HMS Auriga
Submarine of the Royal Navy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
HMS Auriga (P419/S69), was an Amphion-class submarine of the Royal Navy, built by Vickers-Armstrongs and launched 29 March 1945.[1]
Auriga after launching | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Auriga |
| Builder | Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness |
| Laid down | 7 June 1944 |
| Launched | 29 March 1945 |
| Commissioned | 12 January 1946 |
| Identification | Pennant number P419 (Later S69) |
| Fate | Sold to be broken up for scrap on 14 November 1974. Scrapped at Newport in February 1975. |
| 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 |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 350 ft (110 m) |
| Complement | 60 |
| Armament |
|
Design
Auriga 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.[2] 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).[2]
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).[3] 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).[2] 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.[2]
Service history
In 1953 she took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Elizabeth II.[4] In March 1961, the submarine was among the vessels that took part in a combined naval exercise with the United States Navy off Nova Scotia.[5] Auriga departed Canada on 25 April 1961 after completing an 18-month tour with the Sixth Submarine Division at Halifax, Nova Scotia.[6]