The C class was essentially a repeat of the preceding B class, albeit with better performance underwater. The submarine had a length of 142feet overall, a beam of 13feet and a mean draft of 11feet. They displaced 287LT on the surface and 316LT submerged. The C-class submarines had a crew of two officers and fourteen ratings.[1]
For surface running, the boats were powered by a single 16-cylinder 6000NaN0 Vickers petrol engine that drove one propeller shaft. When submerged the propeller was driven by a 300hp electric motor.[1] They could reach 12kn on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the C class had a range of 910nmi at .[2]
The boats were armed with two 18-inch (45 cm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They could carry a pair of reload torpedoes, but generally did not as they would have to remove an equal weight of fuel in compensation.[3]
C8 was laid down on 9 December 1905 by Vickers at their Barrow-in-Furness shipyard, launched on 15 February 1907 and completed on 23 May.
In 1910 C8 was part of the Nore Submarine Flotilla. On 16 December 1910 the flotilla, including C8 was leaving Harwich harbour when C8 collided with the tender, which was carrying sailors back to the depot ship . Elfin sank with the loss of five men.[4] During World War I, the boat was generally used for coastal defence and training. C8 was sold for scrap on 22 October 1920.