# HMS L27

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HMS L27 History United Kingdom Name HMS L27 Builder Vickers Limited, Barrow-in-Furness Laid down 30 January 1918 Launched 14 June 1919 Commissioned 25 March 1926 Fate Broken up, 1946 General characteristics Class & type L-class submarine Displacement 914 long tons (929 t) surfaced 1,089 long tons (1,106 t) submerged Length 238 ft 7 in (72.7 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 150 feet (45.7 m) Complement 38 Armament 4 × bow 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes 2 × beam 18 in (457 mm) torpedo tubes 1 × 4-inch deck gun

**HMS *L27*** was a [L-class](/source/British_L-class_submarine) [submarine](/source/Submarine) built for the [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) during [World War I](/source/World_War_I). The boat was not completed before the end of the war and was one of three L-class boats to serve during [World War II](/source/World_War_II). She served as [training boat](/source/Training_ship) before being broken up in 1944.

## Design and description

*L9* and its successors were enlarged to accommodate [21-inch (53.3 cm)](/source/British_21_inch_torpedo) torpedoes and more fuel. The submarine had a length of 238 feet 7 inches (72.7 m) [overall](/source/Length_overall), a [beam](/source/Beam_(nautical)) of 23 feet 6 inches (7.2 m) and a mean [draft](/source/Draft_(ship)) of 13 feet 3 inches (4.0 m).[1] They [displaced](/source/Displacement_(ship)) 914 long tons (929 t) on the surface and 1,089 long tons (1,106 t) submerged. The L-class submarines had a crew of 35 officers and [ratings](/source/Naval_rating).[2] They had a diving depth of 150 feet (45.7 m).[3]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 12-cylinder [Vickers](/source/Vickers)[4] 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. On the surface, the L class had a range of 3,800 [nautical miles](/source/Nautical_mile) (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[3]

The boats were armed with four 21-inch (533 mm) [torpedo tubes](/source/Torpedo_tube) in the bow and two [18-inch (460 mm) tubes](/source/British_18_inch_torpedo) in broadside mounts. They carried four reload torpedoes for the 21-inch tubes for a grand total of ten torpedoes of all sizes.[5] They were also armed with a 4-inch (102 mm) [deck gun](/source/Deck_gun).[2]

## Construction and career

HMS *L27* was built by [Vickers](/source/Vickers) at their [Barrow-in-Furness](/source/Barrow-in-Furness) [shipyard](/source/Shipyard), [launched](/source/Ship_naming_and_launching) on 14 June 1919. She was then towed and completed at [HM Dockyard](/source/HM_Dockyard), [Sheerness](/source/Sheerness) and commissioned on 25 March 1926.

At the onset of the Second World War, *L27* was a member of the 6th Submarine Flotilla. From 26–29 August 1939, the flotilla deployed to its war bases at [Dundee](/source/Dundee) and Blyth.[6] From 20 September 1939 to 15 January 1940, the 6th Submarine Flotilla was deployed off [Skagerrak](/source/Skagerrak), [Jutland](/source/Jutland) and [Horns Reef](/source/Horns_Reef).[7] On 15 October 1940 *L27* attacked a German convoy unsuccessfully in the [English Channel](/source/English_Channel).[8]

Beginning on 22 March 1941, the Royal Navy and [Allies](/source/Allies_of_World_War_II) began deploying submarines off [Brest, France](/source/Brest%2C_France) to prevent the German [battleships](/source/Battleship) [*Gneisenau*](/source/German_battleship_Gneisenau) and [*Scharnhorst*](/source/German_battleship_Scharnhorst) from leaving port. *L27* was among the submarines assigned to the patrol.[9] On 15 October 1941, the submarine unsuccessfully attacked a merchant vessel off [Cherbourg](/source/Cherbourg).[10]

*L27* was converted into a training boat at [Portsmouth](/source/Portsmouth) before being broken up at [Montreal](/source/Montreal) from July 1946.

## Notes

## Citations

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

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-a5_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-a5_2-1) Akermann, p. 165

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-h11_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-h11_3-1) Harrison, Chapter 11

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Harrison, Chapter 25

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Harrison, Chapter 27

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Rohwer, p.1

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Rohwer, p.5

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Rohwer, p.45

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Rohwer, p.65

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Rohwer, p.108

## 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.

- Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). *Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two* (Revised & Expanded ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-59114-119-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-59114-119-2).

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

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