HMS Rorqual (S02)
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HMS Rorqual (S02) was a Porpoise-class submarine launched in 1956. She was built by the Vickers shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The boat was named for both the rorqual, a family of whale, and the earlier Second World War-era submarine of the same name.
Design and construction
The Porpoise-class was the first class of operational submarines built for the Royal Navy after the end of the Second World War, and were designed to take advantage of experience gained by studying German Type XXI U-boats and British wartime experiments with the submarine Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"., which was modified by streamlining and fitting a bigger battery.[1][2][3]
The Porpoise-class submarines were Script error: No such module "convert". long overall and Script error: No such module "convert". between perpendiculars, with a beam of Script error: No such module "convert". and a draught of Script error: No such module "convert".. Displacement was Script error: No such module "convert". standard and Script error: No such module "convert". full load surfaced and Script error: No such module "convert". submerged.[1] Propulsion machinery consisted of two Admiralty Standard Range diesel generators rated at a total of Script error: No such module "convert"., which could charge the submarine's batteries or directly drive the electric motors. These were rated at Script error: No such module "convert"., and drove two shafts, giving a speed of Script error: No such module "convert". on the surface and Script error: No such module "convert". submerged.[4][3] Eight 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes were fitted; six in the bow, and two in the stern. Up to 30 torpedoes could be carried, with the initial outfit consisting of the unguided Mark 8 and the homing Mark 20 torpedoes.[1]
Rorqual was laid down at Vickers-Armstrongs' Barrow-in-Furness shipyard on 15 January 1955, was launched on 5 December 1956 and completed on 24 October 1958.[1][4]
Service
In 1958, Rorqual experienced a fire.
In February 1960, Rorqual visited the Mediterranean, calling at La Spezia in Italy and Nice in southern France before returning home to Faslane at the end of the month.[5] In 1963, she was caught in a trawler's net. An explosion in 1966 killed one junior rate and injured the chief of the watch, who died ashore at Inhambane, Rorqual was off the coast of Mozambique en route to Singapore. In 1969, Rorqual rammed a moored minesweeper, USS Endurance (MSO-435) while docking at River Point pier in Subic Bay, Philippines. The collision punched a large hole in Endurance's hull but did not damage Rorqual. At the time of the incident, Rorqual was commanded by Lieutenant-Commander Gavin Menzies who retired the following year and later published the controversial book 1421: The Year China Discovered America.
Rorqual won the SOCA Efficiency trophy in 1973.
Rorqual arrived at the Laira breaker's yard near Plymouth on 5 May 1977. She was broken up by Davies & Cann.
References
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Sources
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External links
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