*British, WW1, HMS B11 – Original Photograph and A or B-Class WW1 Submarine Service Plaque*
Approximate Measurements:
Original Photograph: 25.4cm x 15.1cm
Oval Base Board: 23.3cm x 14.5cm
Relief Model: 19.7cm x 9.5cm tall x 1.5cm deep
An unnamed WW1 British submarine service plaque with a relief model – likely A or B Class, mounted on a wooden board. Accompanied by an original photograph of HMS B11, marked “pre 1914 War” on the reverse. This photograph originally formed part of the Lou Britton British Submarine Collection, which was acquired by the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport in 2007.
HMS B11 was the last of 11 B-class submarines built for the Royal Navy in the early 1900s. Completed in 1906, it gained fame for torpedoing the Ottoman battleship Mesûdiye in the Dardanelles, earning its captain the Victoria Cross. The submarine later served in the Mediterranean, was converted into a surface patrol boat during World War I, and was sold for scrap in 1919.
Design
The B class was an improved version of the A class, measuring 142 feet (43.4 m) long with a beam of 12 feet (3.8 m). It displaced 287 tons on the surface and 316 tons submerged, with a crew of two officers and 13 ratings. Powered by a petrol engine and electric motor, it reached speeds of 12 knots on the surface and 6.5 knots submerged. Armament included two 18-inch torpedo tubes.
Service
B11 was launched on 21 February 1906 and deployed to Malta in 1912. During World War I, it patrolled the Dardanelles, chasing enemy vessels and attempting to destroy wrecks like HMS E15. On 13 December 1914, under Lieutenant Norman Douglas Holbrook, it passed through a minefield to sink Mesûdiye and successfully escaped after hours under fire. This earned Holbrook the Victoria Cross, the first awarded for submarine service, and accolades for the crew.
Relocated to Venice in 1915, B11 engaged enemy aircraft and captured the crew of an Austrian flying boat. It was later converted into a surface patrol boat, with modifications including a raised deck and removal of the electric motor. B11 was decommissioned and scrapped in Italy in 1919.
*Condition*
Excellent used condition. The resin board the model is mounted on has some signs of wear and tear. The photograph is in good condition with some marks. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
RQMFEOXABOO_2435192824
