| Built By: | Vickers (Barrow) |
| Build Group: | Explorer |
| Fate: | Decommissioned March 5, 1962 Broken Up 1965 |
Laid Down 1951
HMS Explorer had so many teething troubles that her first captain never took her to sea. However, when she eventually made an appearance, in 1958, she was impressively fast - submerged speeds of 25 knots were achieved - with retractable superstructure fittings aiding the streamlined hull-form.
Alan joined HMS Explorer in 'refit' at Barrow in Furness shortly before the Submarine moved from the Graving Dock to a berth at the in the Dock System at the Admiralty Development Establishment, Barrow (ADEB). The 'refit' completed in August 1959 after a slight delay owing to a fire in the Turbine Room - caused by a VSEL Coppersmith working with a blow lamp in a cramped bilge space. Alan's comment 'Nasty.'
| 05-03-1955 | Launched |
| 28-11-1956 | Completed |
| Length overall | 178 ft |
| Beam | 15 ft 8 inch |
| Draught | 11 ft |
| Displacement | 780 tons (surface) |
| 1120 tons (submerged) | |
| Propulsion | High Test Peroxide (HTP) steam raising plant driving steam turbines (submerged) |
| Diesel-electric (surfaced) | |
| Speed | 25 knots (surface) |
| 25 knots (submerged) | |
| No. of shafts | 2 |
| Armament | None |
| Complement | 41 |
| Class: | 1936 - 1958: U Class |
| Built By: | Vickers (Barrow) |
| Build Group: | U2 |
| Fate: | |
| Scrapped in May 1950 at Tyne. | |
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| Length overall | 178 ft |
| Beam | 15 ft 8 inch |
| Draught | 11 ft |
| Displacement | 780 tons (surface) |
| 1120 tons (submerged) | |
| Propulsion | High Test Peroxide (HTP) steam raising plant driving steam turbines (submerged) |
| Diesel-electric (surfaced) | |
| Speed | 25 knots (surface) |
| 25 knots (submerged) | |
| No. of shafts | 2 |
| Armament | None |
| Complement | 41 |
| Class: | 1936 - 1958: U Class |
| Built By: | Vickers (Barrow) |
| Build Group: | U2 |
| Fate: | |
| Scrapped in May 1950 at Tyne. | |
11 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. Or you can make a big one if you like :)
Please Note: Donations made using this option go directly to the site owner and not to the Submariners Association.
Thankyou for your support.
Comments
Comment by: Andrew Coulthard on July 2nd, 2017
Thank you for this interesting and detailed account of the HTP experimental submarine programme. Capt. O. J. Coulthard, my grandfather, was master of the RFA Spabeck from April 1961 and this tells us more about his career at sea.
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