Q&A · 12:46-13:19

British U- and T-class submarine design lineages

The U and T classes are placed in the Royal Navy's submarine roster without treating them as simple replacements for First World War types.

Royal Navy Submarines T Class Submarines U Class Submarines

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Question

Did the Second World War U and T classes directly replace the earlier R, L, and H classes?

Short answer

Not directly; they occupied related roster positions but represented different concepts, with the U class continuing aspects of the R-class idea.

Notes

The later classes were not direct one-for-one successors to the First World War boats. The U class instead continued and improved the R-class concept, while the other wartime boats embodied distinct design ideas.