British V-class submarine

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HMS Voracious
Class overview
Name	V class
Builders	Vickers-Armstrong
Operators	Royal Navy  Free French Naval Forces  Royal Danish Navy Royal Hellenic Navy  Royal Norwegian Navy
Preceded by	U class
Succeeded by	Amphion class
Planned	42
Completed	34 named (8 more never named) of which only 22 were completed.
General characteristics
Type	Submarine
Displacement	Surfaced – 545 tons standard, 658 tons full load Submerged – 740 tons
Length	204 ft 6 in (62.33 m)
Beam	16 ft 1 in (4.90 m)
Draught	15 ft 3 in (4.65 m)
Propulsion	2 shaft diesel-electric, 2 Paxman diesel generators + electric motors, 615 hp (459 kW) / 825 hp (615 kW)
Speed	11.25 knots (20.84 km/h; 12.95 mph) surfaced 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) submerged
Complement	33
Armament	4 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes – (bow internal), 8 torpedoes 1 – 3 in gun

The British V-class submarine (officially "U-Class Long hull 1941–42 programme"^[1]) was a class of submarines built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

History[]

42 vessels were ordered to this design, all to be built by Vickers-Armstrong at either Barrow-in-Furness or at Walker-on-Tyne, but only 22 were completed. Note that 7 of these vessels received 'U' names (conversely, 4 of the U class had received names beginning with 'V').

The V-class submarines were very similar to the preceding U-class (short-hull) boats, of which they constituted a linear development, but had 3/4-inch pressure hull plating instead of 1/2-inch for deeper diving, also a lengthened stern and fining at the bows to reduce noise and improve underwater handling.

They were sometimes referred to as Vampire-class submarines after HMS Vampire.^[2]

Ships[]

The vessels which were ordered are shown below in their programme order (not all completed construction):

The first eight vessels were ordered on 5 December 1941 under that year's programme.

• HMS Venturer (P68)
• , completed as Pipinos (Y8)
• HMS Vampire (P72)
• HMS Vox (P73)
• HMS Vigorous (P74)

The next eighteen vessels were ordered on 21 May 1942 under that year's programme, but six of these were cancelled in early 1944.

• HMS Vivid (P77)
• HMS Upshot (P82)
• , completed as
• , completed as HNoMS Utsira
• HMS Vengeful (P86), transferred to Greece in 1945 as Greek submarine Delfin (Y-9)
• , completed as
• cancelled
• HMS Veto (P88), cancelled 23 January 1944 and scrapped on the slip
• HMS Virile (P89), cancelled 23 January 1944 and scrapped on the slip
• HMS Visitant (P91), cancelled 23 January 1944 (never laid down)
• HMS Upas (P92), cancelled February 1944 and scrapped on the slip
• HMS Ulex (P93), cancelled February 1944 (never laid down)
• HMS Utopia (P94), cancelled February 1944 (never laid down)

• HMS Virulent (P95)

A further six vessels were ordered on 17 November 1942 under the same year's programme, but four of these were cancelled on 23 January 1944.

• cancelled
• HMS Vantage, cancelled 23 January 1944 (never laid down)
• HMS Vehement (P25), cancelled 23 January 1944 (never laid down)
• HMS Venom (P27), cancelled 23 January 1944 (never laid down)
• HMS Verve (P28), cancelled 23 January 1944 (never laid down)

Finally, a further ten vessels were ordered under the 1943 Programme, but all of these were cancelled on 20 November 1943; eight of these were never given names.

• cancelled
• HMS Unbridled (P11), cancelled 20 November 1943 (never laid down)
• HMS Upward (P16), cancelled 20 November 1943 (never laid down)
• Eight more unnamed boats

Notes[]

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to British V class submarines.

• Allied Warships – Submarine – V Class
• Walters, Derek (2004). The History of the British 'U' Class Submarine. Leo Cooper. ISBN 1-84415-131-X.