HMS ''Spearhead'' was a British S-class submarine (1931), S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was sold to Portugal. She was scrapped in 1967.

Design and description

The last 17 boats of the third batch were significantly modified from the earlier boats. They had a stronger hull, carried more fuel and their armament was revised. The submarines had a length of length overall, overall, a beam (nautical), beam of and a draft (ship), draft of . They displacement (ship), displaced on the surface and submerged.Chesneau, p. 52 The S-class submarines had a crew of 48 officers and naval rating, ratings. They had a diving depth of .McCartney, p. 7 For surface running, the boats were powered by two diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a electric motor. They could reach on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the third batch boats had a range of at and at submerged. ''Spearhead'' was armed with six British 21 inch torpedo, 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes in the bow. She carried six reload torpedoes for a grand total of a dozen torpedoes. Twelve naval mine, mines could be carried in lieu of the torpedoes. The boat was also equipped with a QF 4 inch naval gun Mk IV, XII, XXII, 4-inch (102 mm) deck gun.

Construction and career

HMS ''Spearhead'' was Keel laying, laid down at Cammell Laird's Birkenhead shipyard on 18 August 1943, was Ceremonial ship launching, launched on 2 October 1944 and completed on 21 December 1944. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name ''Spearhead''.HMS Spearhead
Uboat.net ''Spearhead'' survived the Second World War and was sold to the Portuguese in August 1948 and renamed NRP ''Neptuno''.

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References

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Spearhead (P263) British S-class submarines (1931) Ships built on the River Mersey 1944 ships World War II submarines of the United Kingdom Royal Navy ship names British S-class submarines (1931) of the Portuguese Navy