Name Artemis Laid down 28 February 1944 Construction started 28 February 1944 Length 89 m | Commissioned 15 August 1947 Launched 26 August 1946 Draft 5.51 m | |
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Fate Sank 1 July 1971. Sold to Pounds of Portsmouth for scrap in 1972 Class and type | ||
HMS Artemis (P449) was an Amphion-class submarine of the Royal Navy, built by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. of Greenock and launched 28 August 1946. The submarine sank while refueling in 1971, was raised and sold for breaking up in 1972.
Contents
Design
Like all Amphion-class submarines, Artemis had a displacement of 1,360 tonnes (1,500 short tons) when at the surface and 1,590 tonnes (1,750 short tons) while submerged. It had a total length of 293 feet 6 inches (89.46 m), a beam of 22 feet 4 inches (6.81 m), and a draught of 18 feet 1 inch (5.51 m). The submarine was powered by two Admiralty ML eight-cylinder diesel engines generating 2,150 horsepower (1,600 kW) each. It also contained four electric motors, each producing 625 horsepower (466 kW), that drove two shafts. It could carry a maximum of 219 tonnes (241 short tons) of diesel, although it usually carried between 159 and 165 tonnes (175 and 182 short tons).
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph) and a submerged speed of 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). When submerged, it could operate at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) for 90 nautical miles (170 km; 100 mi) or at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) for 16 nautical miles (30 km; 18 mi). When surfaced, it was able to travel 15,200 nautical miles (28,200 km; 17,500 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) or 10,500 nautical miles (19,400 km; 12,100 mi) at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph). Artemis was fitted with ten 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, one QF 4 inch naval gun Mk XXIII, one Oerlikon 20 mm cannon, and a .303 British Vickers machine gun. Its torpedo tubes were fitted to the bow and stern, and it could carry twenty torpedoes. Its complement was sixty-one crew members.
Service history
In September 1952 Artemis deployed to Canada a second time for anti-submarine training with the Royal Canadian Navy. Artemis replaced the damaged Alderney, which had developed issues while training with vessels of the Royal Canadian Navy off Bermuda. In 1953 she took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. On 1 July 1971 Artemis sank in 9 metres (30 ft) of water while moored at the shore establishment HMS Dolphin at Gosport during refuelling. The sub dipped by the stern (she was being prepared for fuelling using the aft externals) which filled and the sub sank. She was raised on 6 July and decommissioned, sold to be broken up for scrap on 12 December 1971.