HMS A3 facts for kids
HMS A3
|
|
Quick facts for kids History |
|
|---|---|
 United Kingdom |
|
| Name | HMS A3 |
| Builder | Vickers, Sons & Maxim Ltd. Barrow-in-Furness, England |
| Laid down | 6 November 1902 |
| Launched | 9 March 1903 |
| Commissioned | 13 July 1904 |
| Fate | Sunk, 12 May 1912 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | A-class submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 105 ft (32.0 m) |
| Beam | 12 ft 9 in (3.9 m) |
| Draught | 10 ft 8 in (3.3 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| 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 |
HMS A3 was an early submarine built for the Royal Navy in the first part of the 1900s. She was part of the A-class submarines, which were among the first submarines used by the British navy. Sadly, A3 sank in 1912 during a training exercise. Today, her wreck is a special protected site, looked after by Historic England.
Contents
About the A3 Submarine
The A3 was a member of the very first group of British submarines, known as the A-class. While similar to the first ship in its class, HMS A1, A3 was a bit bigger and faster. She also carried more weapons.
Size and Crew
The submarine was about 105 feet (32.0 m) long, which is like having two school buses end-to-end. She was 12 feet 9 inches (3.9 m) wide and sat 10 feet 8 inches (3.3 m) deep in the water. When floating on the surface, A3 weighed about 190 long tons (190 t). When she was underwater, she weighed a bit more, around 206 long tons (209 t). A crew of 13 people operated the submarine: 2 officers and 11 other sailors.
Engines and Speed
When A3 was on the surface, she used a powerful 450-brake-horsepower (336 kW) petrol engine. This engine turned a propeller shaft to push the submarine through the water. Once underwater, a 150-horsepower (112 kW) electric motor took over.
The submarine could travel at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) (about 11.5 miles per hour) when on the surface. Underwater, her top speed was 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) (about 8 miles per hour). On the surface, A3 could travel about 320 nautical miles (590 km; 370 mi) (around 368 miles) without needing to refuel. When submerged, she could travel about 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi) (about 34.5 miles).
Weapons
The A3 was armed with two torpedo tubes located at the front of the submarine. These tubes fired 18-inch (45 cm) torpedoes. While the submarine could carry extra torpedoes, she usually didn't. Carrying more torpedoes meant she had to carry less fuel to balance the weight.
Building and Service
A3 was built at the Vickers shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, England. She was officially ready for service on 13 July 1904. For more than seven years, A3 mostly served as a submarine for defending the coast and for training new sailors.
The Accident of 1912
On 2 February 1912, A3 was taking part in training exercises. She was with other submarines from the port of Gosport. They were practicing attacking target ships in an area called The Solent. During one of these practice attacks, A3 accidentally crashed into her target, a ship called HMS Hazard.
The collision badly damaged A3's rudder and propeller, making her unable to move. The submarine quickly sank, and sadly, all the sailors on board were lost.
After the Sinking
In March 1912, the sunken submarine was brought back to the surface. A few months later, on 15 May 1912, A3 was used as a target herself. She was sunk by shells fired from another warship, HMS St. Vincent. In July 2016, the wreck of A3 was officially named a protected site. This means it is now a special place that is preserved and looked after.
