HMS ''Amphion'' (P439), was an
''Amphion''-class submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
of the
Royal Navy, built by
Vickers Armstrong and launched 31 August 1944.
HMS ''Amphion'', later S43, was the first of the class to be launched in August 1944. She was originally to be named as
HMS ''Anchorite'' but their names were exchanged before launch. Of the class, only ''Amphion'' and
HMS ''Astute'' were completed before the end of the war, and neither were involved in hostilities. In 1953 she took part in the
Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Design
Like all
Amphion-class submarines, ''Amphion'' had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. It had a total length of , a beam of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two Admiralty ML eight-cylinder diesel engines generating a power of each. It also contained four electric motors each producing that drove two shafts.
It could carry a maximum of of diesel, although it usually carried between .
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a submerged speed of .
When submerged, it could operate at for or at for . When surfaced, it was able to travel at or at .
''Amphion'' was fitted with ten
torpedo tubes, one
QF 4 inch naval gun Mk XXIII
The QF 4-inch gun Mark XXIII was introduced in late 1945 as a deck gun for Royal Navy submarines. It was the last type of gun to be fitted to British submarines, finally being retired in 1974.
Development and service
Development of the Mark XXII ...
, one
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon, and a
.303 British
The .303 British (designated as the 303 British by the C.I.P. and SAAMI) or 7.7×56mmR, is a calibre rimmed rifle cartridge. The .303 inch bore diameter is measured between rifling lands as is the common practice in Europe which follows th ...
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.
References
Publications
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External links
Pictures of HMS ''Amphion'' at Maritime Quest
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amphion (P439)
Amphion-class submarines
Cold War submarines of the United Kingdom
Ships built in Barrow-in-Furness
1944 ships
Maritime incidents in 1967