Norwegian B-class submarine

The B-class submarines B-2, B-3 and B-4 at quay in Norway
Class overview
Builders:	Karljohansvern Naval shipyard
Operators:	Royal Norwegian Navy
Preceded by:	Norwegian A class submarine
Succeeded by:	U class submarine
In service:	1923 – 1946
In commission:	1 February 1923
Completed:	HNoMS B-1, HNoMS B-2 HNoMS B-3, HNoMS B-4 HNoMS B-5, HNoMS B-6
Active:	6
Lost:	1
General characteristics
Displacement:	365 tons surfaced 545 tons submerged
Length:	51 m
Beam:	5.3 m
Draught:	3.5 m
Propulsion:	2 × Sulzer 900 shp diesel engines 2 × 700 shp electric engines
Speed:	15 knots (27.8 km/h) surfaced 8.9 knots (16.5 km/h) dived
Range:	2,900 nautical miles (5,370.8 km) at 9 knots (16.5 km/h) surfaced 150 nautical miles (277.8 km) submerged at 3 knots (5.5 km/h)
Complement:	23 (? officers and ? ratings)
Armament:	Four 45 cm (17.7 inch) torpedo tubes 1 × 76 mm gun

The B-class submarines were a class of six vessels of the US L class built on licence at Karljohansvern naval shipyard in Horten, Norway from 1922 to 1929 and deployed by the Royal Norwegian Navy.

Boats

• B-1 (1922–1946) Escaped to the United Kingdom 8 June 1940.
• B-2 (1923–1940) Captured by the Germans at Fiskå on 11 April.
• B-3 (1923–1940) Scuttled in Alsvåg, Vesterålen 10 June 1940 by its own crew to prevent capture by the Germans. Ordered to escape to the UK, but prevented by battery explosion.^[1]
• B-4 (1923–1940) Captured by the Germans at Filtvet on 10 April.
• B-5 (1929–1940) Captured by the Germans at Fiskå on 11 April.
• B-6 (1929–1940) Surrendered to German troops on 18 May under threat of bombing of the port of Florø.

References

1. Kindell, Don. "Naval Events, June 1940, Part 1 of 4 Saturday 1st – Friday 7th". Naval-History.net. Retrieved 17 April 2010.

Bibliography

• Abelsen, Frank (1986). Norwegian naval ships 1939–1945 (in Norwegian and English). Oslo: Sem & Stenersen AS. ISBN 82-7046-050-8.