HMS H5


HMS H5, was a British H-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She sank the U-boat U 51 in July 1916, but was herself sunk after being rammed by the British merchantman Rutherglen when mistaken for a German U-boat on 2 March 1918. All on board perished; they are commemorated on Panel 29 at Royal Navy Submarine Museum. Also on board as an observer was US Navy Lieutenant Earle Wayne Freed Childs from the American submarine AL-2. He became the first US submariner to lose his life in the First World War. The wreck's site is designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act. A plaque commemorating the 26 who died was dedicated on Armed Forces Day 2010 in Holyhead.

Design

Like all pre-H11 British H-class submarines, H5 had a displacement of at the surface and while submerged. It had a total length of, a beam length of, and a draught length of. It contained a diesel engines providing a total power of and two electric motors each providing power. The use of its electric motors made the submarine travel at. It would normally carry of fuel and had a maximum capacity of.
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a submerged speed of. British H-class submarines had ranges of. H5 was fitted with a Hotchkiss quick-firing gun and four torpedo tubes. Its torpedo tubes were fitted to the bows and the submarine carried eight torpedoes. She is a Holland 602 type submarine but was designed to meet Royal Navy specifications. Her complement was twenty-two crew members.

Service record

On 14 July 1916 H5 spotted the leaving the Ems and torpedoed her. U-51 sank with the loss of 34 of her crew; four men survived.