History
Each submarine was built by Vickers at their Barrow-in-Furness shipyard. B1 was originally ordered as A14 in the 1903–04 Naval Programme, but it was cancelled and reordered as the first boat of the new class. The remaining 10 boats were ordered as part of the 1904–05 Programme.
| Ship | Launched | Completed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1 | 25 October 1904 | 16 April 1905 | Sold for scrap 25 August 1921 |
| B2 | 19 August 1905 | 9 December 1906 | Sunk after collision with SS Amerika 10 April 1911 |
| B3 | 31 October 1905 | 19 January 1906 | Sold for scrap 20 December 1919 |
| B4 | 14 November 1905 | 28 January 1906 | Sold for scrap 1 April 1919 |
| B5 | 14 November 1905 | 25 February 1906 | Sold for scrap 25 August 1921 |
| B6 | 30 November 1905 | 3 March 1906 | Sold for scrap 1919 |
| B7 | 30 November 1905 | 27 March 1906 | Sold for scrap 31 October 1919 |
| B8 | 23 January 1906 | 10 April 1906 | Sold for scrap 1919 |
| B9 | 26 January 1906 | 28 April 1906 | Sold for scrap 1919 |
| B10 | 28 March 1906 | 31 May 1906 | Sunk 9 August 1916 by aircraft; later raised and sold |
| B11 | 24 February 1906 | 11 July 1906 | Sold for scrap 1919 |
In mid-1912 most of the B-class submarines were transferred to the Mediterranean. B6, B7, and B8 were sent to Gibraltar while B9, B10 and B11 sailed for Malta. B1, B2, B3, B4, and B5 remained in the United Kingdom, the latter four assigned to the 3rd Submarine Flotilla. During exercises in October 1912 off Dover with the 6th and 7th Torpedo Boat Flotillas B2 was rammed amidships by the German passenger liner SS Amerika on 4 October 1912. Cut nearly in half, she sank almost immediately and only one man was rescued by the submarine C16.
Read more about this topic: British B Class Submarine
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