Submersible Facts
| Holland Class | HM Submarine No.1, built by Vickers was launched at Barrow on October 1st, 1901, the first of five ordered by the Admiralty. Only 63 feet long, with a displacement of 120 tons, she carried two officers and seven ratings. She had one propeller, driven by a four cylinder petrol engine when surfaced and by an electric motor when submerged. She achieved speeds of 9 knots on the surface and 6 knots submerged and could dive to 100feet. Despite early problems with this class, sufficient success was achieved for the Royal Navy to proceed with improved submarine designs. |
| D Class 1908 | With the D Class submarine design took a large leap forward, both in capability and size. These submarines with their large conning towers were the first to have saddle tanks instead of internal ballast tanks. The 'D' boats were a real improvement in all respects, being the first submarines with a proper patrol capability. |
| H&L Classes 1916-18 | Transitional design in the development of the submarine, the later H Classes were the first to be fully armed with 21 torpedoes. They had a surface range of 1,600 miles at 10 knots. The L Class had a submerged displacement of 1055 tons and a surface range of 2800 miles at 10 knots. |
| K Class | The evolution of such a radically new weapon as the submarine led to some hybrid designs. The K Class were designed to work with the main battle fleet at surface speeds of 24 knots. They were large, powerful boats driven by steam turbines. They had two oil-fired boilers, each with a funnel which had to be folded down into a water-tight well. they could dive faster than any previous steam submarine, but the delay caused by shutting down the boilers and sealing of the funnels was still impossibly long. With long hulls and poor longitudinal stability they proved dangerous and difficult to handle and were eventually scrapped. Later submarines reverted to the conventional diesel electric system. |
| T-Class 1937 | Between 1937-45, Vickers built 28 of these splendid submarines, which proved to be far more reliable than the preceding 'O', 'P' and 'R' Classes. The enclosed, 4-inch gun provided a relatively stable platform for surface action, and the bow salvo of ten torpedo tubes was the largest in any submarine. Later T Class submarines were fitted with stern tubes, air and surface warning radar sets and, shortly after the war, with snort masts. |
| A Class 1945 | Patrol submarines with a submerged displacement of 1620 tons, this class was designed primarily for service in the Pacific, hence the high surface speed of 18 knots. They were the first RN submarines to be fitted with snort masts. They had air conditioning and a radius of action of 10,000 miles. |
| 500 Class | One of the Vickers 'fleet' of privately designed submarines. The 500 Class patrol submarine designed in association with IKL has been developed to meet the needs of navies requiring coastal and medium range patrols. Other designs include the 150 tonne Piranha Class, 1100 Class and the 2400 Class. Customers can choose from the Vickers 'fleet' a submarine best suited for their needs. |
| Dreadnought 1960 | On Trafalgar Day 1960, Vickers entered the nuclear era when HMS Dreadnought was launched by HM Queen Elizabeth II. Dreadnought was Britain's first nuclear submarine and was constructed in collaboration with Rolls Royce & Associates Ltd, using an American reactor. Two of Britain's former Nuclear Powered Ballistic Missile submarines, Resolution and Repulse, were built by Vickers between 1964 and 1968 |
| Oberon Class 1961 | The Oberon Class, a development of the Porpoise Class, are probably the best diesel-engineered boats ever built at the time. They were outstanding boats in every respect and had an enviable reputation for performance and efficiency. |
| Valiant, Churchill and Swiftsure Class | Vickers Shipbuilding Group Ltd are
now sole builders of the Royal Navy's nuclear-powered fleet submarines,
all of which have evolved from the Dreadnought prototype: the Valiant
Class and the Swiftsure Class. HMS Spartan, fifth of the Swiftsure Class
and the 318th submarine built at Barrow was commissioned on the 22nd
September 1979.
Nuclear powered fleet submarines have become the modern capital ships of the high seas, the main striking power of the fleet and the most effective weapons available against other submarines. Fitted with computer-assisted sensors and the latest torpedoes, they can silently shadow a target for long periods at high speed, while hundreds of feet below the surface. They have a crew of 100 and a displacement of more than 4000 tons - more than a modern frigate. |
