The British C-class submarines were the last class of petrol engined submarines of the Royal Navy and marked the end of the development of the Holland class in the Royal Navy. Thirty-eight were constructed between 1905 and 1910 and they served through World War I. With limited endurance and only a ten percent reserve of buoyancy over their surface displacement, they were poor surface vessels, but their spindle shaped hull made for good underwater performance compared to their contemporaries.
Three (C36, C37 and C38) had been sent to Hong Kong in 1911 and during the war the remainder were mainly used for coastal defense, based at the east coast ports of Leith, Harwich, Hartlepool, Grimsby and Dover, some operating with Q-ships which were decoying U-boats. The technique was for a trawler to tow the submarine and communicate with it by telephone. When a U-boat surfaced to attack the trawler with its deck gun, the British submarine would slip its tow and attempt to torpedo the U-boat.
C3, the first boat commissioned, was employed during the Zeebrugge raid on 23 April 1918. Packed with explosives it was blown up in an attempt to destroy a viaduct, for which her commander Lieutenant Richard Sandford was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Four operated in the Baltic Sea, based at Tallinn as part of the blockade of Germany trying to prevent the import of iron ore from Sweden. They were sent there in September 1915 via a tortuous route — towed around the North Cape to Archangel and taken by barge to Kronstadt. Three of these boats were destroyed (along with the British E class submarines E1, E8, E9, E19) outside Helsinki in 1918 to prevent capture by German troops of the Baltic Sea Division who had landed nearby.[1]
Ten of the submarines were lost during the war, including C16 which was mistakenly rammed by HMS Melampus. The surviving boats were disposed of at the end of the war with the exception of C4, which was retained for trials until being scrapped in 1922.
Japan also used their own version of the C-class, which they had bought from Vickers, this was the Ha-1-class submarine, two almost-identical designs came from Ha-1, these were the Ha-3 and Ha-7 classes.
Any service era or vessel configuration - We can build a model of them all - your pick.
We offer our C Class Submarine Models in several popular size/scale offerings for easy ordering and selection. However, if you would like your model made in a size other than those sizes listed, please contact us with your request. Custom orders are our specialty!
Our submarine models are made-to-order, meaning that we do not stock any pre-made models. Only when a customer tells us the size and/or scale desired do we build the model. Each model is exquisitely crafted by our master model builders and comes fully assembled with a solid hull - hand carved from kiln-dried mahogany. Other parts are made from a variety of woods, putty, resin and metals. Every model includes pedestals, mounted on a polished mahogany base board. Options include keel block mounting, nameplates, waterline models, ships seals and ribbons, and weathering paint schemes.
The model build time is generally 16 weeks from receipt of the order and deposit. The normal procedure is a 50% deposit with the commissioning, with the balance due prior to shipping. Note that prior to shipping, we take a series of photos of the model and send them to you for final review and approval – so you know exactly what your model will look like and allow for any necessary modifications. Once you have approved your model, we’ll collect the final balance and she will be shipped in a robust shipping crate and insured for your protection.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee: In the unlikely event you are not completely satisfied with your model and wish to return it, notify us within 7 days of the model delivery and we will issue a refund or exchange.
FREE SHIPPING in the USA - Note that our model prices include shipping and insurance within the USA.
Shipping costs outside the USA will depend on the model size ordered and shipping destination. You will be responsible for any applicable taxes or duties, based on the commercial invoice value for the model.
Add a museum-like touch to your model display - Consider our protective display case option. Keep fingers and dust away - forever! Please visit our Display Case page to see our selection.
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