HMS ''Excalibur'' was the sister ship of , the two submarines being the only high-test peroxide (HTP) powered submarines to be constructed for the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

. She is the only ship to be named as such, in honour of the sword of

Arthurian King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...

Operation

Both ''Excalibur'' and ''Explorer'' were assigned to the 3rd Submarine Squadron although due to their experimental nature, they tended to operate independently, accompanied by their depot ship HMS ''Kingfisher'' and a fuel carrier, RFA ''Spabeck''. They later acted as high-speed underwater targets for the Royal Navy's prototype nuclear-powered submarine .

Periscope

The submarine's periscope survives. It was installed in the starter's hut at the ''Golf House Club'', the golf club at

Elie and Earlsferry Elie and Earlsferry is a coastal town and former royal burgh in Fife, and parish, Scotland, situated within the East Neuk beside Chapel Ness on the north coast of the Firth of Forth, eight miles east of Leven. The burgh comprised the linked v ...

, Scotland; players and visitors may use it to view the golf course.

References

Bibliography

* * * Explorer-class submarines Ships built in Barrow-in-Furness 1955 ships Cold War submarines of the United Kingdom {{UK-mil-submarine-stub