D Class Submarines Class Overview

Dimensions, machinery and performance

Length:
167' 7" (a)

Engines:

2 six cylinder Vickers diesels
Beam:
20' 6"
Motors:
2
Draft:
11' 5" (b)
Shafts:
2
Pressure Hull
Horsepower
Length:
N/A
Engines:
1,750 (875 HP each) (e)
Diameter:
N/A
Motors:
544 (277 HP each)
Displacement
Speed
Surfaced:
495 (c)
Surfaced:
14 knots (design 14.5 knots)
Submerged:
620 (d)
Submerged:
9 knots (design 10 knots)
Diving Depth:
100'
Range
Surfaced:
2,500 NM @ 10 knots / 1,750 NM @ 11.2 knots
Crew:
25
Submerged:
50 NM @ 5 knots
 
Construction notes:
(a):
D-1 length 163', D-2 length 162' 1"
(b):
D-1 draft 10' 5", D-2 unknown.
(c):
D-1 surfaced tons 483, D-2 unknown.
(d):
D-1 submerged tons 595, D-2 unknown.
(e):
D-1 engine HP 1,200 (600 HP each)


Armament As Built
Number Carried
Type
Arrangement
Maximum Range / Ceiling
3
18" (450mm)
Torpedo tubes
2 bow
1 stern
7,000 yards @ 29 knots (3.9 miles)
5,000 yards @ 35 knots (2.8 miles)
320 lb. TNT warhead
6 torpedoes

1 (a)
3"/40 (76mm)
12 pounder
single mount
11,750 yards @ 40° (6.6 miles)
AA ceiling 19,000' @ 70°
12.9 lb HE shell
Rate of Fire 15 RPM
Armament notes:
(a):
Fitted only to D-4 and possibly D-6, mount was retractable but later permanently mounted.


Name
Builder
Launched
Commissioned
D-1 (I-71)
Vickers, Sons & Maxim Ltd.
Barrow-in-Furness, England

May 16, 1908
Sept. 1, 1909
Fate
Sunk as target Oct. 23, 1918.

Location unknown.
Name
Builder
Launched
Commissioned
D-2 (I-72)
Vickers, Sons & Maxim Ltd.
Barrow-in-Furness, England

May 25, 1910
Mar. 29, 1911
Fate
Sailed from Harwich, England Nov. 24, 1914 and missing since then.
(Thought to have been sunk by a German torpedo boat on or about Nov. 25, 1914
near Borkum Island, Germany)

Location: North Sea
(The wreck has not been located)

26 crewmen killed, no survivors.
(Roll of Honour)
Name
Builder
Launched
Commissioned
D-3 (I-73)
Vickers, Sons & Maxim Ltd.
Barrow-in-Furness, England

Oct. 17, 1910
Aug. 30, 1911
Fate
Sunk Mar. 12, 1918, bombed in error by the French airship AT-0.
(some sources give the date as March 15)
(Read the March 12, 2006 Daily Event)

Location: English Channel, off Dieppe, France.
(The wreck has not been located)

29 crewmen killed, no survivors.
(Roll of Honour)
Name
Builder
Launched
Commissioned
D-4 (I-74)
Vickers, Sons & Maxim Ltd.
Barrow-in-Furness, England

May 25, 1911
Nov. 29, 1911
Fate
Sold Dec. 19, 1921 and scrapped.
Name
Builder
Launched
Commissioned
D-5 (I-75)
Vickers, Sons & Maxim Ltd.
Barrow-in-Furness, England

Aug. 28, 1911
Feb. 19, 1912
Fate
Sunk Nov. 3, 1914 (mine).

Location: North Sea, 2 miles south of South Cross Buoy, Yarmouth, England.
(The wreck has not been located)

21 crewmen killed, 5 survivors picked up by Faithful (trawler).
(Roll of Honour)
Name
Builder
Launched
Commissioned
D-6 (I-76)
Vickers, Sons & Maxim Ltd.
Barrow-in-Furness, England

Oct. 23, 1911
Apr. 19, 1912
Fate
Sunk June 24, 1918 by UB-73 (torpedo).

Location: North Atlantic, 14 miles north of Inishtruhull Island, Ireland.
(55.37N - 07.15W)

24 crewmen killed, no survivors.
(Roll of Honour)
Name
Builder
Launched
Commissioned
D-7 (I-77)
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham, England

Jan. 14, 1911
Dec. 14, 1911
Fate
Sold Dec. 19, 1921 and scrapped.
Name
Builder
Launched
Commissioned
D-8 (I-88)
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham, England

Sept. 23, 1911
Mar. 23, 1912
Fate
Sold Dec. 19, 1921 and scrapped.


Page created June 24, 2007