HMS Artful (P456)
HMS Artful (P456), was an Amphion-class submarine of the Royal Navy, built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Greenock and launched 22 May 1944.[1]
 A RCN Avenger AS.3 over HMS Artful in the mid-1950s | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Ordered: | 7 April 1943 |
| Builder: | Scotts of Greenock |
| Laid down: | 8 June 1944 |
| Launched: | 22 May 1947 |
| Commissioned: | 23 February 1948 |
| Decommissioned: | September 1969 |
| Fate: |
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| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Amphion-class submarine |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 293 ft 6 in (89.46 m) |
| Beam: | 22 ft 4 in (6.81 m) |
| Draught: | 18 ft 1 in (5.51 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: |
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| Range: |
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| Test depth: | 350 ft (110 m) |
| Complement: | 5 officers, 55 enlisted |
| Armament: |
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In 1953 she took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.[2] In 1955 she was the first of her class to be rebuilt and streamlined. In 1966 she completed a refit and recommissioned for service with the Home Fleet. In 1967 she undertook a Home Fleet Squadron tour to the West Indies and later that year attended Portsmouth Navy Days.[3]
Design
Like all Amphion-class submarines, Artful had a displacement of 1,360 tonnes (1,500 short tons) when at the surface and 1,590 tonnes (1,750 short tons) while submerged. It had a total length of 293 feet 6 inches (89.46 m), a beam length of 22 feet 4 inches (6.81 m), and a draught length of 18 feet 1 inch (5.51 m). The submarine was powered by two Admiralty ML eight-cylinder diesel engines generating a power of 2,150 horsepower (1,600 kW) each. It also contained four electric motors each producing 625 horsepower (466 kW) that drove two shafts.[4] It could carry a maximum of 219 tonnes (241 short tons) of diesel, although it usually carried between 159 and 165 tonnes (175 and 182 short tons).[4]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph) and a submerged speed of 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph).[5] When submerged, it could operate at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) for 90 nautical miles (170 km; 100 mi) or at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) for 16 nautical miles (30 km; 18 mi). When surfaced, it was able to travel 15,200 nautical miles (28,200 km; 17,500 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) or 10,500 nautical miles (19,400 km; 12,100 mi) at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph).[4] Artful was fitted with ten 21 inches (530 mm) torpedo tubes, one QF 4 inch naval gun Mk XXIII, one Oerlikon 20 mm cannon, and a .303 British Vickers machine gun. Its torpedo tubes were fitted to the bow and stern, and it could carry twenty torpedoes. Its complement was sixty-one crew members.[4]
References
- "Artful". Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
- Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15 June 1953, HMSO, Gale and Polden
- Programme, Navy Days Portsmouth, 26–28 August 1967, HMSO, p21.
- Paul Akermann (1 November 2002). Encyclopedia of British Submarines 1901-1955. Periscope Publishing Ltd. p. 422. ISBN 978-1-904381-05-1.
- "Acheron class". World Naval Ships, Cranston Fine Arts. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
Peter Lindley 1963-1965 Lieutenant commander
Publications
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.