U Class 2016-10-05

The British U class submarines (officially "War Emergency 1940 and 1941 programmes, short hull ") were a class of 49 small submarines built just before and during the Second World War. The class is sometimes known as the Undine class, after the first submarine built.

Most of the boats built served with the 10th Submarine Flotilla based at Malta. 19 were lost during the war; 13 in the Mediterranean and the remainder in the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean. In addition, one vessel, HMS Untamed sank in May 1943 but was salvaged and reconstructed to be recommissioned as HMS Vitality. From 1941, some of the boats were transferred to Soviet, Free French and other allied navies. The design was developed into the welded V class later in the war.

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