# HMS L1

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Submarine of the Royal Navy

HMS L1 submarine History United Kingdom Name HMS L1 Builder Vickers Limited, Barrow-in-Furness Laid down 18 May 1916 Launched 10 May 1917 Commissioned 10 November 1917 Fate Sold for scrapping, March 1930 General characteristics Class & type L-class submarine Displacement 891 long tons (905 t) surfaced 1,074 long tons (1,091 t) submerged Length 231 ft 1 in (70.4 m) Beam 23 ft 6 in (7.2 m) Draught 13 ft 3 in (4.0 m) Installed power 2,400 bhp (1,800 kW) (diesel) 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) (electric) Propulsion 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors Speed 17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph) surfaced 10.5 kn (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) submerged Range 3,800 nmi (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) on the surface Test depth 100 feet (30.5 m) Complement 35 Armament 6 × 18 in (457 mm) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 beam) 1 × 4 in (102 mm) deck gun

**HMS *L1*** was the [lead boat](/source/Lead_ship) of the [L-class](/source/British_L-class_submarine) [submarines](/source/Submarine) built for the [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) during [World War I](/source/World_War_I).

## Design and description

The L-class boats were enlarged and improved versions of the preceding [E class](/source/British_E-class_submarine). The submarine had a length of 231 feet 1 inch (70.4 m) [overall](/source/Length_overall), a [beam](/source/Beam_(nautical)) of 23 feet 6 inches (7.2 m) and a mean [draught](/source/Draft_(ship)) of 13 feet 3 inches (4.0 m). They [displaced](/source/Displacement_(ship)) 891 long tons (905 t) on the surface and 1,074 long tons (1,091 t) submerged. The L-class submarines had a crew of 35 officers and [ratings](/source/Naval_rating).[1]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 12-cylinder [Vickers](/source/Vickers)[2] 1,200-[brake-horsepower](/source/Horsepower#Brake_horsepower) (895 kW) [diesel engines](/source/Diesel_engine), each driving one [propeller shaft](/source/Propeller_shaft). When submerged each propeller was driven by a 600-horsepower (447 kW) [electric motor](/source/Electric_motor).[1] They could reach 17 [knots](/source/Knot_(unit)) (31 km/h; 20 mph) on the surface and 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) underwater.[3] On the surface, the L class had a range of 3,200 [nautical miles](/source/Nautical_mile) (5,900 km; 3,700 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[1]

The boats were armed with a total of six [18-inch (460 mm)](/source/British_18_inch_torpedo) [torpedo tubes](/source/Torpedo_tube). Four of these were in the [bow](/source/Bow_(watercraft)) and the remaining pair in broadside mounts. They carried 10 reload torpedoes, all for the bow tubes.[4] *L1* was initially fitted with a 3-inch (76 mm) [anti-aircraft gun](/source/Anti-aircraft_gun), but this was later replaced by a 4-inch (102 mm) [deck gun](/source/Deck_gun).[5]

## Construction and career

Originally [laid down](/source/Laid_down) by [Vickers](/source/Vickers), [Barrow](/source/Barrow-in-Furness), as [E-class submarine](/source/British_E-class_submarine) *E57* on 18 May 1916, she and [sister ship](/source/Sister_ship) [*E58*](/source/HMS_L2) incorporated enough changes that they were renamed as the first pair of boats of a newly designated L class. *L1* was [launched](/source/Launched_(ship)) 10 May 1917, and [commissioned](/source/Commissioned_(ship)) on 10 November 1917.

She sailed with the [Submarine Depot Ship](/source/Submarine_tenders) [HMS Ambrose (1914)](/source/HMS_Ambrose_(1914)) to [Hong Kong](/source/Hong_Kong) in 1919 as part of the [4th Submarine Flotilla](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=4th_Submarine_Flotilla&action=edit&redlink=1), arriving there in January 1920. *L1* was placed in the reserve flotilla in 1923 in Hong Kong. She was then sold to [John Cashmore Ltd](/source/John_Cashmore_Ltd) in March 1930 for scrapping. While being towed to [Newport](/source/Newport%2C_Wales) she broke free and was stranded at Penanwell Cove, near [Porth Nanven](/source/Porth_Nanven) in Cornwall. She was scrapped where she lay. Some metal remains can still be seen there on low spring tides.[6]

## Notes

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-gg9_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-gg9_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-gg9_1-2) Gardiner & Gray, p. 93

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Harrison, Chapter 25

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Harrison, Chapters 3

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Harrison, Chapter 27

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Akermann, p. 165

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Submarine L1, and the Battle Ensign of H.M.S.Revenge - Submerged"](http://www.submerged.co.uk/submarine-l1-and-battle-ensign-of-revenge.php).

## References

- Akermann, Paul (2002). *Encyclopaedia of British Submarines 1901–1955* (reprint of the 1989 ed.). Penzance, Cornwall: Periscope Publishing. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-904381-05-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-904381-05-7).

- [Colledge, J. J.](/source/J._J._Colledge); Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. [*Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present*](/source/Ships_of_the_Royal_Navy) (3rd Rev ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-86176-281-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-86176-281-8). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [67375475](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/67375475).

- Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). *Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921*. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85177-245-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85177-245-5).

- Harrison, A. N. (January 1979). ["The Development of HM Submarines From Holland No. 1 (1901) to Porpoise (1930) (BR3043)"](http://rnsubs.co.uk/dits-bits/br-3043.html). RN Subs. Retrieved 27 September 2022.

v t e British E-class submarines Royal Navy E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E8 E9 E10 E11 E12 E13 E14 E15 E16 E17 E18 E19 E20 E21 E22 E23 E24 E25 E26 E27 E28X E29 E30 E31 E32 E33 E34 E35 E36 E37 E38 E39 E40 E41 E42 E43 E44 E45 E46 E47 E48 E49 E50 E51 E52 E53 E54 E55 E56 E57 E58 Royal Australian Navy AE1 AE2 Preceded by: D class Followed by: F class X Cancelled List of submarines of the Royal Navy List of submarine classes of the Royal Navy

v t e British L-class submarines Royal Navy L1 class L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 L7 L8 L9 class L9 L10 L11 L12 L14 L15 L16 L17 L18 L19 L20 L21 L22 L23 L24 L25 L26 L27 L28N L29N L30N L31N L32N L33 L34X L35X L50 class L50X L51X L52 L53 L54 L55 L56 L57X L58X L59X L60X L61X L62X L63X L64X L65X L66X L67X L68X L69 L70X L71 L72X L73X L74X Soviet Navy Bezbozhnik (ex-L55) Preceded by: J class Followed by: M class N Not completed X Cancelled List of submarines of the Royal Navy List of submarine classes of the Royal Navy

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1930 Shipwrecks 4 Jan: Edgar Quinet 17 Jan: Arctic 23 Jan: Monte Cervantes 1 Feb: Edgar F. Coney 11 Feb: München 28 Feb: HMCS Thiepval 29 Mar: HMS L1 10 Apr: St. Sunniva 21 May: Asia 25 May: City of Honolulu 13 Jun: Miss England II 26 Jun: John B. King 3 Aug: Akashi 17 Aug: Tahiti 24 Nov: HMAS Torrens 10 Dec: Empress of Scotland Unknown date: Baymaud, Half Moon Other incidents 10 Jan: Edward Luckenbach 31 Jan: Minnekahda 17 Feb: El Paraguayo 18 Feb: Iron Monarch 6 Mar: Arabia Maru 28 Apr: Fresnel 29 Apr: Gairsoppa 22 May: SS Kaisar-I-Hind May (unknown date): USFS Widgeon 6 Jun: Arpha 27 Jun: Pierre Chailley June (unknown date): Equity 2 Jul: Mona 14 Jul: Pengreep 19 Jul: Minnekahda 7 Aug: Tregenna 8 Aug: Penguin 15 Aug: Tahiti 3 Sep: USC&GS Oceanographer 8 Sep: Maria M. 21 Sep: MV Penguin 26 Sep: HMS Conquest 21 Nov: Frederik VIII 1 Dec: Georges Philippar 12 Dec: Arcturus 18 Dec: Ceramic Unknown date: HMS Peterel 1929 1931

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [HMS L1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_L1) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_L1?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.