HMS Andrew (P423)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Andrew.
History
Ordered: Very late in World War II
Builder: Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down: 13 August 1945
Launched: 6 April 1946
Commissioned: 16 March 1948
Fate: Sold to be broken up for scrap on 5 May 1977. Scrapped at Plymouth later in 1977.
General characteristics
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 Admiralty ML 8-cylinder diesel engine, 2 × 625 hp electric motors for submergence driving two shafts
Speed: 18.5/8 knots (surface/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) or 90 nautical miles (170 km) at 3 knots (6 km/h) submerged
Test depth: 350 ft (110 m)
Complement: 5 officers 55 enlisted
Armament:

HMS Andrew (P423), was an Amphion-class submarine of the Royal Navy, built by Vickers Armstrong and launched on 6 April 1946.

The submarine was fitted with a 4 inch deck gun in 1964 for service during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation to counter blockade running junks.[1] The gun was fired for the last time in December 1974.[2] She was sold off in 1977 and was broken up.

Andrew was briefly the oldest Amphion-class submarine to remain in service, was the last British submarine with a deck gun, was the last World War II-designed submarine in service, and was the first submarine to use a "snort" to cross the Atlantic (in May 1953).[3]

The deck gun from HMS Andrew

Design

Like all Amphion-class submarines, Andrew 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 length of 22 feet 4 inches (6.81 m), and a draught length 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. It also contained four electric motors each producing 625 horsepower (466 kW) that drove two shafts.[4] 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).[4]

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).[5] 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).[4] Andrew 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. Its torpedo tubes were fitted to the bow and stern, and it could carry twenty torpedoes. Its complement was sixty-one crew members.[4]

Film career

HMS Andrew was used in the 1959 film On the Beach to depict the fictional United States Navy nuclear submarine USS Sawfish because the U.S. Navy did not cooperate in the production of the film.

Commanding officers

FromToCaptain
? ~1953 Lieutenant Commander W.D.S.Scott RN
19651966Lieutenant-Commander H N M Thompson RN
19671968Lieutenant Toby Frere RN
19701970Lieutenant-Commander M J R Tuohy RN

References

  1. Preston, Antony (2001). The Royal Navy Submarine Service A Centennial History. Conway Maritime Press. p. 129. ISBN 0-85177-891-7.
  2. Tall, J.J; Paul Kemp (1996). HM Submarines in Camera An Illustrated History of British Submarines. Sutton Publishing. p. 160. ISBN 0-7509-0875-0.
  3. John Lambert and David Hill (1986). The submarine Alliance (Anatomy of the ship series). Conway Maritime Press. p. 19. ISBN 0-85177-380-X.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Paul Akermann (1 November 2002). Encyclopedia of British Submarines 1901-1955. Periscope Publishing Ltd. p. 422. ISBN 978-1-904381-05-1.
  5. "Acheron class". World Naval Ships, Cranston Fine Arts. Retrieved 20 August 2015.

Publications

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