Oberon class submarine

The Oberon class was a 27-boat class of British-built diesel-electric submarines based on the successful British Porpoise-class submarine.

Thirteen were constructed for the Royal Navy, while another fourteen were built and exported to other countries' navies: six to the Royal Australian Navy, three to the Royal Canadian Navy with an additional two British submarines later transferred, three to the Brazilian Navy, and two to the Chilean Navy.

As of 2006, at least fourteen Oberons are confirmed to have survived in some form: Seven as museum boats or tourist attractions, two preserved in partial form as monuments, while five are to be converted into museum boats, or are otherwise awaiting disposal.

Design and construction

The Oberon class was based heavily on the preceding Porpoise class of submarines,^[2] which were in service from 1956 to 1988. The 295.2 feet (90.0 m) long Oberons were armed with eight 21-inch (533.4 mm) torpedo tubes: six tubes in the bow, and two short tubes for anti-submarine defence in the stern.^[2] The submarine normally carried a payload of 20 torpedoes for the forward tubes; a mix of Mark 24 Tigerfish and Mark 8 torpedoes, while only the two pre-loaded torpedoes were carried for the stern tubes.^[2] Naval mines could be carried instead of torpedoes: the torpedo payload would be replaced with up to 50 Mark 5 Stonefish or Mark 6 Sea Urchin mines.^[2]

Changes from the Porpoise design were primarily to improve the strength and stealth of the submarine.^[2] Instead of UXW steel, the hull was built from QT28 steel, which was easier to fabricate and stronger, allowing the submarine to dive deeper.^[3] Glass-reinforced plastic was used in construction of the casing.

Electronics, sonar, and radar systems were also upgraded to the latest standard. The submarines were equipped with a Type 1002 surface search and navigation radar, a Type 187 Active-Passive attack sonar, and a Type 2007 long range passive sonar.^[2]

The Oberons were constructed at a variety of shipyards in the United Kingdom: the six Australian and two Chilean submarines by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company (the latter were built after the Scott Lithgow merger); the three Brazilian submarines by Vickers-Armstrongs; and the three Canadian submarines at Chatham Dockyard.^[2] Construction of the British submarines was shared amongst four dockyards: the three mentioned above and Cammell Laird.^[2]

Regional variations

Australia

The Royal Australia Navy acquired six Oberons: an initial order of four and a second order of two. The second order was originally for four submarines, but two were cancelled in favour of expanding the RAN Fleet Air Arm.^[4]

Australian Oberons had different electronic equipment, using primarily American radar and sonar systems. They had Sperry Micropuffs passive ranging sonar and Krupp CSU3-41 attack sonar.^[2] Instead of the British Tigerfish torpedoes, the Australians used American Mark 48 torpedoes.^[2] They had a slightly larger payload, carrying 22 torpedoes for the forward tubes, six of which were pre-loaded. Shortly after entering service, the aft torpedo tubes in all six submarines were sealed.

The Australian submarines were later updated to be equipped with the subsonic anti-ship Harpoon missile. In 1985, off the island of Kauai in Hawaii, HMAS Ovens became only the second conventional submarine in the world—and the first Oberon—to fire a sub-surface-launched Harpoon missile, successfully hitting the target over the horizon. Consequently, the designation for the Australian Oberons changed from SS to SSG.

Brazil

The main differences between the Brazilian and British Oberons was the fire control systems used; with a Vickers system used.^[2] The three Brazilian submarines were later upgraded to use the more advanced Mod 1 Tigerfish torpedo.^[2]

Canada

The three Canadian submarines were built with improved air-conditioning systems, while as many common components as possible were replaced with Canadian equivalents.^[2] The Canadian Oberons used United States Navy torpedoes throughout their career: they were initially equipped with Mark 37 torpedo, but were later upgraded for Mark 48 torpedoes.^[2]

Chile

Chilean submarines were identical to their British counterparts except for carrying German SUT torpedoes.^[2]

Service

The first of the class to be commissioned into the Royal Navy was Orpheus in 1960, followed by the name vessel in 1961. The last to be commissioned was Onyx in 1967. Six were commissioned between 1967 and 1978 for the RAN. In 1982, HMS Onyx took part in the Falklands War, the only conventional submarine of the RN to do so, landing members of the SBS. All Oberons in service, including boats exported, have now been decommissioned; the last RN boats were decommissioned in 1993, with the final Canadian and Australian Oberons decommissioned in 2000.

Like the Porpoises, the Oberons were far quieter than their American counterparts. They performed remarkably well in clandestine operations, performing surveillance and inserting special forces, vital during their heyday in the Cold War. These operations were primarily carried out by the British across Arctic Europe; the Canadians across the North Atlantic; and the Australians throughout south-east Asia and as far north as the Sea of Japan.

The Oberon class was arguably the best conventional submarine class of its time,^[3] with an astonishing reputation for quietness that allowed it to exist into the 21st century until replaced by newer classes such as the Collins and Victoria classes in Australia and Canada respectively.

Fates

As of 2006, at least fourteen Oberons are confirmed to have survived in some form. Seven have been preserved and converted into museum vessels or tourist attractions. Two have been partially preserved as monuments, while another five are awaiting conversion for museum work, or are otherwise awaiting disposal.

Two of the ex-Royal Navy submarines have been preserved in the UK. HMS Onyx has now moved to Barrow-in-Furness after the museum at Birkenhead, Merseyside closed, where another Falklands veteran, the frigate HMS Plymouth, has remained. The other boat, Ocelot, is located at Chatham. Otus is harboured in Sassnitz, Germany on the island of Rügen and can be visited. Another two British Oberons were transferred to Canada: Olympus as a non-commissioned training vessel, and Osiris for spare parts. The other British submarines were disposed of.

Australia's six Oberons have been preserved and are on display, either completely or partially. HMAS Ovens is located at the Western Australian Maritime Museum at Fremantle, while HMAS Onslow is located at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney. The fin, outer hull, and stern section of HMAS Otway are preserved on land at Holbrook, New South Wales. HMAS Otama is located at Westernport Bay, Victoria, where she has been awaiting conversion into a museum vessel since 2000; a lack of funding and cooperation from local and state governments means that the volunteer group hoping to preserve Otama attempted to sell the submarine on eBay but to no avail.^[5] HMAS Oxley's fin stands as a permanent memorial at HMAS Stirling, Garden Island, Western Australia. HMAS Orion's fin stands as a permanent memorial at Rockingham Naval Memorial Park in Western Australia.

In 2005, it was announced that the four surviving Canadian submarines (minus Osiris, which was scrapped in 1992 after being stripped for parts) were to be sold for scrapping, as they had deteriorated beyond the point of use.^[6] Onondaga was purchased for C$4 plus tax by the Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Père for use as a museum vessel,^[6] and was towed from Halifax to Pointe-au-Père, Quebec in July 2008. In July 2011, Olympus was towed to a scrapyard in Port Maitland, Ontario, with Okanagan to be delivered to the same scrapyard in August 2011.^[7] Ojibwa has been earmarked for preservation at the Elgin Military Museum.^[7]

One of the Brazilian Oberons (Tonelero) sank while docked at the navy yards at the Praça Mauá on Rio de Janeiro, on 24 December 2000.^[8] The surviving Brazilian Oberon, Riachuelo, was converted into a museum at the Brazilian Navy Cultural Center (Espaço Cultural da Marinha Brasileira) in Rio de Janeiro.^[9]

The Chilean Navy sold O'Brien to the city of Valdivia, to be converted into the first submarine museum of Chile. The submarine is to be modified in Asenav shipyard with better access for general public and to be moored in the Calle-Calle river that cross the city.

Successors

The Oberon class was briefly succeeded in RN service by the Upholder-class submarine. The Upholder-class submarines were later upgraded and sold to the Canadian Forces after refit as the Victoria class, again replacing Oberons.

The Australian Oberons were replaced by the six Collins-class submarines.

The two Chilean Oberons were replaced by the Scorpène-class submarines O'Higgins and Carrera.

See also

• List of submarines of the Royal Navy

References

• Brown, D.K.; Moore, George (2003). Rebuilding the Royal Navy: Warship Design Since 1945. Chatham Publishing. 
• Chant, Christopher (1987). A Compedium of Armaments and Military Hardware. Routledge. ISBN 0710207204. http://books.google.com/books?id=k9cNAAAAQAAJ&dq=&cad=0. Retrieved 30 July 2008. 
• Jackson, Robert (General editor): The Encyclopedia of Warships, From World War Two to the Present Day
• Sharpe, Richard (ed.) (March 1996). Jane's Fighting Ships, 1996-97 (99th edition ed.). Surrey: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0710613555. OCLC 34998928. 
• Stevens, David; Sears, Jason; Goldrick, James; Cooper, Alastair; Jones, Peter; Spurling, Kathryn, (2001). Stevens, David. ed. The Royal Australian Navy. The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195541162. OCLC 50418095. 

External links

• Images of HMS Onyx June 2006 being moved to Barrow
• Tour through the S 22 Riachuelo on Rio de Janeiro
• Through a Canadian Periscope - The story of the Canadian Submarine Service - by Julie H. Ferguson
• Location of the Surviving 'O'boats
• C.F. "O" Class Training Handbook for Oberon submarines