HMS H5

HMS H5, was a British H-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was sunk after being rammed by the British merchantman Rutherglen, mistaken for a German U-boat, on 2 March 1918. All on board perished.

Stoker Petty Officer Thomas Lloyd was among the casualties. He, and all the rest of the crew are commemorated on Panel 29 at Royal Navy Submarine Museum. Also on board was US Navy Lt. Earle Wayne Freed Childs from the American submarine AL-2 as an observer, he became the first US submariner to lose his life in the First World War. The wreck 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 364 tonnes (401 short tons) at the surface and 434 tonnes (478 short tons) while submerged. It had a total length of 171 feet (52 m), a beam length of 15 feet 4 inches (4.67 m), and a draught length of 12 feet (3.7 m). It contained a diesel engines providing a total power of 480 horsepower (360 kW) and two electric motors each providing 320 horsepower (240 kW) power. The use of its electric motors made the submarine travel at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph). It would normally carry 16.4 tonnes (18.1 short tons) of fuel and had a maximum capacity of 18 tonnes (20 short tons).