The Odin-class submarine (or "O class") was a class of nine submarines developed and built for the Royal Navy (RN) in the 1920s. The prototype, , was followed by two boats originally ordered for the Royal Australian Navy, but transferred to the RN in 1931 because of the poor economic situation in Australia, and six modified boats ordered for the RN. Three modified boats were built for the Chilean Navy as the s in 1929.
Design The class was built to replace the ageing L-class submarines which did not have adequate endurance for use in the Pacific Ocean. The Odins were theoretically able to dive to , though none were formally tested beyond . Armament consisted of eight torpedo tubes (6 bow, 2 stern) and one gun. The boats were of a saddle tank type with fuel carried in riveted external tanks. These external tanks proved vulnerable to leaking after depth-charge damage, thus betraying the position of the submarine. These boats were the first British submarines fitted with Asdic and VLF radio which could be used at periscope depth.
Boats + Construction data for prototype boat Boat Builder Launched Fate (ex-O1) Chatham Dockyard 24 September 1926 Scrapped, 1945
+ Construction data for Oxley-class submarines Boat Builder Launched Fate Vickers, Barrow 7 September 1926 Scrapped, 1945 Vickers, Barrow 29 September 1926 Sunk in a friendly fire incident by near Norway, 10 September 1939
+ Construction data for Odin-class submarines Boat Builder Launched Fate Chatham Dockyard 5 May 1928 Sunk by in the Gulf of Taranto, 14 June 1940 William Beardmore and Company 11 December 1928 Mined off Malta, 8 May 1942 William Beardmore and Company 26 February 1929 Sunk by in the Mediterranean, 19 June 1940 Vickers, Barrow 19 May 1928 Scrapped, September 1946, Durban. Vickers, Barrow 19 June 1928 Sunk by Italian destroyer Ugolino Vivaldi off Calabria, 1 August 1940 Vickers, Barrow 31 August 1928 Scuttled, September 1946, off Durban.
References
External links
RN Subs 1925 - 1946: Odin Class Battleships-cruisers.co.uk: Odin Class Uboat.net