HMS Walrus (S08)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Walrus.
Career (UK)
Name: HMS Walrus
Builder: Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Greenock
Launched: 22 September 1959
Commissioned: 10 February 1961
Fate: Sold in 1987
Broken up in 1991
General characteristics
Class and type:Porpoise class submarine
Displacement:2,080 tons surfaced
2,450 tons submerged
Length:290 ft (88 m)
Beam:26 ft 7 in (8.10 m)
Draught:18 ft (5.5 m)
Propulsion:2 × Admiralty Standard range diesel generators, 1,650 hp (1.230 MW)
2 × English Electric main motors, 12,000 hp (8.95 MW)
2 shafts
Speed:12 kn (22 km/h) surfaced
17 kn (31 km/h)submerged
Range:9,000 nmi (17,000 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h)
Complement:71
Armament:8 × 21 in (530 mm) torpedo tubes, 6 bow, 2 stern
30 × Mk8 or Mk23 torpedoes, later the Mark 24 Tigerfish

HMS Walrus (S08) was the last of the Porpoise class submarines of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 22 September 1959, and commissioned on 10 February 1961.[1]

Royal Navy Service

On one occasion during exercises with HMS Ark Royal (R09) an error resulted in a practice torpedo becoming embedded in the submarine's casing.[2]

Following an 18 month refit at Devonport Dockyard she commissioned for the third time on 3 December 1969. In 1970 she was present at Portsmouth Navy Days[3] Walrus also attended the 1977 Silver Jubilee Fleet Review off Spithead when she was part of the Submarine Flotilla.[4]

She was sold in 1987 to the Seaforth Group to be refitted for resale to Egypt, but was broken up at Grimsby in 1991.

Commanding Officers

FromToCaptain
19611962Lieutenant Commander John Fieldhouse RN
19651966Lieutenant Commander M C Bourdillon RN
19701970Lieutenant Commander H K P Michell RN
19711972Lieutenant Commander A W M Stephens RN
19721973Lieutenanat Commander J S Lang RN
19741976Lieutenant Commander Roger Lane-Nott RN
19771977Lieutenant Commander M G Jones RN
19781979Lieutenant Commander P P Jeanneret RN

References

  1. Submarines of The Royal Navy. Maritime Books. ISBN 0-907771-00-9.
  2. Tall, J.J; Paul Kemp (1996). HM Submarines in Camera An Illustrated History of British Submarines. Sutton Publishing. p. 165. ISBN 0-7509-0875-0.
  3. Programme, Navy Days Portsmouth, 29th-31st August 1970, p19.
  4. Official Souvenir Programme, 1977. Silver Jubilee Fleet Review, HMSO

Publications