Norwegian B-class submarine

The B-class submarines were a class of six vessels of the US L class built on licence at Karljohansvern naval shipyard in Horten, Norway from 1922 to 1929 and deployed by the Royal Norwegian Navy.

The B-class submarines B-2, B-3 and B-4 at quay in Norway
Class overview
Builders	Karljohansvern Naval shipyard
Operators	Royal Norwegian Navy
Preceded by	A class
Succeeded by	U class
In service	1923 – 1946
In commission	1 February 1923
Completed	6
Lost	1
Retired	5
General characteristics
Type	Submarine
Displacement	365 tons surfaced 545 tons submerged
Length	51 m (167 ft)
Beam	5.3 m (17 ft)
Draught	3.5 m (11 ft)
Propulsion	2 × Sulzer 900 shp (670 kW) diesel engines 2 × 700 shp (520 kW) electric engines
Speed	15 knots (28 km/h) surfaced 8.9 knots (16.5 km/h) dived
Range	2,900 nmi (5,400 km) at 9 kn (17 km/h) surfaced 150 nmi (280 km) at 3 kn (5.6 km/h) submerged
Complement	23
Armament	4 × 45 cm (18 in) torpedo tubes 1 × 76 mm (3.0 in) gun

Boats

B-4 near Tønsberg

• B-1 (1922–1946) Escaped to the United Kingdom 8 June 1940.
• B-2 (1923–1940) Captured by the Germans at Fiskå on 11 April.
• B-3 (1923–1940) Scuttled in Alsvåg, Vesterålen 10 June 1940 by its own crew to prevent capture by the Germans. Ordered to escape to the UK, but prevented by battery explosion.
• B-4 (1923–1940) Captured by the Germans at Filtvet on 10 April.
• B-5 (1929–1940) Captured by the Germans at Fiskå on 11 April.
• B-6 (1929–1940) Surrendered to German troops on 18 May under threat of bombing of the port of Florø.

See also

• List of ship classes of the Second World War

Bibliography

• Abelsen, Frank (1986). Norwegian naval ships 1939–1945 (in Norwegian and English). Oslo: Sem & Stenersen AS. ISBN 82-7046-050-8.