HMS Astute (P447)

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

HMS Astute (P447/S45)
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Astute
Builder	Vickers Armstrongs
Laid down	4 April 1944
Launched	30 January 1945
Commissioned	30 June 1945
Fate	Sold for scrap, 1 October 1970
General characteristics
Class & type	Amphion-class submarine
Displacement	1,360/1,590 tons (surface/submerged)
Length	293 ft 6 in (89.46 m)
Beam	22 ft 4 in (6.81 m)
Draught	18 ft 1 in (5.51 m)
Propulsion	2 × 2,150 hp (1,600 kW) Admiralty ML 8-cylinder diesel engine, 2 × 625 hp (466 kW) electric motors for submergence driving two shafts
Speed	18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph) surfaced 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range	10,500 nautical miles (19,400 km) at 11 knots (20 km/h) surfaced 16 nautical miles (30 km) at 8 knots (15 km/h) submerged
Test depth	350 ft (110 m)
Complement	60
Armament	6 × 21 inch (533 mm) (2 external) bow torpedo tube, 4 × 21 in (533 mm) (2 external) stern torpedo tube, containing a total of 20 torpedoes Mines: 26 1 × 4 in (102 mm) main deck gun, 3 × 0.303 in (7.70 mm) machine gun, 1 × Oerlikon 20 mm gun

HMS Astute (P447) was an Amphion-class submarine. Her keel was laid down by Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness. She was launched in 1944 and commissioned in 1945. ^[1]

In 1953 she took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. ^[2] Astute was scrapped on 1 October 1970 at Dunston on Tyne.

Design

Like all Amphion-class submarines, Astute had a displacement of 1,360 long tons (1,380 t) when at the surface and 1,590 long tons (1,620 t) while submerged. She 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 a power of 2,150 horsepower (1,600 kW) each. She also contained four electric motors each producing 625 horsepower (466 kW) that drove two shafts. ^[3] She could carry a maximum of 219 tonnes (241 short tons) of diesel, although she usually carried between 159 and 165 tonnes (175 and 182 short tons). ^[3]

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). ^[4] When submerged, she 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, she 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). ^[3] She was fitted with ten 21 inches (530 mm) torpedo tubes, one QF 4 inch naval gun Mk XXIII, one Oerlikon 20 mm cannon, and a .303 British Vickers machine gun. Her torpedo tubes were fitted to the bow and stern, and she could carry twenty torpedoes. Her complement was sixty-one crew members. ^[3]

Astute was laid down at Vickers-Armstrongs Barrow-in-Furness shipyard on 4 April 1944, was launched on 30 January 1945 and completed on 30 June 1945. ^[5]

Service history

Astute arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia on 11 April 1950 for a six-week training period with the Royal Canadian Navy ending on 1 July. ^[6] Astute spent 21 months in 1955–56 based at Halifax as part of the Canadian submarine squadron, leaving Canada for the UK on 10 December 1956. ^[7]

As a response to the Cuban Missile Crisis, Astute and sister ship Alderney, both part of the Halifax-based 6th Submarine Squadron, were deployed to the North-East of the Grand Banks to warn if Soviet submarines were to be sent across the Atlantic to Cuba. ^[8]

References

1. "HMS Astute (P 447)". uboat.net.
2. Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953, HMSO, Gale and Polden
3. Paul Akermann (1 November 2002). Encyclopedia of British Submarines 1901–1955. Periscope Publishing Ltd. p. 422. ISBN   978-1-904381-05-1.
4. "Acheron class". World Naval Ships, Cranston Fine Arts. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
5. Blackman 1962, p. 275.
6. "Submarine Arrives". The Crowsnest. Vol. 2, no. 7. King's Printer. May 1950. p. 4.
7. "Command News: H.M.S. Ambrose". Navy News . February 1957. p. 9. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
8. Hennessy & Jinks 2016 , pp. 275–277

Publications

• Blackman, V.B. (1962). Jane's Fighting Ships 1962–63. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd. OCLC   181864290.
• 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.
• Hennessy, Peter; Jinks, James (2016). The Silent Deep: The Royal Navy Submarine Service since 1945. Penguin. ISBN   978-0-241-95948-0.

External links

• Pictures of Hms Astute at MaritimeQuest