# HMS L4

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HMS L4 by William Lionel Wyllie History United Kingdom Name HMS L4 Builder Vickers Limited, Barrow-in-Furness Laid down 21 June 1916 Launched 17 November 1917 Commissioned 26 December 1918 Fate Sold for scrapping, 24 February 1934 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-inch deck gun

**HMS *L4*** was a [L-class submarine](/source/British_L_class_submarine) built for the Royal Navy during World War I. The boat survived the war and was sold for [scrap](/source/Ship_breaking) in 1934.

## 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 [draft](/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 (45 cm)](/source/British_18_inch_torpedo) [torpedo tubes](/source/Torpedo_tube). Four of these were in the bow and the remaining pair in broadside mounts. They carried 10 reload torpedoes, all for the bow tubes.[4] They were also armed with a 4-inch (102 mm) [deck gun](/source/Deck_gun).[5]

## Construction and career

Spear taken from the pirates who had seized SS Irene

HMS *L4* was built by [Vickers](/source/Vickers), [Barrow](/source/Barrow-in-Furness). She was laid down on 21 June 1916 and was commissioned on 26 December 1918. 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. On 20 October 1927 off [Hong Kong](/source/Hong_Kong), L4 and [HMS *L5*](/source/HMS_L5) rescued crew of the [merchant ship](/source/Merchant_ship) [SS *Irene*](/source/Irene_incident) from a pirate attack after firing her deck gun. HMS *L4* was sold on 24 February 1934 and then broken up in [Charlestown, Fife](/source/Charlestown%2C_Fife).

## 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

## 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 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 1927 Shipwrecks 25 Feb: Artemis 11 Mar: El Sol 27 Jun: Craster Hall 5 Aug: Chiyoda, O-2 18 Aug: Hennepin 22 Aug: Prince Rupert 24 Aug: Warabi 21 Oct: Irene 25 Oct: Principessa Mafalda 28 Oct: Fortuna 3 Nov: Greycliffe 21 Nov: Georgia 7 Dec: Kamloops 17 Dec: USS S-4 30 Dec: Seneca Other incidents 29 Jan: Celtic 6 Mar: USCGC Seminole 11 Mar: Sac City 1 May: USS Colorado 2 May: Astoria 5 Jul: RMS Ebro 15 Jul: Veendam 24 Aug: Jintsū 25 Sep: Minnekahda 6 Oct: Domala 19 Oct: Irene 20 Oct: Irene, HMS L4, HMS L5 3 Nov: Tahiti 8 Nov: Catala 20 Nov: Pierre Chailley 27 Nov: Wahehe November (unknown date): Hougomont 12 Dec: Fylgia 16 Dec: Equity 17 Dec: USCGD Paulding 29 Dec: Galatée 29 Dec: J. A. Moffett Jr. 31 Dec: Consul Horn Unknown date: America Unknown date: Pelican 1926 1928

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