"S" class Medium Submarines |
Individual Specifications | ||||
Name | Pennant | Builder | Completed | Fate |
Group 1 | ||||
Swordfish | 61S | Chatham RDY | 28/11/32 | Mined off Isle of Wight, 7/11/40 |
Sturgeon | 73S | Chatham RDY | 27/2/33 | To Netherlands as Zeehond 1942, scrapped 1947 |
Seahorse | 98S | Chatham RDY | 2/10/33 | Probably mined in Heligoland Bight, 29/12/39 |
Starfish | 19S | Chatham RDY | 27/10/33 | Depth-charged by German minesweeper M.7 in Heligoland Bight, 9/1/40 |
Group 2 | ||||
Sealion | 72S | Cammell Laird | 21/12/34 | Expended as target off of Arran, 1945 |
Shark | 54S | Chatham RDY | 31/12/34 | Bombed by Germany off Skudesnes, 5/7/40 & scuttled following day |
Salmon | 65S | Cammell Laird | 8/3/35 | Mined off Stavanger, 9/7/40 |
Snapper | 39S | Chatham RDY | 14/6/35 | Depth-charged by German minesweepers M.2, M.13 & M.25 off Ouessant, 11/2/41 |
Seawolf | 47S | Scotts | 12/3/36 | Scrapped 1945 |
Spearfish | 69S | Cammell Laird | 11/12/36 | Torpedoed by German submarine U.34 off of Duncansby Head, 1/8/40 |
Sunfish | 81S | Chatham RDY | 2/7/37 | To Soviet Navy as B.1, bombed by RAF in error off Norway, 27/7/44 |
Sterlet | 22S | Chatham RDY | 6/4/38 | Depth-charged by German minesweeper M.75 off Skagerrak, 18/4/40 |
Group 3 | ||||
Safari ² | P211 | Cammell Laird | 14/3/42 | Sold 1946, foundered under tow |
Sahib ² | P212 | Cammell Laird | 13/5/42 | Depth-charged by Italian corvette Gabbiano off Sicily 24/4/43 |
Saracen ² | P213 | Cammell Laird | 27/6/42 | Depth-charged by Italian corvette Minerva off Bastia 18/8/43 |
Satyr ² | P214 | Scotts | 8/2/43 | To France 1951 as Saphir, returned 1961 & scrapped 1962 |
Sceptre ² | P215 | Scotts | 15/4/43 | Scrapped 1949 |
Seadog | P216 | Cammell Laird | 24/9/42 | Scrapped 1948 |
Sibyl | P217 | Cammell Laird | 16/8/42 | Scrapped 1948 |
Sea Rover | P218 | Scotts | 7/7/43 | Scrapped 1949 |
Seraph | P219 | Vicker | 10/6/42 | Scrapped 1965 |
Shakespeare | P221 | Vickers | 10/7/42 | Bombed by Japan in Nanluari Strait, 3/1/45, written off & scrapped 1946 |
P.72 | P222 | Vickers | 4/3/42 | Depth-charged by Italian destroyer Fortunale off Naples 24/11/42 |
Sea Nymph | P223 | Cammell Laird | 3/11/42 | Scrapped 1948 |
Sickle | P224 | Cammell Laird | 1/12/42 | Probably mined in Antikithera Channel, 18/6/44 |
Simoon | P225 | Cammell Laird | 30/12/42 | Torpedoed by German submarine U.565 off Dodecanese, 15/11/43 |
Sirdar | P226 | Scotts | 20/9/43 | Scrapped 1965 |
Spiteful | P227 | Scotts | 6/10/43 | To France as Sirene, 1952. Returned 1958 & scrapped 1963 |
Splendid | P228 | Chatham RDY | 8/8/42 | Depth-charged by German destroyer Hermes off Corsica 21/4/44 |
Sportsman | P229 | Chatham RDY | 21/12/42 | To France as Sibylle, 1951. Foundered off Toulon 1952 |
Stubborn ª | P238 | Cammell Laird | 20/2/43 | Expended as target off Malta, 1946 |
Surf ª | P239 | Cammell Laird | 18/3/43 | Scrapped 1950 |
Syrtis ª | P241 | Cammell Laird | 23/4/43 | Mined off Bodø 28/3/44 |
Strongbow | P235 | Scotts | 23/12/43 | Scrapped 1946 |
Spark | P236 | Scotts | 28/4/44 | Scrapped 1950 |
Scythian | P237 | Scotts | 11/8/44 | Scrapped 1960 |
Stoic ª | P231 | Cammell Laird | 29/6/43 | Scrapped 1940 |
Stonehenge ª | P232 | Cammell Laird | 15/6/43 | Loss unexplained, off Nicobar Islands, c. 22/3/44 |
Storm ª | P233 | Cammell Laird | 23/8/43 | Scrapped 1949 |
Stratagem ª | P234 | Cammell Laird | 9/10/43 | Depth-charged by Japanese patrol boat in Malacca Straits, 22/11/44 |
Shalimar ª | P242 | Chatham RDY | 22/4/44 | Scrapped 1950 |
Scotsman | P243 | Scotts | 9/12/44 | Scrapped 1964 |
Sea Devil | P244 | Scotts | 12/5/45 | Scrapped 1965 |
Spirit ª | P235 | Cammell Laird | 25/10/43 | Scrapped 1950 |
Statesman ª | P246 | Cammell Laird | 13/12/43 | To France as Sultane, 1952. Returned 1959 & scrapped 1961 |
Sturdy ª | P248 | Cammell Laird | 29/12/43 | Scrapped 1958 |
Stygian ª | P249 | Cammell Laird | 29/2/44 | Scrapped 1949 |
Subtle | P251 | Cammell Laird | 16/4/44 | Scrapped 1959 |
Supreme | P252 | Cammell Laird | 20/5/44 | Scrapped 1950 |
Sea Scout | P253 | Cammell Laird | 19/6/44 | Scrapped 1965 |
Selene | P254 | Cammell Laird | 14/7/44 | Scrapped 1961 |
Seneschal | P255 | Scotts | 6/9/45 | Scrapped 1960 |
Sentinel | P256 | Scotts | 28/12/45 | Scrapped 1962 |
Sidon | P259 | Cammell Laird | 23/11/44 | Foundered
due to internal explosion off Portland 23/6/55,
subsequently salved 23/6/55 & expended as target off Portland 14/6/57 |
Sleuth | P261 | Cammell Laird | 8/10/44 | Scrapped 1958 |
Solent | P262 | Cammell Laird | 7/9/44 | Scrapped 1962 |
Spearhead | P263 | Cammell Laird | 21/12/44 | To Portugal as Neptune 1948 |
Saga ª | P257 | Cammell Laird | 14/6/45 | To Portugal as Nautilo 1949 |
Scorcher | P258 | Cammell Laird | 16/3/45 | Scrapped 1962 |
Spur | P265 | Cammell Laird | 18/2/45 | To Portugal as Narval 1948 |
Sanguine | P266 | Cammell Laird | 13/5/45 | To Israel as Rahav, 1958. Scrapped 1968 |
Springer | P264 | Cammell Laird | 2/8/45 | To Israel as Tanin, 1958 |
² = Armament variation, see armament table
below
ª = Armament variation, see armament table below
1:600 Group 1 "S" class.
The small structure abaft the conning tower is a medium frequency direction finder - MF/DF. © Andrew Arthur |
1:600 Group 2 "S" class.
The hull was longer, and the casing extended further forward and slightly more aft than the Group 1. The dive planes were changed, 3" gun detached from the conning tower for a better sky arc and the conning tower re-profiled compared to the Group 1.© Andrew Arthur |
1:600 Group 3 "S" class,
with 4" gun and no stern torpedo tube. In this group, the conning tower was re-profiled, a larger bridge being added, and the casing flared and extended far forward. In this particualr batch, the 4" gun was mounted in a housing, and given a rotating half-shield. © Andrew Arthur |
1:600 Group 3 "S" class,
with 4" gun and stern torpedo tube. The latter meant that the casing was extended right aft. The 4" gun was mounted seperate from the conning tower, in a circular cage.© Andrew Arthur |
Since the First World War, all submarine
building had been placed on large, long ranged vessels for
Far-Eastern service. It was with the "S" class that the
emphasis fell on smaller, handier vessels more suited to home
& Mediterannean deployment, and rapid production. It was also
decided that all future construction would use internal oil tanks
to prevent tell-tale leaks in case of tank breach.
This class was designed to replace the "H" class, but
slightly larger, faster but lightly enough armed to be small and
handy. In service, they were most satisfactory - they could crash
dive twice as fast as a "U-boat" and were
built in greater numbers than any other submarine for the RN -
ever. Also, production extended for 15 years, and all throughout
the war.
The original two, the Swordfish and Sturgeon
had a large casing for the 3" gun - on a retractable
mounting, but this was complex and ungainly and was soon removed,
the gun being bolted to the casing and surrounded by a cage to
prevent the crew being swept overboard in high seas. The other
pair were so completed, but this group had an extra tall conning
tower, so designed to clear the original 3" gun.
The first group were also different in that they had single
electric motors on each shaft, all others had the standard twin
coupled units on each shaft. Sunfish had extra-powerful
diesels for a 15 knot surface run. All group 1 and 2 production
was finished by 1938.
With the war's outbreak, the class was put back into production,
as the Group 3, with various modifications and imprvements. Up to
Scotsman, welding was only partly used, but after that,
they were wholly welded. Apart from the first 5 ( which were
later modified to this standard ), they had a new casing with a
long, flared bow, and the deck was level all the way aft, boxing
in an external stern torpedo tube ( later removed in some units.
) The conning tower was modified, a 20mm Cannon added on a small
nest on the rear end and AW type 293 RDF fitted. Cast iron
replaced some steel components and Aluminium was used sparingly
owing to war shortages of these materials.
From Scotsman onward, Far Eastern deployment was
used, and they were modified to suit these tasks. Firstly, much
more fuel was carried, mainly in ballast spaces, to extend
operational radius. The stern tube was removed, and the 3£ gun
was replaced by a 4" gun : surrounded by a large casing -
the gun was used much more in this theatre, and this allowed much
more shells to be carried for the gun. Sirdar recorded
the longest "S" class patrol at 49 days.
Due to the wartime situation, equipment and appearance varied
largely between units, and as succesive re-fits were carried out,
Snorkels, RDF, new Asdics etc. added, they became quite singluar
in appearance from their brothers & sisters.
Dimensions | |||||||
Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | ||
Empty Displacement | 640 tons | 670 tons | 715 tons | Length | 197.5' | 208.75' | 217' |
Surfaced Displacement | 692 tons | 761 tons | 767 tons | Beam | 15' | 15' | 23.5' |
Submerged Displacement | 927 tons | 960 tons | 990 tons | Draft | 10.25 - 12' | 10.5 - 11.75' | 11 - 13.75' |
Performance & Propulsion | |||
Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | |
Range | 3700 nm @ 8 knots, 650 nm @ 10 knots = 37 days | 6000 nm @ 10 knots = 45 days | |
Dive | 350' | 350' | |
Speed | 13.75 kts ( 10 kts submerged ) | 14.75 kts ( 9 kts submerged ) | |
Machinery | 2 x
6cyl. Davey-Paxman Diesels @ 1550 bhp, ( 1900 in
Sunfish for 15 knots) 2 x Electric motors @ 1300 hp |
2 x 8cyl. Admirality
diesels @ 1900 bhp, 2 x GEC / Metrovick electric motors @ 1300 shp |
|
Armament & Complement | ||
Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 |
Complement | ||
4 officers & 29 ratings | 4 officers & 35 ratings | 6 officers & 42 ratings |
Armament | ||
|
|
Back |