HMS E47 was an E-class submarine launched by Fairfield, Govan for the Royal Navy and completed by William Beardmore, Dalmuir. She was launched on 29 May 1916 and was commissioned in October 1916.

Design

Like all post-E8 British E-class submarines, E47 had a displacement of 662 LT at the surface and 807 LT while submerged. She had a total length of 180 ft and a beam of 22 ft. She was powered by two 800 hp Vickers eight-cylinder two-stroke diesel engines and two 420 hp electric motors. The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 16 kn and a submerged speed of 10 kn. British E-class submarines had fuel capacities of 50 LT of diesel and ranges of 3255 mi when travelling at 10 kn. E47 was capable of operating submerged for five hours when travelling at 5 kn. E47 was armed with a 12-pounder 76 mm QF gun mounted forward of the conning tower. She had five 18 inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes, two in the bow, one either side amidships, and one in the stern; a total of 10 torpedoes were carried. E-Class submarines had wireless systems with 1 kW power ratings; in some submarines, these were later upgraded to 3 kW systems by removing a midship torpedo tube. Their maximum design depth was 100 ft although in service some reached depths of below 200 ft. Some submarines contained Fessenden oscillator systems.

Service history

E47 was based at Harwich with the 9th Flotilla - depot ships HMS Maidstone (1912) and HMS Forth (1886). She was engaged in North Sea patrols off the German and Dutch coasts. Following the resumption of German coastal shipping between Heligoland Bight and Rotterdam, four E-class submarines were sent to intercept. E47 was lost in the North Sea on 20 August 1917. There were no survivors.

Wreck of E47

The wreck of E47, found in 2002 by Divingteam Noordkaap from Vlieland, lies about 6 nmi northwest of Texel. The deck gun, which was torn off its mounting, probably by a trawler, and was lying beside the wreck, has been salvaged and identifies the wreck. The wreck bears the Dutch Hydrographic Department wreck number 927, and lies in position 53.10225°N, 4.55778°W.

Casualties

Among the men lost in the sinking of E47 was Lieut. Colin Fraser Creswell, the son of Vice Admiral Sir William Rooke Creswell KCMG, KBE, RAN.

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