HMS H41

Armstrong Whitworth

Industry	Shipbuilding
Headquarters	Newcastle upon Tyne , England

HMS H41 was an H-class submarine of the British Royal Navy, manufactured by Armstrong Whitworth in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The keel was laid on 17 September 1917, and she entered service in November 1918.

Sinking

While berthed within the dock basin at Blyth, Northumberland, positioned just a few yards from the 6,620-ton depot ship HMS Vulcan (1889), the submarine met its fate. The former cruiser was undergoing repairs to her main engines and, during the afternoon, she generated steam pressure to perform a slow-speed trial. Due to the confined space of the dock basin, the suction created by Vulcan’s propellers pulled the submarine dangerously close. Despite efforts from both crews to prevent contact, the depot ship’s screws struck H41’s stern, tearing through the outer casing and breaching the pressure hull. The submarine rapidly sank as water flooded in, with the crew fortunate to escape unharmed.

Following salvage operations, HMS H41 was raised and later sold on 12 March 1920 in Sunderland.

References

• Hutchinson, Robert (2001). Jane's Submarines: Underwater Warfare from 1776 to Today. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780007105588.