Name HMS H8 Commissioned June 1915 Construction started 19 May 1915 | Laid down 19 May 1915 Fate Sold, 29 November 1921 Length 46 m | |
Displacement 363 long tons (369 t) surfaced434 long tons (441 t) submerged Builders | ||
HMS H8 was a British H-class submarine built by the Canadian Vickers Co., Montreal. She was laid down on 19 May 1915 and commissioned in June 1915. Like other Canadian-built submarines, she was sailed across the Atlantic for service in the North Sea and as recognition of this she initially remained under the command of her Canadian captain, Lieutenant-Commander B. L. Johnson, R.N.R. with a largely reserve crew. HMS H8 was sold on 29 November 1921 in Arbroath.
Design
Like all pre-H11 British H-class submarines, H8 had a displacement of 364 tonnes (401 short tons) at the surface and 434 tonnes (478 short tons) while submerged. It had a total length of 171 feet (52 m), a beam length of 15 feet 4 inches (4.67 m), and a draught length of 12 feet (3.7 m). It contained a diesel engines providing a total power of 480 horsepower (360 kW) and two electric motors each providing 320 horsepower (240 kW) power. The use of its electric motors made the submarine travel at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph). It would normally carry 16.4 tonnes (18.1 short tons) of fuel and had a maximum capacity of 18 tonnes (20 short tons).
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) and a submerged speed of 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph). British H-class submarines had ranges of 1,600 nautical miles (3,000 km; 1,800 mi) at speeds of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). H8 was fitted with a 6 pounds (2.7 kg) Hotchkiss quick-firing gun gun (6-pounder) and four 18 inches (460 mm) torpedo tubes. Its torpedo tubes were fitted to the bows and the submarine was loaded with eight 18 inches (460 mm) torpedoes. It is a Holland 602 type submarine but was designed to meet Royal Navy specifications. Its complement was twenty-two crew members.