HMS E4

HMS E4 was a British E class submarine built by Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness, costing £101,900. E4 was laid down on 16 May 1911, launched on 5 February 1912 and commissioned on 28 January 1913. On 24 September 1915 E4 was attacked by the German airship SL3. On 15 August 1916, she collided with sister ship E41 during exercises off Harwich. Both ships sank and there were only 14 survivors, all from E41. Both boats were raised, repaired and recommissioned. She was sold on 21 February 1922 to the Upnor Ship Breaking Company.

Design

Like the first eight British E-class submarines, E4 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.

The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) and a submerged speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). British E-class submarines had fuel capacities of 50 tonnes (55 short tons) of diesel and ranges of 3,255 miles (5,238 km; 2,829 nmi) when travelling at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).E4 was capable of operating submerged for five hours when travelling at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). It was fitted with a 4 inches (100 mm) quick-firing gun and four 18 inches (460 mm) torpedo tubes. One torpedo tube was fitted at the front, one on the aft, and two in the midship section (the transverse area of the amidships); the two in the midship section were removed in post-E8 submarines.