HMS E6

HMS E6 was a British E-class submarine built by Vickers Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 12 November 1911 and was commissioned on 17 October 1913. She cost £106,900.

Service history

E6 had a short career in World War I. On 5 August 1914, she was towed by the light cruiser Amethyst to Terschelling along with E8 which was towed by the destroyer Ariel. E6 and E8 then made the first Heligoland Bight patrol. On 28 August 1914, E6 and E8 other boats took positions in a planned raid against the German Heligoland Bight patrol using surface ships. On 25 September 1914, E6 fouled on two mines in Heligoland Bight, but escaped. E6 was mined on 26 December 1915 in the North Sea off Harwich.

Design

Like the first eight British E-class submarines, E6 has a displacement of 652 tonnes (719 short tons) at the surface and 795 tonnes (876 short tons) while submerged. It had a total length of 176 feet (54 m) and a beam length of 22 feet 8.5 inches (6.922 m). It contained two diesel engines each providing a power of 1,750 horsepower (1,300 kW) and two electric motors each providing 600 horsepower (450 kW) power. Its complement was thirty-one crew members.