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The ''Clase Tiburón'' submarines (in English ''Shark''-class), was a mini submarines class of the
The ''Tiburón''-class had only two units, SA-51 and SA-52, but despite an improved version of the previous class, never got to join the
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, ...
built in 1964. Only two units were built. Currently, ''Tiburón-I'' (SA-51) is conserved as a museum ship in Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
and ''Tiburón-II'' (SA-52) in Cartagena.
Design
With a crew of five men, ''Tiburon''-class submarines were intended to carry out week-long missions, would be ideal for operating in shallow waters and carrying special forces behind the enemy lines. They were equipped with a greater accommodation than the preceding ''Foca-''class, with a bathroom and two bunk beds, which allowed the crew to rest in "hot bed" shifts. The design was based upon the German minisubmarine ''Hai''-class. The submarines had two diesel engines (115 HP) and two electric engines (110 HP). The armament was two torpedoes. The sail was larger than the previous class which helps in the surveillance tasks. The submarines were armed with two 533 mm tubes capable of carrying G7a orG7e
The G7e torpedo was the standard electric torpedo used by the German '' Kriegsmarine'' submarines in World War II. It came in 20 different versions, with the initial model G7e(TII) in service at the outbreak of the war. Due to several problems, l ...
torpedoes.
History and current status
The ''Tiburón''-class had only two units, SA-51 and SA-52, but despite an improved version of the previous class, never got to join the navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
. The submarines were in the Naval Week of Barcelona in 1966, one of them, SA-52, arrive from Cartagena on her own.
On May 9, 1986, the SA-51 submarine was donated to the La Caixa
La Caixa, also known as the "La Caixa" Foundation ( es, Fundación ”la Caixa”), is a not-for-profit banking foundation based in Catalonia. Originally a savings bank (''caja''), it reorganized in the 2000s and 2010s: Its commercial assets are ...
Foundation for its science museum, now called "CosmoCaixa". The submarine is on display in front of the museum entrance.
The SA-52 remains on display at the ''Isaac Peral'' Naval Base in Cartagena.
See also
*Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, ...
* List of submarines of the Spanish Navy
The list of submarines in the Spanish Navy, commissioned or otherwise operated by the Spanish Navy.
Peral "submarine torpedo boat"
* Peral Submarine, ''Peral'' 1888 – 1890. Preserved as museum ship at Cartagena.
Isaac Peral class submarine ...
* List of retired Spanish Navy ships
This list includes all naval ships which have been in service of the Spanish Navy.
Aircraft carriers
* Dédalo-class seaplane tender (1)
** ' (1922–1940) (ex-''Neuenfelds'' 1901-1921)
* (1)
** ' (R01) (1967–1989) (ex-' 1943-1955)
* (1)
...
References
Sources
* {{cite book, last1=Busquets i Vilanova, first1=Camil, last2=Campanera i Rovira, first2=Albert, last3=Coello Lillo, first3=Juan Luis, title=Los Submarinos Españoles, date=2002, publisher=Cultural, S.A. de Ediciones, location=Móstoles, Spain, isbn=978-84-8055-952-2 Ships built in Cartagena, Spain Submarines of the Spanish Navy 1964 ships Midget submarines Museum ships in Spain