HMS K17

HMS K17 was a British K class submarine built by Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness.

History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS K17
Builder:	Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness
Launched:	10 April 1917
Commissioned:	1917
Fate:	Sunk, 31 January 1918
General characteristics
Class and type:	K-class submarine
Displacement:	1,980 long tons (2,010 t) surfaced 2,566 long tons (2,607 t) submerged
Length:	339 ft (103 m)
Beam:	26 ft 6 in (8.08 m)
Draught:	20 ft 11 in (6.38 m)
Propulsion:	2 × 10,500 shp (7.8 MW) Brown-Curtis or Parsons geared steam turbines 2 × Yarrow boilers 4 × 1,440 hp (1,070 kW) electric motors 1 × 800 hp (600 kW) Vickers diesel generator for charging batteries on the surface 2 × 3-blade 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) diameter screws
Speed:	24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph) surfaced 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range:	Surfaced : 800 nmi (1,500 km; 920 mi) at 24 kn (44 km/h; 28 mph) 12,500 nmi (23,200 km; 14,400 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) Submerged : 8 nmi (15 km; 9.2 mi) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) 40 nmi (46 mi; 74 km) at 4 kn (4.6 mph; 7.4 km/h)
Complement:	59 (6 officers and 53 ratings)
Armament:	8 × 18 in (460 mm) torpedo tubes, (4 beam, 4 bow) 8 × spare torpedoes 2 × 18 in torpedo tubes fitted on deck (later removed) 2 × BL 4 in (100 mm) Mk.XI guns 1 × 3 in (76 mm) gun

Design

Like all British K-class submarines, K17 had a displacement of 1,800 tonnes (2,000 short tons) when at the surface and 2,600 tonnes (2,900 short tons) while submerged.[1] It had a total length of 338 feet (103 m), a beam length of 26 feet 6 inches (8.08 m), and a draught length of 20 feet 11 inches (6.38 m).[2] The submarine was powered by two oil-fired Yarrow Shipbuilders boilers and one geared Brown-Curtis or Parsons steam turbine; this developed 10,500 ship horsepower (7,800 kW) to drive two 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m) screws. It also contained four electric motors each producing 350 to 360 horsepower (260 to 270 kW).[2][3] It was also fitted with a diesel engine providing 800 horsepower (600 kW) to be used when steam was being generated.[4]

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph) and a submerged speed of 9 to 9.5 knots (16.7 to 17.6 km/h; 10.4 to 10.9 mph).[2][5] It could operate at depths of 150 feet (46 m) at 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph) for 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi).[1] K17 was fitted with a 3 inches (76 mm) anti-aircraft gun, ten 18 inches (460 mm) torpedo tubes, and two 4 inches (100 mm) deck guns.[2] Its torpedo tubes were fitted to the bows, the midship section, and two were mounted on the deck.[1] Its complement was fifty-nine crew members.[5]

Loss

K17 was sunk on 31 January 1918 during the night time fleet exercises later known as the Battle of May Island (Operation E.C.1) when she was attached to the 13th Submarine Flotilla. HMS Fearless ploughed into K17 at the head of a line of submarines. She sank in about 8 minutes with the loss of all hands.[6] The wreck is designated as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.[7]

References

1. "K for Katastophe". Undersea Warfare Magazine. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
2. Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. Retrieved from Naval-History on 20 August 2015.
3. "K-class". Military Factory — Navy Ships. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
4. Anthony Bruce; William Cogar (27 January 2014). Encyclopedia of Naval History. Routledge. p. 356. ISBN 978-1-135-93534-4.
5. Julian Holland (1 May 2012). Amazing & Extraordinary Facts Steam Age. David & Charles. p. 145. ISBN 1-4463-5619-1.
6. 'Submarine losses 1904 to present day' - Royal Navy Submarine Museum
7. "The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (Designation of Vessels and Controlled Sites) Order 2008 No. 950". opsi.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 July 2010.

Bibliography

• Hutchinson, Robert. Submarines, War Beneath The Waves, from 1776 to the Present Day.

External links

• wrecksite.eu : HMS K-17