
HMS H5

HMS "H5", was a British H-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She sank the U-boat in July 1916, but was herself sunk after being rammed by the British merchantman "Rutherglen" when mistaken for a German U-boat on 2 March 1918. All on board perished; they are commemorated on Panel 29 at Royal Navy Submarine Museum. Also on board as an observer was US Navy Lieutenant Earle Wayne Freed Childs from the American submarine "AL-2". He became the first US submariner to lose his life in the First World War. The wreck's site is designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act. A plaque commemorating the 26 who died was dedicated on Armed Forces Day 2010 in Holyhead.
Design.
Like all pre-"H11" British H-class submarines, "H5" had a displacement of at the surface and while submerged. It had a total length of , a beam length of , and a draught length of . It contained a diesel engines providing a total power of and two electric motors each providing power. The use of its electric motors made the submarine travel at . It would normally carry of fuel and had a maximum capacity of .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a submerged speed of . British H-class submarines had ranges of . "H5" was fitted with a Hotchkiss quick-firing gun (6-pounder) and four torpedo tubes. Its torpedo tubes were fitted to the bows and the submarine carried eight torpedoes. She is a Holland 602 type submarine but was designed to meet Royal Navy specifications. Her complement was twenty-two crew members.
Service record.
On 14 July 1916 "H5" spotted the leaving the Ems and torpedoed her. "U-51" sank with the loss of 34 of her crew; four men survived.