 C18 on patrol, painting by William Lionel Wyllie
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | C18 |
| Builder | Royal Dockyard, Chatham |
| Laid down | 11 March 1907 |
| Launched | 10 October 1908 |
| Commissioned | 23 July 1909 |
| Fate | Sold on 26 May 1921 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | C-class submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 142 ft 3 in (43.4 m) |
| Beam | 13 ft 7 in (4.1 m) |
| Draught | 11 ft 6 in (3.5 m) |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range | 910 nmi (1,690 km; 1,050 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph) on the surface |
| Test depth | 100 feet (30.5 m) |
| Complement | 2 officers and 14 ratings |
| Armament | 2 × 18 in (450 mm) bow torpedo tubes |
HMS C18 was one of 38 C-class submarines built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. The boat survived the First World War and was sold for scrap in 1921.
The C class was essentially a repeat of the preceding B class, albeit with better performance underwater. The submarine had a length of 142 feet 3 inches (43.4 m) overall, a beam of 13 feet 7 inches (4.1 m) and a mean draft of 11 feet 6 inches (3.5 m). They displaced 287 long tons (292 t) on the surface and 316 long tons (321 t) submerged. The C-class submarines had a crew of two officers and fourteen ratings.[1]
For surface running, the boats were powered by a single 16-cylinder 600-brake-horsepower (447 kW) Vickers petrol engine that drove one propeller shaft. When submerged the propeller was driven by a 300-horsepower (224 kW) electric motor.[1] They could reach 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) on the surface and 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) underwater. On the surface, the C class had a range of 910 nautical miles (1,690 km; 1,050 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph).[2]
The boats were armed with two 18-inch (45 cm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They could carry a pair of reload torpedoes, but generally did not as they would have to remove an equal weight of fuel in compensation.[3]
C18 was laid down on 11 March 1907 at the Royal Dockyard, Chatham, launched on 10 October 1908, and completed on 23 July 1909.[4] During World War I, the boat was generally used for coastal defence and training in home waters. HMS C18 was sold for scrap on 26 May 1921 in Sunderland.
