HMS Rorqual (S02)
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| Career (UK) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMS Rorqual |
| Builder: | Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness |
| Launched: | 5 December 1956 |
| Fate: | Arrived for scrapping on 5 May 1977 |
| 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 Rorqual (S02) was a Porpoise-class submarine launched in 1956. She was built by the Vickers shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The boat was named for both the Rorqual whale and the earlier Second World War-era submarine of the same name.
In 1958, Rorqual experienced a fire. In 1963, she was caught in a trawler's net. An explosion in 1966 killed two crew members and injured twenty; Rorqual was off the coast of Mozambique en route to Singapore. In 1969, Rorqual rammed a moored minesweeper, USS Endurance (MSO-435) while docking at River Point pier in Subic Bay, Philippines. The collision punched a large hole in Endurance's hull but did not damage Rorqual. At the time of the incident, Rorqual was commanded by Lieutenant-Commander Gavin Menzies who retired the following year and later published the controversial book 1421: The Year China Discovered America.
Rorqual won the SOCA Efficiency trophy in 1973.
Rorqual arrived at the Laira breakers yard near Plymouth on 5 May 1977. She was broken up by Davies & Cann.
[edit] References
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
[edit] External links
- Battleships-Cruisers.co.uk's page of photographs of Porpoise Class submarines
- Submariners Association -- Post-war Submarines
- List of submarine incidents at sea
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