G10 1916
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| G1 | IA3 | Chatham DYd | 10.1914 | 14.8.1915 | 12.1915 | sold 2.1920 | |
| G2 | IA4 | Chatham DYd | 10.1914 | 23.12.1915 | 3.1916 | sold 1.1920 | |
| G3 | IA5 | Chatham DYd | 10.1914 | 22.1.1916 | 3.1916 | sold 11.1921 | |
| G4 | IA6 | Chatham DYd | 10.1914 | 23.10.1915 | 2.1916 | sold 6.1928 | |
| G5 | IA7 | Chatham DYd | 10/1914 | 23.11.1915 | 1/1916 | sold 10.1922 | |
| G6 | IA8 | Armstrong, Elswick | 12.1914 | 7.12.1915 | 5.1916 | sold 11.1921 | |
| G7 | IA9 | Armstrong, Elswick | 12.1914 | 4.3.1916 | 8.1916 | sunk 1.11.1918 | |
| G8 | I0C | Vickers, Barrow | 12.1914 | 1.5.1916 | 6.1916 | sunk 14.1.1918 | |
| G9 | I1C | Vickers, Barrow | 12.1914 | 15.6.1916 | 8.1916 | sunk 16.9.1917 | |
| G10 | I2C | Vickers, Barrow | 3/1915 | 11.1.1916 | 4/1916 | sold 1.1923 | |
| G11 | I3C | Vickers, Barrow | 3.1915 | 22.2.1916 | 5.1916 | wrecked 22.11.1918 | |
| G12 | I4C | Vickers, Barrow | 4.1915 | 24.3.1916 | 6.1916 | sold 2.1920 | |
| G13 | I5C | Vickers, Barrow | 4/1915 | 18.7.1916 | 9/1916 | sold 1.1923 | |
| G14 | I6C | Scotts, Greenock | 12.1914 | 17.5.1917 | 8.1917 | sold 3.1921 | |
| G15 | White, Cowes | 1915 | --- | --- | cancelled 4.1915 |
|
Displacement standard, t |
|
|
Displacement normal, t |
703 / 837 |
|
Length, m |
57.0 |
|
Breadth, m |
6.94 |
|
Draught, m |
4.07 |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
G1 - 13: 2 8-cyl Vickers diesels / 2 electric motors G14: 2 FIAT diesels / 2 electric motors G15: 2 MAN diesels / 2 electric motors |
|
Power, h. p. |
1600 / 840 |
|
Max speed, kts |
14.5 / 9 |
|
Fuel, t |
diesel oil 44 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 2400(12) / 95(3) |
|
Armament |
G1 - 8, 10, 11: 1 x 1 - 76/28 12pdr 8cwt QF Mk I, 1 - 533 TT (stern, 2), 4 - 450 TT (2 bow, 2 beam, 8) G9, 12, 13, 14: 1 x 1 - 76/30 10cwt QF Mk II, 1 - 533 TT (stern, 2), 4 - 450 TT (2 bow, 2 beam, 8) |
|
Complement |
30 |
| Diving depth operational, m | 30 |
Project history: The Admiralty, reacting to a rumour in 1913 that almost the whole German U-boat effort had been turned over to double-hulled overseas boats, was panicked into requesting a boat with displacement similar to the 'E' class, a partial double hull, a single 533mm TT forward and two 450mm beam tubes. Out of this emerged the 'G' class, 7 units being ordered under the 1914-15 Estimates: G1-7 were ordered pre-war and G8-13 ordered on 24 November 1914 as part of Fisher's expansion of the submarine force. The firms invited to tender for G6, G7, G14 and G15 were allowed to install their own diesels, so Armstrong Whitworth proposed to put MAN Nuremberg type in G6, and Sulzers in G7; Scott's proposed to put FIAT engines into G14 and White proposed to put their license-built MAN type into G15 (cancelled in 1915). The impossibility of getting German diesels led to G6 and G7 being engined with Vickers standard diesels. The standard 'G's had the same diesel as the 'E's, so to speed up production of existing 'E's Chatham DYd were allowed to divert the diesels ordered for G2-5 into E19-32. The engines were presumably replaced by engines built at Chatham. During construction the armament was changed. The 533mm tube was moved aft and two 450mm bow tubes were substituted. The 'G's thus introduced the 533mm torpedo to British submarines, although Swordfish had been ordered a year earlier.
Modernizations: 1916-1917, G2-8, G10, G11: - 1 x 1 - 76/28; + 1 x 1 - 76/30 10cwt QF Mk II
1917-1918, 5 submarines: + 1 x 1 - 40/37 2pdr QF Mk III
Naval service: G7 and G8 were lost 1.11.1918 and 1.5.1916 by unknown causes in the North Sea. G9 was sunk 16.9.1917 off Norway in error by RN destroyer Petard. G11 wrecked during a storm off Harwich 22.11.1918.
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-13