| Built By: | Scotts (Clyde) |
| Build Group: | Amphion |
| Fate: | Scrapped 1972 |
Between August and December 1951 HMS Artful was 'on loan' to the Royal Canadian Navy as a training Submarine. On her return to UK HMS Artful was again 'Reduced to the Reserve'.
HMS Artful was 'brought forward from the Reserve' on 31st October 1952 and 'commissioned' for service with the 5th Submarine Squadron. The designation Flotilla was now being used to describe two or more squadrons.
HMS Artful returned to 'the Reserve' at Portsmouth on 6th August 1954 'for Refit' an, on completion of the Refit joining the 3rd Submarine Squadron in November 1955.
HMS Artful returned to 'the Reserve' at Portsmouth in January 1957 to await a further 'Refit'.
In August 1959 HMS Artful rejoined the 3rd Submarine Squadron - transferring to the 2nd Submarine Squadron in November 1960. In July 1966 - following a refit - HMS Artful transferred to the 1st Submarine Squadron.
In September 1968 HMS Artful was at Portsmouth 'awaiting Disposal' and was eventually sold for 'breaking up' in June 1972.
At about 0255 we were pooped (being caught in a following sea and pushed forward at speed and a downward motion). We should have been hove to and just about keeping station as we would plough into the oncoming sea with waves reaching 50+ feet.
| 07-04-1943 | Ordered from Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Co Ltd, Greenock |
| 08-06-1944 | Laid Down |
| 22-05-1947 | Launched |
| 15-12-1947 | Commissioned for service with the 2nd Submarine Flotilla (at Portland) |
| 23-02-1948 | Completed |
| 19-10-1948 | Reduced to the Reserve. |
| 28-09-1949 | HMS ARTFUL recommissioned for service with the crew of HMS AENEAS to await refit in Portsmouth Dockyard |
| 31-10-1949 | Commenced refit in Portsmouth Dockyard. On completion of the refit in early July 1950 HMS ARTFUL joined the 3rd Submarine Flotilla. |
| 26-07-1950 | In dockyard hands for repairs to fire damage to the Control Room. |
| 25-08-1950 | Having completed repairs to fire damage to the Control Room. HMS ARTFUL rejoined with the 3rd Submarine Flotilla until August 1951. |
| Length overall | 280 ft 6in |
| Beam | 22 ft |
| Depth | 16ft |
| Displacement | 1385 tons (surface) |
| 1620 tons (submerged) | |
| Diving Depth | 350 ft |
| Speed | Surface 18.5 knots (design) |
| Submarged 8 knots (design) | |
| No. of shafts | 2 |
| Armament | 6 x 21 inch bow tubes (2 external) |
| 4 x 21 inch stern tubes (2 external) | |
| 20 torpedoes carried | |
| 1 x 4 inch gun | |
| 1 x 20mm Qerlikon cannon | |
| 3 x 0.303in machine-guns | |
| Endurance | Surface: 10 500 miles at 11 knots (design) |
| Submerged: 16 miles at 8 knots or 90 miles at 3 knots | |
| Complement | 6 Officers and 55 Ratings. |
| 6 Officers and 58 Ratings after modernisation. |
On Monday 14th February 1941, HM Submarine Taku sailed quietly from Holy Loch in Scotland bound for Nova Scotia. She was under escort and commanded by Lieutenant Brown. No-one could possibly have imagined or foreseen what would happen in the days following this departure
It was the Italians who pioneered the use of two-man human torpedoes or 'chariots', and their attacks on ships of the Royal Navy in Alexandria Harbour in 1941 caused Winston Churchill to write to the Chief of Staffs committee to enquire what was being done to emulate these daring attacks.
The result was the development of British 'chariots' which were regarded as stop-gaps until the X-Craft or midget submarines could be deployed.
17 pages added or updated in the last Array month
Please help to maintain this site by reporting any Errors, Broken Links, Information or Site Issues on this page using this button
If you find this site useful, please consider supporting my work with a small Donation.
Please Note: Donations made using this option go directly to the site owner and not to the Submariners Association.
Thankyou for your support.
| Length overall | 280 ft 6in |
| Beam | 22 ft |
| Depth | 16ft |
| Displacement | 1385 tons (surface) |
| 1620 tons (submerged) | |
| Diving Depth | 350 ft |
| Speed | Surface 18.5 knots (design) |
| Submarged 8 knots (design) | |
| No. of shafts | 2 |
| Armament | 6 x 21 inch bow tubes (2 external) |
| 4 x 21 inch stern tubes (2 external) | |
| 20 torpedoes carried | |
| 1 x 4 inch gun | |
| 1 x 20mm Qerlikon cannon | |
| 3 x 0.303in machine-guns | |
| Endurance | Surface: 10 500 miles at 11 knots (design) |
| Submerged: 16 miles at 8 knots or 90 miles at 3 knots | |
| Complement | 6 Officers and 55 Ratings. |
| 6 Officers and 58 Ratings after modernisation. |
On Monday 14th February 1941, HM Submarine Taku sailed quietly from Holy Loch in Scotland bound for Nova Scotia. She was under escort and commanded by Lieutenant Brown. No-one could possibly have imagined or foreseen what would happen in the days following this departure
It was the Italians who pioneered the use of two-man human torpedoes or 'chariots', and their attacks on ships of the Royal Navy in Alexandria Harbour in 1941 caused Winston Churchill to write to the Chief of Staffs committee to enquire what was being done to emulate these daring attacks.
The result was the development of British 'chariots' which were regarded as stop-gaps until the X-Craft or midget submarines could be deployed.
17 pages added or updated in the last Array month
Please help to maintain this site by reporting any Errors, Broken Links, Information or Site Issues on this page using this button
If you find this site useful, please consider supporting my work with a small Donation.
Please Note: Donations made using this option go directly to the site owner and not to the Submariners Association.
Thankyou for your support.
This form is for you to comment on, or add additional information to this page. Any questions will be deleted. If you wish to ask a question contact the Branch or the Webmaster using the Contact Us page or ask your question on our Facebook Page