Tench class submarine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tench class attack submarine | |
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| Class Overview | |
| Class Type | Fast Attack Submarine |
| Class Name | Tench (a type of fish) |
| Preceded By | Balao-class attack submarine |
| Succeeded By | Barracuda-class submarine |
| Ships of the Class: | See below for a complete list of Tench-class submarines |
Tench class submarines were an evolutionary improvement over the Gato and Balao classes, only about 35 to 40 tons larger, but more strongly built and with a slightly improved internal layout. Further improvements were made to SS-435 and subsequent boats, so those advanced Tenches are sometimes referred to as the Corsair class.
Initial plans called for 146 hulls to be built, but 115 of those orders were cancelled in 1944 and 1945 when it became apparent that they would not be needed to defeat Japan. The remaining 31 were commissioned between October 1944 (Tench) and February 1951 (Grenadier).
[edit] General characteristics
- Displacement: 1570 tons surfaced, 2428 tons (except SS.417-424 2416 & SS.475-515 2414) submerged
- Length: 307ft (93.6m) waterline, 311ft 9in (95 m) overall
- Beam: 27 ft 9in (8.2 m)
- Draft: 15 ft 3in (4.6 m)
- Test Depth: 400 ft (122 m)
- Speed: 20.25 knots (37.5km/h) surfaced, 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged
- Armament: •10x21in (53cm) torpedo tubes (6 forward, 4 aft, 24 torpedoes)
• 1 x 5 in (127 mm)/25 caliber gun
• 2 x 40 mm cannon - Crew: 80-90 officers and men
- Powerplant: •4 x 1350 hp (1 MW) diesel engines (10cyl Fairbanks-Morse 38D-1/8 (16cyl General Motors 278A in SS.435-474)
•2 x 1370 hp (1020kW) electric motors (General Electric in SS.417-424, 435-474; Elliot Motor in SS.425-434, 475-520; Westinghouse in SS.521-550) (two 126-cell Exide main storage batteries) except SS.424, 475, 476, 478, 480-483, 485, & 488 Gould
• two shafts - Range: •12,000 nm at 10 knots (22,200 km at 18.5 km/h) surfaced;
•100nm at 3 knots (185km at 5.6kph) (maximum) submerged - Submerged Endurance: 48 hours
