View source for HMS L4

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= Submarine 'L4' on the surface RMG PV3464.jpg
|Ship caption= HMS ''L4'' by [[William Lionel Wyllie]]
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country= United Kingdom
|Ship flag= {{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name= HMS ''L4''
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder= [[Vickers Limited]], [[Barrow-in-Furness]]
|Ship laid down=21 June 1916
|Ship launched=17 November 1917
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=26 December 1918
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck= 
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship homeport=
|Ship motto= 
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate= Sold for scrapping, 24 February 1934
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=[[British L class submarine|L-class submarine]]
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|891|LT|t|abbr=on}} surfaced
*{{convert|1074|LT|t|abbr=on}} submerged
|Ship length={{convert|231|ft|1|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|23|ft|6|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|13|ft|3|in|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship power=*{{convert|2400|bhp|kW|lk=in|abbr=on}} (diesel)
*{{convert|1600|hp|kW|abbr=on}} (electric)
|Ship propulsion=*2 × [[diesel engine]]s
*2 × [[electric motor]]s
|Ship speed=*{{convert|17|kn|abbr=on|lk=in}} surfaced
*{{convert|10.5|kn|abbr=on}} submerged
|Ship range={{convert|3800|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|10|kn|abbr=on}} on the surface
|Ship test depth={{convert|100|ft|1}}
|Ship complement=35
|Ship armament=*6 × [[British 18 inch torpedo|{{convert|18|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}]] [[torpedo tube]]s (4 bow, 2 beam)
*1 × [[QF 4 inch naval gun Mk IV, XII, XXII|4-inch]] [[deck gun]]
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''HMS ''L4''''' was a [[British L class submarine|L-class submarine]] built for the Royal Navy during World War I. The boat survived the war and was sold for [[ship breaking|scrap]] in 1934.

==Design and description==
The L-class boats were enlarged and improved versions of the preceding [[British E class submarine|E class]]. The submarine had a length of {{convert|231|ft|1|in|m|1}} [[length overall|overall]], a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|23|ft|6|in|m|1}} and a mean [[draft (ship)|draft]] of {{convert|13|ft|3|in|m|1}}. They [[displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|891|LT|t}} on the surface and {{convert|1074|LT|t}} submerged. The L-class submarines had a crew of 35 officers and [[naval rating|ratings]].<ref name=gg9>Gardiner & Gray, p. 93</ref>

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 12-cylinder [[Vickers]]<ref>Harrison, Chapter 25</ref> {{convert|1200|bhp|lk=in|0|adj=on}} [[diesel engine]]s, each driving one [[propeller shaft]]. When submerged each propeller was driven by a {{convert|600|hp|0|adj=on}} [[electric motor]].<ref name=gg9/> They could reach {{convert|17|kn|lk=in}} on the surface and {{convert|10.5|kn}} underwater.<ref>Harrison, Chapters 3</ref> On the surface, the L class had a range of {{convert|3200|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|10|kn}}.<ref name=gg9/>

The boats were armed with a total of six [[British 18 inch torpedo|18-inch (45&nbsp;cm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s. Four of these were in the bow and the remaining pair in broadside mounts. They carried 10 reload torpedoes, all for the bow tubes.<ref>Harrison, Chapter 27</ref> They were also armed with a {{convert|4|in|mm|adj=on|0}} [[deck gun]].<ref>Akermann, p. 165</ref>

==Construction and career==
{{stack|[[File:Chinese pirate spear hmsL4.jpg|thumb|Spear taken from the pirates who had seized SS Irene]]}}
HMS ''L4'' was built by [[Vickers]], [[Barrow-in-Furness|Barrow]]. She was laid down on 21 June 1916 and was commissioned on 26 December 1918. She sailed with the [[Submarine tenders|Submarine Depot Ship]] [[HMS Ambrose (1903)]] to [[Hong Kong]] in 1919 as part of the [[4th Submarine Flotilla]], arriving there in January 1920. On 20 October 1927 off [[Hong Kong]], L4 and {{HMS|L5}} rescued crew of the [[merchant ship]] [[Irene incident|SS ''Irene'']] from a pirate attack after firing her deck gun. HMS ''L4'' was sold on 24 February 1934 and then broken up in [[Charlestown, Fife]].

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
* {{cite book|last=Akermann|first=Paul|title=Encyclopaedia of British Submarines 1901–1955|edition=reprint of the 1989|year=2002|publisher=Periscope Publishing|location=Penzance, Cornwall|isbn=1-904381-05-7}}
* {{Cite Colledge2006}}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Gardiner|editor1-first=Robert|editor2-last=Gray|editor2-first=Randal|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|year=1985|location=Annapolis, Maryland|publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=0-85177-245-5|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite web|url=http://rnsubs.co.uk/dits-bits/br-3043.html|title=The Development of HM Submarines From Holland No. 1 (1901) to Porpoise (1930) (BR3043)|last=Harrison|first=A. N.|date=January 1979|publisher=RN Subs|accessdate=27 September 2022}}

{{British L class submarine}}
{{1927 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:L04}}
[[Category:British L-class submarines]]
[[Category:Ships built in Barrow-in-Furness]]
[[Category:1917 ships]]
[[Category:World War I submarines of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Royal Navy ship names]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1927]]