2 x 1,650 h.p. Admiralty Standard Range
diesels. 5,000 h.p. Electric Motors.
Speed (kts):
12 sf 17 sm
Oil Supply (tons):
na
Armament:
8 x 21 inch torpedo tubes, 6 bow, 2
stern. 30 reloads.
Range:
9,000 nm at 12 knots
Complement:
6 Officers and 65
Ratings.
Submarine
Builder
Built
Cachalot
Finwhale
Grampus
Narwhal
Porpoise
Rorqual
Sealion
Walrus
Scotts,
Greenock.
Cammell Llaird,
Birkenhead.
Cammell Llaird, Birkenhead.
Vickers,
Barrow-in-Furness.
Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness.
Vickers,
Barrow-in-Furness.
Cammell Llaird, Birkenhead.
Scotts,
Greenock.
1954 -1961
HMS/M Porpoise,
first of a class of eight submarines, of which three were
built in the Barrow Shipyard.A post WWII design,
influenced in many ways by the German type XXI
submarines, with the emphasis on speed. The design was
approved in 1948, but Porpoise did not join the
fleet until 1958.
Designated "Patrol
Submarines", they could, with improved snorkel
systems remain submerged for a greater length of time than
previous boats. They were very quiet underwater, a great
deal of attention having been paid to internal noise.
Sonar equipment was greatly improved to produce the most
modern form of listening platform in the world. Improved
crew accommodation, including efficient air conditioning,
allowed the boats to operate efficiently world wide, a
necessity during the Cold War.
In 1983 Porpoise was
placed on the disposal list. On the 20th October 1985 she
was sunk as a target for the BUTEC range, in the
Western Isles of Scotland.
