HMS Tapir (P335)
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 HMS Tapir |
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RN Career | RNN Career | 2nd RN Career |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordered: | 1941 | ||
| Laid down: | 29 March 1943 | ||
| Launched: | 21 August 1944 | ||
| Commissioned: | 30 December 1944 | 12 July 1948 | 16 December 1953 |
| Fate: | Transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1948 | Transferred to the Royal Navy in 1953 | Scrapped in 1966 |
| Stricken: | |||
| General Characteristics | |||
| Displacement: | 1090 tons surfaced, 1575 tons submerged | ||
| Length: | 273 feet | ||
| Beam: | |||
| Draught: | |||
| Propulsion: | 2500 hp diesel engines, 1450 hp electric motors, two shafts | ||
| Speed: | 15.25 knots surfaced, 9 knots submerged | ||
| Range: | |||
| Complement: | 61 officers and men | ||
| Armament: | one four-inch gun, one 20mm cannon, three machineguns, six internal and two external bow torpedo tubes, two internal and one external stern tubes, 17 torpedoes | ||
| Motto: | |||
HMS Tapir (P335) was a Second World War British T class submarine, built by Vickers-Armstrong in Barrow-in-Furness.
The submarine was laid down on the 29th of March 1943, and launched on 21 August 1944. Commissioned into the Royal Navy on the 30th of December of that year, it led a distinguished career for such a late entry into the war, torpedoing the German submarine U-486 in the North Sea, to the north-west of Bergen, Norway at position on 1 April 1945, under the command of Lt J.C.Y. Roxbourgh, DSO, DSC, RN.
On 18 June 1948, it was deemed surplus to requirements, and was loaned to the Netherlands for a period of five years, being commissioned into the Royal Netherlands Navy as Zeehond (2) on 12 July 1948. It served under the command of Ltz I Baron J.H. Mackay from 12 July 1948, until 30 April 1949, when, together with O24 and Hr.Ms. Van Kinsbergen, it visited Curaçao. Gravity measurements are taken during the trip (the first Dutch ones following the war)and the Zeehond (2) conducted a long snorkel trip on the way back. It was placed back under the command of Ltz Mackay until 28 November 1949, and had a rather quiet career under several commanders, until it was transferred back to the Royal Navy on 15 July 1953, finally being re-commissioned and re-named Tapir on 16 December of that year.
HMS Tapir was scrapped at Faslane in December 1966.
[edit] Exercises
June to July 1949: Zeehond (2) participates in Exercise Victory.
November 1949: Zeehond (2) and Dolfijn (2) participate in a Royal Navy exercise.
13 September - 26 September 1952: Zeehond (2) participates in the NATO exercise Mainbrace.
[edit] Commanders
29 March 1943 - 18 June 1948: (as HMS Tapir) Lt. J.C.Y. Roxbourgh, DSO, DSC, RN
12 July 1948 - 30 April 1949: (as Zeehond (2)) Ltz. I Baron J.H. Mackay.
4 June - 28 November 1949: Ltz. I Baron J.H. Mackay.
28 November 1949 - 15 October 1950: Ltz. I C.E. Wolderling.
5 February - 27 February 1951: Ltz. I C.E. Wolderling.
27 February - 24 April 1951: Ltz. I R. van Wely.
24 April 1951 - 12 January 1953: Ltz. I C.E. Wolderling.
12 January - 1 June 1953: Ltz. I S. van Ravesteijn.
