 13 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
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