HMS A3
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HMS A3
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| History | |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name: | HMS A3 |
| Builder: | Vickers, Sons & Maxim Ltd. Barrow-in-Furness, England |
| Laid down: | 6 November 1902 |
| Launched: | 9 March 1903 |
| Commissioned: | 13 July 1904 |
| Fate: | Sunk, 12 May 1912 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | A-class submarine |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 105 ft (32.0 m) |
| Beam: | 12 ft 9 in (3.9 m) |
| Draught: | 10 ft 8 in (3.3 m) |
| Installed power: |
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| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: |
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| Range: | 320 nautical miles (590 km; 370 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced |
| Complement: | 2 officers and 9 ratings |
| Armament: | 2 × 18-inch (45 cm) torpedo tubes |
HMS A2 was an A-class submarine built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.
Design and description
A3 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 450-brake-horsepower (336 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 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) on the surface and 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) underwater. On the surface, A3 had a range of 320 nautical miles (590 km; 370 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph);[1] 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
A3 was built at Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness and was commissioned on 13 July 1904. She was accidentally rammed whilst surfacing by the submarine tender Hazard off the Isle of Wight on 2 February 1912 and sank with the loss of all on board.[4][5] The wreck was salvaged and subsequently sunk as a gunnery target near Portland Bill on 12 May 1912, where she remains today.
Notes
References
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External links
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