Name HMS Tapir Laid down 29 March 1943 Name HNLMS Zeehond (P335) Launched 21 August 1944 Builder Vickers-Armstrongs | Ordered 1941 Commissioned 30 December 1944 Construction started 29 March 1943 Length 84 m | |
 | ||
Fate Transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1948 | ||
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.
Contents
As HMS Tapir
The submarine was laid down on 29 March 1943, and launched on 21 August 1944. Commissioned into the Royal Navy on the 30th of 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.
As HNLMS Zeehond (2)
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 (2) (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 Hr.Ms. Van Kinsbergen, she visited Curaçao. Gravity measurements were taken during the trip (the first Dutch ones following the war) and the Zeehond (2) 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.