HMS K4
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| Technical specifications | |
| Ship type : | Submarine ( submarine ) |
| Displacement : | 1,980 ts standard 2,566 ts submerged |
| Length: | 103 m |
| Width: | 8.08 m |
| Draft : | 6.38 m |
| Drive : |
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| Fuel supply: | 197 t |
| Speed : | 24 kn (44 km / h ) surfaced 8 kn (15 km / h) surfaced |
| Range : | 800 nm (1,480 km) surfaced at 24 kn 12,500 nm (23,000 km) surfaced at 10 kn |
| maximum diving depth: | 50-60 m |
| Crew : | 59 men (6 officers, 53 crew ranks) |
| Armament: | 8 × 18 " (457 mm) torpedo tubes (originally 10) 8 reserve torpedoes 2 × 4" (101.6 mm) deck gun 1 × 3 "(76.2 mm) anti-aircraft gun |
HMS K4 was a K-class submarine of the British Royal Navy that was used in World War I and sank in a collision in 1918.
The K4 belonged to a class of 18 boats whose most outstanding characteristic was a steam turbine drive . In the background was the planned deployment concept as a fleet submarine, which provided for operations together with the capital ships of the Grand Fleet and therefore made extremely high surface speeds necessary for the conditions at the time. The two steam turbines with an output of 10,500 PS (7800 kW ) allowed a top speed of 24 kn (44 km / h ), which made the K4 and its sister ships probably the fastest submarines of all time. Four electric motors served as drive under water , the armament originally comprised ten, later eight torpedo tubes of caliber 18 inches (457 mm) (four in the bow , four on the side). The artillery armament consisted of a 3-inch (76.2 mm) anti-aircraft gun and two 4-inch (101 mm) deck guns .
The K-Class submarines suffered from a number of technical deficiencies and design weaknesses, including difficult maneuverability. However, the deployment concept was even more problematic. Operations with surface units were associated with considerable risks, as the submarines were difficult to see due to their low silhouette, especially in poor visibility, and the submarine commanders only had a small field of vision due to the low level of the command tower. The high speed and poor maneuverability of the K-class boats exacerbated this problem. The seamen of the Royal Navy called this class tellingly as “ calamity class ” (German: “difficulty class”) or “ killer class ” (German: “murderer class”).
The keel of the K4 was laid at Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness on June 28, 1915 , the launch took place on July 15, 1916, the commissioning on January 1, 1917. Thereafter the submarine became the 12th submarine Assigned to the Royal Navy flotilla.
On November 18, 1917, K4 operated together with K1 , K3 and K7 and the light cruiser HMS Blonde off the Danish coast. When the association tried to avoid three British cruisers, K1 and K4 collided . The incapable of maneuvering K1 had to be scuttled to prevent possible German access. The damaged K4 was able to return home.
On the evening of January 31, 1918, the 12th submarine flotilla with K4 , K3 , K6 and K7 as well as the light cruiser HMS Fearless , which also served as flotilla leader, took off together with the 13th submarine flotilla, which also consisted of K-class boats. Flotilla took part in a large-scale and top-secret exercise of the Home Fleet , in which the 5th battle squadron and the 2nd battle cruiser squadron (together seven battleships and battle cruisers with destroyer escorts ) and two other cruisers took part. After leaving the Firth of Forth, the entire association drove with dimmed position lights and absolute radio silence for fear of German submarine attacks . After an evasive maneuver due to oncoming minesweepers , the K14 belonging to the 13th Flotilla had a rudder error , which was rammed when attempting to return to the course of the fleet which was followed by the K22 . The latter was subsequently rammed by the battle cruiser HMS Inflexible and further damaged. When the remaining boats of the flotilla wanted to come to the aid of the distressed ships, they got into the course of the following, but not informed about the accident, 12th flotilla. The lead ship HMS Fearless collided with the K17 (13th Flotilla) and damaged her so badly that she went down shortly afterwards. In the chaos that followed, the K6 rammed and overran the K4 , which was also rammed by the K7 shortly afterwards and sank with the entire crew in a very short time. The debacle went down in Royal Navy history as the Battle of the Isle of May . A total of 105 men died, two submarines sank, four others and a light cruiser were badly damaged.
The wreck of the K4 lies at the position 56 ° 15 '34 " N , 2 ° 11' 35" W at a depth of 48 m upright on the bottom . A deep notch behind the rear gun indicates the collision, as does the command tower pushed to the starboard side . The remains of the 56 crew members are still inside the submarine. Since 2006 the wreck has been protected as a “Protected Place” by the “ Protection of Military Remains Act ” of 1986. It may be viewed from the outside by divers, but entering, collecting souvenirs or performing salvage work is prohibited.