| Built By: | Vickers (Barrow) |
| Build Group: | SSN 4b |
| Fate: | 2009-12-04 Decommissioned. The first vessel of her class to be taken out of service. Trafalgar became the ninth decommissioned submarine to be stored in Plymouth while an ongoing MoD study decides how to dispose of them. |
Construction began in advance of contract. First of Trafalgar Class submarines Launched by Lady Fieldhouse wife of Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse The first British submarine to circumnavigate the globe
| 07-09-1977 | Ordered from Vickers, Barrow |
| 25-04-1979 | Laid Down |
| 01-07-1981 | Launched |
| 27-05-1983 | Completed |
| 08-10-2002 | HMS Trafalgar hit rocks beneath 150 ft. of water about three miles off the Isle of Skye. The smash caused extensive damage, forcing the vessel to limp back into Faslane naval base. Two crew members were hurt in the impact, one breaking his nose and the other spraining his back. |
| 11-11-2009 | HMS Trafalgar sailed into its Devon base for the final time prior to decommissioning. Its return was marked with a flypast by a navy Merlin helicopter. |
| 04-12-2009 | Decommissioned. The first vessel of her class to be taken out of service. Trafalgar became the ninth decommissioned submarine to be stored in Plymouth while an ongoing MoD study decides how to dispose of them. |
| Primary Roles | Anti-submarine/surface vessel warfare |
| Secondary Roles | Land attack (optional), Minelaying, Designed for littoral, deep sea or world-wide deployment. |
| Length overall | 91.7m |
| Beam | 10.4m |
| Draught | 10m (max) |
| Displacement | 6,000 tons (surface) |
| 6,500 tons (submerged) | |
| Diving Depth | over 300m |
| Speed | Submerged 32 knots (design) |
| No. of shafts | 1 |
| Reactor | 1 x Rolls Royce PWR-2 |
| Turbines | 2 x GEC Turbines |
| Generators | 2 x WH Allen turbo generators, 2 Paxman diesel alternators (2,800 hp) |
| Power | 15,500 shp |
| Endurance | 90 day patrol |
| Propulsion | Pump jet propulsor |
| Armament | 5 x 533mm missile tubes |
| Total of 38 weapons | |
| Sub Harpoon missiles (SSM) | |
| Spearfish torpedoes | |
| Tigerfish torpedoes | |
| Tomahawk missiles (SLCM) | |
| Mines (in lieu of torpedoes) | |
| Countermeasures | 2 x SSE Mk 10 Launchers for Type 2066 and 2071 decoys |
| ESM; Racal UAP 3, passive intercept | |
| Navigation | Kelvin Hughes Type 1007 |
| Combat Data Systems | BAeSEMA SMCS |
| Weapons Control | Dowty tactical control system SAFS 3 FCS |
| Sonars | Marconi/Ferranti Type 2076 integrated suite with reelable towed array |
| Complement | 108 (12 officers) + 12 spare |
How could Sleuth win the Gunnery Efficiency Trophy when it did not have a gun? How could Sleuth knock a barrage balloon out of the sky whilst proceeding at 120 feet and towing a submerged X Craft?
'Underwater, underhanded and damned un-English' they might have been but submarine development and deployment has long been an integral part of naval warfare.
For centuries man has been fascinated with the possibility of an underwater vessel, the ultimate method of improving the odds against a superior surface fleet. Being submerged beneath the sea was the obvious means by which a warship could be approached and attacked without detection - but the attempts to create the perfect sub was a long and often tragic affair.
This DVD tracks the evolution of underwater crafts from the early Turtle to a privileged look inside the salvaged U-Boat 534 and beyond. Aboard the famous U-Boat 534 we examine the living conditions and the true bravery shown by all her crew.
20 pages added or updated in the last 6 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.
| Primary Roles | Anti-submarine/surface vessel warfare |
| Secondary Roles | Land attack (optional), Minelaying, Designed for littoral, deep sea or world-wide deployment. |
| Length overall | 91.7m |
| Beam | 10.4m |
| Draught | 10m (max) |
| Displacement | 6,000 tons (surface) |
| 6,500 tons (submerged) | |
| Diving Depth | over 300m |
| Speed | Submerged 32 knots (design) |
| No. of shafts | 1 |
| Reactor | 1 x Rolls Royce PWR-2 |
| Turbines | 2 x GEC Turbines |
| Generators | 2 x WH Allen turbo generators, 2 Paxman diesel alternators (2,800 hp) |
| Power | 15,500 shp |
| Endurance | 90 day patrol |
| Propulsion | Pump jet propulsor |
| Armament | 5 x 533mm missile tubes |
| Total of 38 weapons | |
| Sub Harpoon missiles (SSM) | |
| Spearfish torpedoes | |
| Tigerfish torpedoes | |
| Tomahawk missiles (SLCM) | |
| Mines (in lieu of torpedoes) | |
| Countermeasures | 2 x SSE Mk 10 Launchers for Type 2066 and 2071 decoys |
| ESM; Racal UAP 3, passive intercept | |
| Navigation | Kelvin Hughes Type 1007 |
| Combat Data Systems | BAeSEMA SMCS |
| Weapons Control | Dowty tactical control system SAFS 3 FCS |
| Sonars | Marconi/Ferranti Type 2076 integrated suite with reelable towed array |
| Complement | 108 (12 officers) + 12 spare |
How could Sleuth win the Gunnery Efficiency Trophy when it did not have a gun? How could Sleuth knock a barrage balloon out of the sky whilst proceeding at 120 feet and towing a submerged X Craft?
'Underwater, underhanded and damned un-English' they might have been but submarine development and deployment has long been an integral part of naval warfare.
For centuries man has been fascinated with the possibility of an underwater vessel, the ultimate method of improving the odds against a superior surface fleet. Being submerged beneath the sea was the obvious means by which a warship could be approached and attacked without detection - but the attempts to create the perfect sub was a long and often tragic affair.
This DVD tracks the evolution of underwater crafts from the early Turtle to a privileged look inside the salvaged U-Boat 534 and beyond. Aboard the famous U-Boat 534 we examine the living conditions and the true bravery shown by all her crew.
20 pages added or updated in the last 6 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.
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