1931 The M2 submarine

1931. British Movietone News. HMS M2 was a Royal Navy aircraft-carrying submarine shipwrecked in Lyme Bay, Dorset, Britain, on 26 January 1932. She was one of three M class boats completed.Four M-class submarines replaced the order for the last four K class, K17-K21. Although they were similar in size, the M-class was an entirely different design from the K-class although it is possible that some material ordered for the K-boats went into them. In any event, the end of the First World War meant that only three were completed. The M2 was laid down at Vickers shipyard at Barrow in Furness in 1916, and launched in 1919. Like the other members of her class she was armed with a single 12-inch (305 mm) gun as well as torpedo tubes. The Mark IX gun was taken from spares held for the Formidable class of battleships. The British M class submarines were very large for the time at 296 feet long. They were designed to operate as part of the main fleet of battleships and so needed to be fast. They displaced 1,600 tonnes on the surface and 1,950 when submerged. Two twelve-cylinder diesel engines powered them on the surface producing 2400hp, underwater they were driven by electric motors producing 1,500 hp (1,100 kW). The maximum speed on the surface was 15.5kn, which proved to be slower than the newer battleships and the concept of fleet submarines was soon scrapped, with the River class of submarines being the last.
After the accidental sinking of HMS M1 in 1925, M2 and her sister M3 were taken out of service and reassigned for experimental use. She had her gun removed because of the limit in submarine gun calibre of 8 inches imposed by the Washington Naval Treaty, and it was replaced by a small aircraft hangar, the work being completed in 1928. This could carry a small Parnall Peto seaplane, specially designed for the M2 and which could be launched by hydraulic catapult within a few minutes of surfacing. The aircraft would land alongside the submarine on completion of its sortie and be winched aboard using a crane. The submarine was to operate ahead of the battle fleet in a reconnaissance role, flying off her seaplane as a scout.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• M2
• Submarine
• Royal
• Navy
• Britain
• British
• Seaplane
• Parnall
• Peto
• Aircraft

[mackayvideo]

Dived on the wreck about 20 years ago, she is sealed and I think there are 62 bodies in her. To sit on the sharp bow and look back towards the empty hangar was memorable. She is about a mile off Chesil Beach and our depth was 108ft to the seabed. A dive for experienced divers and a good pilot as the currents run fast...ie slack water only. The upper hull has a few holes where weights used by Dive Boats have broken through, the hangar half filled with siltRespected as a War Grave.

[granddad2002]

potentially aircraft platforming on subs would increase effectiveness in a patrolling mission capability?

[gober17]

Fantasic I am quite moved ..I have always hoped a video like this existed but gave up thinking it did ...Please a thousand times can you send me a copy of the video...martinmobile@live.co.u­k

[winchuni22]

5*****

[Feindfahrt78]

5*****

[TurkishHistorian1923]

Interesting video !

5 * * * * *

[MarineKanal]

5 *****