HISTORY Q
HMS Thames was the fi rst River Class submarine to be built
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HMS Stonehenge was an S-Class submarine built during World War II
generators driven by Ricardo eight-cylinder sleeve-valve engines produced 800 bhp and enabled the main engines to be supercharged, raising the total power output to 10,000 bhp. Submerged, the vessels used two 2,500 bhp electric motors, and in total the machinery weighed 347 tons, 33 tons less than allowed for in the initial concept. In order to decrease weight and improve speed, the hull was designed for a maximum depth of 90m, 60m less than the previous Odin Class. This allowed the pressure hull plating to be reduced to 25 lb/sq inch compared to 35 lb/sq inch for the Odin Class, allowing a signifi cant weight saving on the partial double hull. However, the large superstructure on Thames caused stability problems when surfacing ‘beam on’ to the seas, and the practice was to surface head-to-sea in rough weather. The other two vessels were designed with a slightly lower superstructure which helped. Another problem with Thames was that when surfacing or submerging she often developed a list,
caused by uneven fl ooding or draining of the tanks on either side. This was remedied by simply moving the fl ood holes. The range was a very respectable 10,000
nautical miles at eight knots, and the vessels were designed to be at sea for up to 48 days at
a time. The overall complement included six offi cers and 55 ratings. The River Class carried fuel in external tanks
but, unlike the previous comparable submarines which used riveted tanks and had a habit of leaking, on the new vessels the tanks
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