HMS Tapir (P335)

HMS Tapir
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Tapir
Ordered	1941
Builder	Vickers Armstrong, Barrow
Laid down	29 March 1943
Launched	21 August 1944
Commissioned	30 December 1944
Fate	Transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1948
Badge
Netherlands
Name	HNLMS Zeehond (P335)
Commissioned	12 July 1948
Fate	Transferred to the Royal Navy in 1953
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Tapir
Commissioned	16 December 1953
Fate	Scrapped in 1966
General characteristics
Displacement	1,290 tons surfaced 1,560 tons submerged
Length	276 ft 6 in (84.28 m)
Beam	25 ft 6 in (7.77 m)
Draught	12 ft 9 in (3.89 m) forward 14 ft 7 in (4.45 m) aft
Propulsion	Two shafts Twin diesel engines 2,500 hp (1.86 MW) each Twin electric motors 1,450 hp (1.08 MW) each
Speed	15.5 knots (28.7 km/h) surfaced 9 knots (20 km/h) submerged
Range	4,500 nautical miles at 11 knots (8,330 km at 20 km/h) surfaced
Test depth	300 ft (91 m) max
Complement	61
Armament	6 internal forward-facing 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 2 external forward-facing torpedo tubes 2 external amidships rear-facing torpedo tubes 1 external rear-facing torpedo tubes 6 reload torpedoes QF 4 inch (100 mm) deck gun 3 anti aircraft machine guns

HMS Tapir (P335) was a Second World War British T class submarine, built by Vickers-Armstrong in Barrow-in-Furness. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name Tapir, after the animal.

Career

As HMS Tapir

The submarine was laid down on 29 March 1943, and launched on 21 August 1944. Commissioned into the Royal Navy on 30 December of that year, she 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 60°44′N 04°39′E on 12 April 1945, under the command of Lt J.C.Y. Roxbourgh, DSO, DSC, RN.

HNLMS Zeehond

For other ships with the same name, see HNLMS Zeehond.

On 18 June 1948, she 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 HNLMS Zeehond (P335) on 12 July 1948. She served under the command of Ltz I Baron J.H. Mackay from 12 July 1948, until 30 April 1949, when, together with O24 and HNLMS Van Kinsbergen, she visited Curaçao. Gravity measurements were taken during the trip (the first Dutch ones following the war) and the Zeehond conducted a long snorkel trip on the way back. She was placed back under the command of Ltz Mackay until 28 November 1949, and had a rather quiet career under several commanders, until she was transferred back to the Royal Navy on 15 July 1953, finally being re-commissioned and renamed Tapir on 16 December of that year.

HMS Tapir was scrapped at Faslane in December 1966.

Exercises

June to July 1949: Zeehond (2) participates in Exercise Victory.

November 1949: Zeehond (2) and Dolfijn (2) participate in a Royal Navy exercise.

13–26 September 1952: Zeehond (2) participates in the NATO exercise Mainbrace.

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.
• 5–27 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.

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.
• Hutchinson, Robert (2001). Jane's Submarines: War Beneath the Waves from 1776 to the Present Day. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-710558-8. OCLC 53783010.