HMS C34

	HMS C34
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS C34
Builder	HM Dockyard Chatham
Laid down	29 March 1909
Launched	8 June 1910
Commissioned	17 September 1910
Fate	Sunk 17 July 1917
General characteristics
Class and type	C-class submarine
Displacement	290 long tons (290 t) surfaced; 320 long tons (330 t) submerged;
Length	142 ft 3 in (43.4 m)
Beam	13 ft 7 in (4.1 m)
Draught	11 ft 6 in (3.5 m)
Installed power	600 petrol; 300 hp (220 kW) electric;
Propulsion	1 × 16-cylinder Vickers petrol engine; 1 × electric motor;
Speed	13 kn (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced; 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged;
Range	910 nmi (1,690 km; 1,050 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph) on the surface
Test depth	100 feet (30.5 m)
Complement	2 officers and 14 ratings
Armament	2 × 18 in (450 mm) bow torpedo tubes

HMS C34 was one of 38 C-class submarines built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. The boat was sunk by a German U-boat in 1917.

Design and description

The C-class boats of the 1907–08 and subsequent Naval Programmes were modified to improve their speed, both above and below the surface. The submarine had a length of 142 feet 3 inches (43.4 m)

draft of 11 feet 6 inches (3.5 m). They displaced 290 long tons (290 t) on the surface and 320 long tons (330 t) submerged. The C-class submarines had a crew of two officers and fourteen ratings.^[1]

For surface running, the boats were powered by a single 12-cylinder

propeller shaft. When submerged the propeller was driven by a 300-horsepower (224 kW) electric motor.^[1] They could reach 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) underwater. On the surface, the C class had a range of 910 nautical miles (1,690 km; 1,050 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph).^[3]

The boats were armed with two

18-inch (45 cm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They could carry a pair of reload torpedoes, but generally did not as they would have to remove an equal weight of fuel in compensation.^[4]

Construction and career

HMS C34 was built by HM Dockyard, Chatham for the Royal Navy. She was laid down on 29 March 1909 and was commissioned on 17 September 1910. The boat was sunk by the Imperial German Navy U-boat U-52 off Fair Isle in Shetland while on the surface on 17 July 1917. The only survivor was picked up by U-52.^[5]

Notes

^ ^a ^b Gardiner & Gray, p. 87
^ Harrison, Chapter 25
^ Harrison, Chapters 3
^ Harrison, Chapter 27
^ "C 34". Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 October 2012.

References

Akermann, Paul (2002). Encyclopaedia of British Submarines 1901–1955 (reprint of the 1989 ed.). Penzance, Cornwall: Periscope Publishing.
ISBN 1-904381-05-7
.

ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8
.

Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
ISBN 0-85177-245-5
.

Harrison, A. N. (January 1979). "The Development of HM Submarines From Holland No. 1 (1901) to Porpoise (1930) (BR3043)". RN Subs. Retrieved 27 September 2022.

External links

[gg9-1] Gardiner & Gray, p. 87

[2] Harrison, Chapter 25

[3] Harrison, Chapters 3

[4] Harrison, Chapter 27

[5] "C 34". Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 October 2012.

[1]

[3]

[4]

[5]

v t e British C-class submarines
C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29 C30 C31 C32 C33 C34 C35 C36 C37 C38
Preceded by: B class Followed by: D class
List of submarines of the Royal Navy List of submarine classes of the Royal Navy

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in July 1917
Shipwrecks	6 Jul: HMS Itchen 7 Jul: USS Saxis, U-99 9 Jul: HMS Vanguard 10 Jul: City of Washington 15 Jul: HMS Redbreast 17 Jul: HMS C34 20 Jul: RMS Salsette 23 Jul: Otway 25 Jul: RFA Oakleaf 26 Jul: HMS Ariadne, UC-61 27 Jul: Batavier II 28 Jul: UB-20 29 Jul: UB-27 31 Jul: USS Chingachgook Unknown date: U-69, UC-1, UC-7
Other incidents	9 Jul: HMS Nymphe 26 Jul: UB-23 29 Jul: UB-23 31 Jul: Belgian Prince
1916 1917 1918 June 1917 August 1917