HMS Porpoise (S01)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Porpoise.

HMS Porpoise (S01)
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Porpoise
Builder	Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness
Launched	25 April 1956
Commissioned	17 April 1958
Decommissioned	1982
Fate	Sunk as a target in 1985
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 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 6 bow, 2 stern 30 × Mk8 or Mk23 torpedoes, later the Mark 24 Tigerfish

HMS Porpoise (S01) was a Porpoise-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 25 April 1956, commissioned on 17 April 1958, and was decommissioned in 1982. Finally, she was sunk as a target in 1985 in torpedo trials, for which purpose she was painted bright red.

She had been used as a training target while still serving with the Navy; in 1979 her casing, ballast tanks and vents were reinforced so that unarmed torpedoes could be fired at her without the risk of sinking.

Commanding officers

From	To	Captain
1965	1966	Lieutenant Commander G R H Lloyd-Williams RN
1977	1977
1978	1979	Lieutenant Commander J L Milnes RN
1979	1981	Lt Commander Kilgour

Accidents and incidents

Notable accidents involving HMS Porpoise

• 18 October 1963: Suffers superficial damage departing Portsmouth harbor after colliding with the aircraft carrier HMS Centaur.
• 1 January 1969 - Entangled in the nets of the French trawler Belle Poule.
• 18 April 1982 - HMS Porpoise became entangled in the fishing nets of the Irish trawler Sharelga. The Sharelga, after travelling backwards two miles for twenty minutes, capsized and sank.

A model of HMS Porpoise’’