The B class adapted an American L-class design for Norwegian construction and put six boats into service between 1922 and 1929. B1 escaped to Scotland, but B2, B3, B5, and B6 fell into German hands, with B6 used only briefly for training before disposal. The boats carried four 18-inch tubes and required crews of twenty-three, making them modest coastal submarines for Norway's immense shoreline. Repeating the design after a six-year gap left the later pair dated when Norway could have licensed something newer. Domestic construction capacity could not compensate for a procurement decision that froze an already limited concept in place.
Notable Point · 2:34:19-2:38:43
Norway's B class: licensed production without a modern force
Norway built six American-derived B-class boats under license, but a six-year production gap and an unchanged small design left most vulnerable to capture in 1940.