HMS E49

History
Name: HMS E49
Builder: Swan Hunter, Wallsend
Laid down: 15 February 1915
Commissioned: 14 December 1916
Fate: Mined, 12 March 1917
General characteristics
Class and type: E-class submarine
Displacement:
  • 662 long tons (673 t) (surfaced)
  • 807 long tons (820 t) (submerged)
Length: 181 ft (55 m)
Beam: 15 ft (4.6 m)
Installed power:
  • 3,200 hp (2,400 kW) (diesel engines)
  • 1,680 hp (1,250 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h) (surfaced)
  • 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h) (submerged)
Range:
  • 3,000 nmi (3,500 mi; 5,600 km) at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h) (surfaced)
  • 65 nmi (75 mi; 120 km) at 5 kn (5.8 mph; 9.3 km/h) (surfaced)
Complement: 30
Armament:

HMS E49 was an E-class submarine built by Swan Hunter, Wallsend for the Royal Navy. She was laid down on 15 February 1915 and was commissioned on 14 December 1916.

E49 was mined off the Shetland Islands on 12 March 1917. The minefield was laid by the German U-boat UC-76 on 10 March 1917. There were no survivors. E49 now lies 96 ft (29 m) down with her bows blown off.

Design

Like all post-E8 British E-class submarines, E42 had a displacement of 622 tonnes (686 short tons) at the surface and 807 tonnes (890 short tons) while submerged. It had a total length of 180 feet (55 m)[1] and a beam length of 22 feet 8.5 inches (6.922 m). It contained two diesel engines each providing a power of 1,600 horsepower (1,200 kW) and two electric motors each providing 840 horsepower (630 kW) power.[2] Its complement was thirty-one crew members.[1]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) and a submerged speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). British E-class submarines had fuel capacities of 50 tonnes (55 short tons) of diesel and ranges of 3,255 miles (5,238 km; 2,829 nmi) when travelling at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[1] E42 was capable of operating submerged for five hours when travelling at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). It was fitted with a 12 pounds (5.4 kg) quick-firing gun gun (12 pounder), five 18 inches (460 mm) torpedo tubes, and one spare torpedo tube. Its torpedo tubes were fitted at the front and the aft; unlike pre-E9 submarines, the two midship section torpedo tubes were not included.[1]

E-Class submarines contained wireless systems with 1 kilowatt (1.3 hp) power ratings; in some submarines, these were later upgraded to 3 kilowatts (4.0 hp) systems by removing a midship torpedo tube. Its claimed highest dive depth was 100 feet (30 m) although it was capable of reaching depths of below 200 feet (61 m). Some submarines contained Fessenden oscillator systems.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Innes McCartney; Tony Bryan (20 February 2013). British Submarines of World War I. Osprey Publishing. pp. 11–12. ISBN 978-1-4728-0035-0.
  2. "E Class". Chatham Submarines. Retrieved 20 August 2015.

Bibliography

External links

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