HMS A6

HMS A6 was an A-class submarine built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.

A group of British "A" class submarines
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS A6
Builder: Vickers, Sons & Maxim Ltd. Barrow-in-Furness, England
Laid down: 1 September 1903
Launched: 3 March 1904
Commissioned: 23 March 1905
Fate: Sold, 8 October 1920 for breaking up
General characteristics
Class and type: A-class submarine
Displacement:
  • 190 long tons (193 t) surfaced
  • 206 long tons (209 t) submerged
Length: 105 ft (32.0 m)
Beam: 12 ft 9 in (3.9 m)
Draught: 10 ft 8 in (3.3 m)
Installed power:
Propulsion:
  • 1 × 16-cylinder Wolseley petrol engine
  • 1 × electric motor
Speed:
  • 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) surfaced
  • 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) submerged
Range: 500 nautical miles (930 km; 580 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
Complement: 2 officers and 9 ratings
Armament: 2 × 18-inch (45 cm) torpedo tubes

Design and description

A6 was a member of the first British class of submarines, although slightly larger, faster and more heavily armed than the lead ship, HMS A1. The submarine had a length of 105 feet 1 inch (32.0 m) overall, a beam of 12 feet 9 inches (3.9 m) and a mean draft of 10 feet 8 inches (3.3 m). They displaced 190 long tons (190 t) on the surface and 206 long tons (209 t) submerged. The A-class submarines had a crew of 2 officers and 11 ratings.[1]

For surface running, the boats were powered by a single 16-cylinder 550-brake-horsepower (410 kW) Wolseley petrol engine that drove one propeller shaft. When submerged the propeller was driven by a 150-horsepower (112 kW) electric motor. They could reach 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) on the surface and 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) underwater.[1] On the surface, A6 had a range of 500 nautical miles (930 km; 580 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph); submerged the boat had a range of 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph).[2]

The boats were armed with two 18-inch (45 cm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They could carry a pair of reload torpedoes, but generally did not as doing so that they had to compensate for their weight by an equivalent weight of fuel.[3]

Construction and career

A6 was ordered as part of the 1903–04 Naval Programme from at Vickers.[4] She was laid down at the shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness on 1 September 1903, launched on 3 March 1904 and completed on 23 March 1905.[2]

A6 ran aground on a sandbank in Sandown harbour on 31 July 1906, but received little damage.[5]

Notes
  1. Gardiner & Gray, p. 86
  2. Akermann, p. 120
  3. Harrison, Chapter 27
  4. Harrison, Chapter 3
  5. "Naval Matters—Past and Prospective: Portsmouth Dockyard". The Marine Engineer and Naval Architect. Vol. 29. 1 September 1906. p. 41.
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References
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