When
HMS X1 was launched, she was
the largest submarine at sea, 3,600 long tons (3,700 t) submerged. She became the only warship designed and built for the Royal Navy after World War 1, to be scrapped before the start of World War II.
Constructed with a double hull, the external tanks carried most of the fuel, only 9% of the diesel being carried inside the pressure hull. X1, by any standards was a very large submarine and the pressure hull was divided into 10 separate watertight compartments.
Designed to attack any armed merchant ship by gun action alone, it was decided a
5.2" calibre gun was required. These were manufactured at Woolwich and
two twin mounted guns were fitted. Each gun was capable of firing 6 rounds per minute with a range of 17,288 yards.
To man both guns from the magazine to the firing control took
no less than 50 crew.
The two admiralty diesel engines, both built at Chatham, were designed to produce 3,000 bhp each. The generators for charging the batteries, were driven by two auxiliary diesel engines. These were MAN-type 6 cylinder engines which had been
taken from U 126 after this German boat had surrendered at the end of WW1.
Propulsion when submerged was supplied by four 600 bhp GEC Electric Motors. Each shaft being driven by two motors. These motors were the only part of the propulsion machinery that proved successful. Both the main and auxiliary diesels were constantly faulty and were the main reason for X1 being scrapped.
Following her commissioning, X1 sailed for trials. In 1926 she sailed for the Mediterranean where she remained until 1930. On her return to the UK, X1 went into refit and in 1933 went into reserve. The
razor blade factory beckoned and the submarine was scrapped in December 1936, eleven years after her commissioning.
X1 was the last submarine to have only a number until numbering of submarines began again at the beginning of WWII.
The Semovente 75/18 was an Italian self-propelled gun of the Second World War. It was built by mounting the 75 mm Obice da 75/18 modello 34 mountain gun on the chassis of a M13/40 or M14/41 tank. The first 60 were built using the M13/40 chassis and a subsequent 162 were built on the M14/41 chassis from 1941 onwards. The Semovente 75/18 was intended to be an interim vehicle until the heavier P40 tank could be produced.
Originally, these Italian vehicles were meant as divisional artillery, but since they sported fully enclosed fighting compartments, they were well protected enough for front-line action. They could fire as indirect support, and if necessary, also act as an assault gun and anti-tank vehicle. It could be used with HE, AP and HEAT shells, and with these latter the vehicle was powerful enough to defeat Allied tanks such as the M4 Sherman. In fact, these machines were responsible for many of the successes by the Italian armoured troops during 1942-43.
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