"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
  • Torpedo
    • 6 x 21" bow tubes
    • 12 x 21" torpedoes or;
    • 12 x M2 Mines
  • Gun
    • 1 x 1 x 12pdr. AA
    • 1 x 1 x 0.303" MG AA
  • Torpedo
    • 6 x 21" bow tubes
    • 1 x 21" stern tube ( not in ² )
    • 13 x 21" torpedoes
  • Gun
    • 1 x 1 x 12pdr. AA ( in ª ) or;
    • 1 x 1 x 4" AA ( in rest )
    • 1 x 1 x 20 mm AA ( not in ² )
    • 1 x 2 x 0.303",
      1 x 1 x 0.303" MG AA
 
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