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A-class submarine of the Royal Navy From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
HMS A3 was an A-class submarine built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She sank in 1912. The wreck is a Protected Wreck managed by Historic England.
![]() HMS A3 | |
History | |
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Name | HMS A3 |
Builder | Vickers, Sons & Maxim, Barrow-in-Furness |
Yard number | 295 |
Laid down | 6 November 1902 |
Launched | 9 May 1903 |
Commissioned | 13 July 1904 |
Fate |
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General characteristics | |
Class and type | A-class submarine |
Displacement |
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Length | 105 ft (32.0 m) |
Beam | 12 ft 9 in (3.9 m) |
Draught | 10 ft 8 in (3.3 m) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed |
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Range | 320 nautical miles (590 km; 370 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced |
Complement | 2 officers and 9 ratings |
Armament | 2 × 18-inch (45 cm) torpedo tubes |
A3 was a member of the first British class of submarines, although slightly larger, faster and more heavily armed than the lead ship, HMS A1. The submarine had a length of 105 feet 1 inch (32.0 m) overall, a beam of 12 feet 9 inches (3.9 m) and a mean draft of 10 feet 8 inches (3.3 m). They displaced 190 long tons (190 t) on the surface and 206 long tons (209 t) submerged. The A-class submarines had a crew of 2 officers and 9 ratings.[1]
For surface running, the boats were powered by a single 16-cylinder 450-brake-horsepower (336 kW) Wolseley petrol engine that drove one propeller shaft. When submerged the propeller was driven by a 150-horsepower (112 kW) electric motor. They could reach 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) on the surface and 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) underwater. On the surface, A3 had a range of 320 nautical miles (590 km; 370 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph);[1] the boat had a range of 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged.[2]
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 doing so that they had to compensate for their weight by an equivalent weight of fuel.[3]
A3 was laid down by Vickers, Sons & Maxim as Yard No.295 at Barrow-in-Furness on 6 November 1902 and was launched on 9 May 1903.[4][5] She was commissioned on 13 July 1904.[4] She primarily served as a coastal defense and training submarine in her over seven years of service.
On 2 February 1912, A3, along with several other submarines dispatched from the port of Gosport, conducted training exercises on target ships in the Solent.[6] Whilst attacking the depot ship HMS Hazard, the semi-submerged A3 accidentally collided with its target 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) southwest of the East Princessa Buoy in the eastern Solent.[7] Its rudder and propeller were both disabled, and the holed submarine sank immediately with all 14 hands lost.[6] The King sent his immediate condolences to the families of the lost seamen.[7]
The submarine was raised from the bottom on 11 March and was brought into the south lock of Portsmouth dockyard the following day, slung below a salvage lighter; the lock was pumped dry so that the 14 bodies could be recovered and the damages surveyed.[8]
After being towed from Portsmouth to Portland Naval Dockyard, the wreck was towed offshore into Weymouth Bay and, after some technical experiments on the hull, it was sunk as a gunnery target by shells from HMS St. Vincent on 17 May 1912.[9][10] In July 2016 the wreck of A3 was officially designated as a protected site.[11]