HMS Virtue

The British V-class submarine (officially "''U-Class Long hull 1941–42 programme''") was a class of submarines built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

History

Forty-two vessels were ordered to this design, all to be built by Vickers-Armstrong at either Barrow-in-Furness or at Walker-on-Tyne, but only 22 were completed. Note that seven of these vessels received 'U' names (conversely, four of the U class had received names beginning with 'V').

The V-class submarines were very similar to the preceding U-class (short-hull) boats, of which they constituted a linear development, but had 3/4-inch pressure hull plating instead of 1/2-inch for deeper diving, also a lengthened stern and fining at the bows to reduce noise and improve underwater handling.

They were sometimes referred to as ''Vampire''-class submarines after .Vampire-class Submarines
/ref>

It was one of this class, , that would go down in history as the only submarine to sink another submarine while submerged - that submarine was the German .

Ships

The vessels which were ordered are shown below in their programme order (not all completed construction):

The first eight vessels were ordered on 5 December 1941 under that year's programme.
*
*
* , completed as ''Pipinos'' (Y8)
*
*
*
*
*

The next eighteen vessels were ordered on 21 May 1942 under that year's programme, but six of these were cancelled in early 1944.
*
*
*
*
*
*
* , completed as
* , completed as HNoMS ''Utsira''
* , transferred to Greece in 1945 as
* , completed as
*cancelled
* HMS ''Veto'' (P88), cancelled 23 January 1944 and scrapped on the slip
* HMS ''Virile'' (P89), cancelled 23 January 1944 and scrapped on the slip
* HMS ''Visitant'' (P91), cancelled 23 January 1944 (never laid down)
* HMS ''Upas'' (P92), cancelled February 1944 and scrapped on the slip
* HMS ''Ulex'' (P93), cancelled February 1944 (never laid down)
* HMS ''Utopia'' (P94), cancelled February 1944 (never laid down)
*
*

A further six vessels were ordered on 17 November 1942 under the same year's programme, but four of these were cancelled on 23 January 1944.
*
*
*cancelled
* HMS ''Vantage'', cancelled 23 January 1944 (never laid down)
* HMS ''Vehement'' (P25), cancelled 23 January 1944 (never laid down)
* HMS ''Venom'' (P27), cancelled 23 January 1944 (never laid down)
* HMS ''Verve'' (P28), cancelled 23 January 1944 (never laid down)

Finally, a further ten vessels were ordered under the 1943 Programme, but all of these were cancelled on 20 November 1943; eight of these were never given names.
*cancelled
* HMS ''Unbridled'' (P11), cancelled 20 November 1943 (never laid down)
* HMS ''Upward'' (P16), cancelled 20 November 1943 (never laid down)
* Eight more unnamed boats

Notes

References

*

{{WWII British ships

V