HMS L4

	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 and 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 built for the Royal Navy during World War I. The boat survived the war and was sold for scrap

in 1934.

Design and description

The L-class boats were enlarged and improved versions of the preceding

draft of 13 feet 3 inches (4.0 m). They displaced 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.^[1]

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

propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 600-horsepower (447 kW) electric motor.^[1] They could reach 17 knots (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 (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) torpedo tubes. 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.^[5]

Construction and career

HMS L4 was built by

Submarine Depot Ship HMS Ambrose (1903) to Hong Kong in 1919 as part of the 4th Submarine Flotilla, arriving there in January 1920. On 20 October 1927 off Hong Kong, L4 and HMS L5 rescued crew of the merchant ship SS Irene from a pirate attack after firing her deck gun. HMS L4 was sold on 24 February 1934 and then broken up in Charlestown, Fife

.

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c Gardiner & Gray, p. 93
^ Harrison, Chapter 25
^ Harrison, Chapters 3
^ Harrison, Chapter 27
^ Akermann, p. 165

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.

[gg9-1] Gardiner & Gray, p. 93

[2] Harrison, Chapter 25

[3] Harrison, Chapters 3

[4] Harrison, Chapter 27

[5] Akermann, p. 165

[1]

[3]

[4]

[5]

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