| HMS
Ocelot is an Oberon class attack submarine (or SSK), pennant
number S17. Although similar in many respects, the Oberon
class replaced the Porpoise class submarines at the
beginning of the 1960's when the cold war with the Soviet
Union was at it's most tense.
She was laid
down at the HM dockyard in Chatham on 17th
November 1960 and was launched on 5th May 1962.
She is 295' (89.4m) in length, 26.5' (8m) breadth with an
18' (5.5m) draught. The class was quite unique as the casing
was constructed of glass fibre and alloy, the first time a
plastic had been used in submarine construction. She could
attain 17knots submerged and 13 knots surfaced and was
powered by two admiralty 16VVs - ASR1 diesel engines
producing 3680bhp surfaced, and two electric motors
producing 6000 shp submerged. These silent electric engines
made her perfect for secret missions and although very
little has ever been released as to her naval service it is
known that in the first three years of her commission she
sailed over 90,000 miles.
Her armament
comprised 8 x 21" (525mm) torpedo tubes, 6 forward and
2 aft with 24 reloads and she carried a compliment of 6
officers and 62 hands. In the 1980's she was given the
capability of firing the Tigerfish torpedo as well as the
Sub-Harpoon missile. During their time Oberon class
submarines were considered as one of the finest in existence
and many were sold to overseas navies, including Australia
and Canada. Thirteen of the class were built for the Royal
Navy between 1961 and 1967.
HMS Ocelot
was finally sold for scrap in 1992 but was saved from the
breaker's yard by the dockyard that built her. The HM
dockyard Chatham, now known as the World Naval Base Museum,
purchased her as one of their static displays alongside the
Cavalier and the Gannet. The dockyard provides guided tours
around the submarine which are a fascinating experience, not
only giving the visitor a chance to see the interior of one
Navy's most elusive weapons of war but also giving the
visitor an insight into the cramped and claustrophobic
conditions that the 68 man crew would have had to endure.
Sources: Royal
Navy |
