Seraph class

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Seraph class
Royal Navy Marine nationale française (French Navy)
HMS Sahib (P212)
General data
Ship type : Submarine
Construction series: S-class
Navies :

Royal Navy
French Navy

Builders :

Cammell Laird , Birkenhead
Chatham Dockyard , Chatham
Scott’s Shipbuild. , Greenock
Vickers-Armstrongs ,
( Barrow-in-Furness )

Units: 33
Technical specifications
Crew : 48 men
Displacement :

surfaced: 814 - 872  ts
submerged: 990 ts

Length : 66.08 m
Width: 7.19 m
Draft : 3.4 m
Drive :

Diesel engines : 1900  PS (1420  KW )
Electric motors : 1300 PS (969 KW)

Speed :

surfaced: 15  kn (28  km / h )
submerged: 10 kn (19 km / h)

Driving range :

popped up:

  • 6000  NM (11112 km) at 10 kn
Diving depth : 110 m
Alarm dive time: 25-30 seconds
Armament
Artillery : 1 * 3   L / 50 (76 mm) deck gun
Air defense :

1 * 20 mm Flak
3 *  .303 ″ (7.7 mm) MG

Torpedoes :

6 × 21 ″ (533 mm) pipes in the bow
an external 21 ″ pipe

The Seraph-Class was the third sub-assembly of the British S-Class . The 33 submarines were used in World War II and after. The French Navy used four ship class submarines between 1951 and 1961 .

Building history and structural features

see: Construction history of the S-Class and structural features of the S-Class

After the beginning of the Second World War, further S-Class submarines were commissioned and launched from 1940. The first units could be added to the Navy in the spring of 1942. The last submarine was put into service in the spring of 1945. With 33 ships built, the Seraph class was the most frequently built sub-class of S-boats.

The submarines were built at four different shipyards:

Shipyard Submarines
Cammell Laird 17th
Scott's Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. 8th
Vickers-Armstrong 5
Chatham Dockyard 3

The Seraph-class boats were larger than the first and second lot submarines built in the 1930s. In contrast to the older S-Class submarines, they were equipped with a radar device. They also had a more powerful diesel engine and still had a greater range, as the fuel oil bunkers were also enlarged.

After the commissioning of the first five units ( Safari , Sahib , Saracen , Satyr and Scepter ), an additional external stern torpedo tube was introduced.

The war economy (increased demand and simultaneous shortage of workers and raw materials) required the production of new buildings to be optimized. For this reason, the most modern production methods of that time were used. The submarines were assembled in the shipyard from standardized pre-assembled assemblies. The shell was no longer riveted , but completely welded .

Through the consistent use of welding technology, the new war buildings were given a significantly more resistant pressure hull and were thus able to dive deeper than the boats built in the first and second batches in the 1930s. For the submarines built in the 1930s, the shipyard specified a diving depth of 95 m. A guaranteed diving depth of 110 m was specified for the submarines of the third and fourth construction lots built during the war. HMS Stubborn reached a depth of 165 m in February 1944 after a German depth charge attack. During a destruction test in 1948, the unmanned HMS Stoic was crushed at a depth of 183 m. For comparison, the German Type VII C / 42 boats had a guaranteed diving depth of 200 m by the shipyard and a calculated theoretical maximum diving depth of 400 m.

history

see: History of the S-Class and Detailed History of the S-Class

The first submarines of the new war buildings were ready for use from spring 1942. The new buildings were urgently needed, as the S-boats built in peacetime had meanwhile shrunk to four units.

The submarines were initially used mainly in the Mediterranean, where they were used against the supply routes of the Axis powers engaged in the African campaign . The Mediterranean bases of the submarines were in Gibraltar in the west, on the besieged island of Malta in the center and in Egypt in the east. Further submarines were used in the North Sea and the Bay of Biscay until the end of the war.

After the end of the fighting in North Africa on May 13, 1943 and the Italian withdrawal from the war on September 8, 1943, the operations of British submarines concentrated on the eastern Mediterranean off the Greek islands, which are still occupied by Germany.

During the fighting in the Mediterranean, the Italian, Vichy-French and Italian transport fleets suffered heavy losses. Although the ships of the axis were relatively poorly secured and the Italian anti-submarine defense was much worse equipped than the German, there were five losses in the Mediterranean by 1944. During the same period, a submarine was lost in the North Sea. (see: losses of the S-Class )

In the summer of 1944, the Allies liberated southern France. In the further course of the year the Germans were also expelled from Greece, which meant that the entire Mediterranean was in Allied hands and further combat missions were unnecessary.

After the Allied victories in North Africa and Southern Europe, many Seraph-class boats were ordered to the Asian theater of war . The submarines, together with structurally similar Dutch submarines, were successfully used against Japanese and Siamese coastal transporters in coastal waters of the Indian Ocean and the Java Sea. The relatively small, agile British and Dutch submarines were able to operate in shallow waters within the 10 fathoms limit (18 m water depth) and complemented the large ocean-going boats of the US Navy . The Japanese Navy had until the end of 1943, over 3 million GRT lost tonnage mainly by submarines. The Japanese were dependent on shifting their transports to small motor ships and sailors that drove so close under the coast that they were inaccessible to the large US boats. The mostly unprotected and slow transporters were often sunk with the deck gun. Two Seraph class boats were lost in Asia. Two more were so badly damaged in fighting that they had to be shut down.

In 1944 two boats were completely disarmed, made lighter by further dismantling and thus enabled to travel at higher speeds. The two submarines also received a snorkel dummy to simulate the appearance of German submarines. They were used by the Navy anti-submarine defense as training targets

Royal Navy Marine nationale française (French Navy)
HMS satyr sapphire 1952–1961 to France
HMS Spiteful Siren 1952–1958 to France
HMS Sportsman Sibylle 1951 to France, sunk in 1952
HMS Statesman Sultans 1952–1959 to France

The last successful torpedo attack by a submarine in World War II was carried out by the HMS Statesman on December 18, 1945, when she sank a floating Japanese wreck in the Malacca Straits.

After the war ended, the Royal Navy transferred many boats of the class to reserve. Up to and including 1950, 15 units had been scrapped or destroyed for training and testing purposes.

In 1951/52 the French Navy took over four submarines of the class. One of these boats was lost with the entire crew in an accident in September 1952. The remaining three units were returned to Great Britain between 1958 and 1961, where they were subsequently scrapped.

The last Seraph-class submarine was the HMS Sea Devil . The Royal Navy decommissioned the submarine in June 1962 and sold it for scrapping in December 1965.

Boats of the class

see also: Group 3 of the S-Class

HMS P222
Builder : Vickers-Armstrong No: P 222
Keel laying : August 10, 1940 Launch : September 20, 1941
Commissioning: March 4, 1942 End of duty: December 12, 1942

The P222 was deployed in the Mediterranean and declared missing on December 22, 1942. According to Italian information, she was sunk with depth charges on December 12, 1942 by the Italian torpedo boat Fortunale southeast of Capri . There were no survivors.

HMS Safari
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 211 (ex P 61)
Keel laying: June 5, 1940 Launch: November 18, 1941
Commissioning: March 14, 1942 End of duty: January 7, 1946

The safari (see safari ) was used in the Mediterranean. The submarine survived the war and was sold for scrapping on January 7, 1946. The Safari sank on January 8, 1946 east of Portland while being transported for scrapping.

HMS Sahib
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 212 (ex P 62)
Keel laying: 5th July 1940 Launch: June 19, 1942
Commissioning: May 13, 1942 End of duty: April 24, 1943

The Sahib ( Arabic: Lord , see Sāhib ) was used in the Mediterranean. The submarine was on 24 April 1943 by the Italian corvette Gabbiano , Climene , Euterpe and a German 88 Ju north-east of Sicily at position 38 ° 30 '  N , 15 ° 15'  O severely damaged with water bombs. After the subsequent self-sinking, the crew was rescued by Italian units. One man died from his injuries in captivity.

HMS Seraph
Builder: Vickers-Armstrong No.: P 219 (ex P 69)
Keel laying: August 16, 1940 Launch: October 25, 1941
Commissioning: June 10, 1942 End of duty: 1965

The Seraph (see Seraph ) was used in the Mediterranean. The submarine survived the war, was used by the Royal Navy until the 1960s, and was scrapped in Swansea in December 1965 .

HMS Saracen
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 247 (ex P 63, P 213)
Keel laying: July 16, 1940 Launch: February 16, 1942
Commissioning: June 27, 1942 End of duty: August 14, 1943

The Saracen (English for Saracen ) was deployed in the Mediterranean and attacked with depth charges on August 14, 1943 northeast of Bastia (Corsica) by the Italian corvettes Minerva and Euterpe . The heavily damaged submarine was subsequently by the crew at position 42 ° 45 '  N , 9 ° 30'  O abandoned and even submerged. The entire crew survived and went into Italian captivity.

HMS Shakespeare
Builder: Vickers-Armstrong No.: P 221 (ex P 71)
Keel laying: November 13, 1940 Launch: December 8, 1941
Commissioning: July 10, 1942 End of duty: January 3, 1945

The Shakespeare (see William Shakespeare ) was used in the Mediterranean and in Southeast Asia. On January 3, 1945, the submarine engaged in an intensive artillery duel with the Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa 1 in the Andaman Sea . Both ships could hit each other and cause serious damage. Shakespeare escaped but was no longer repaired and scrapped in 1946.

HMS Splendid
Builder: Chatham Dockyard No.: P 228 (ex P 78)
Keel laying: March 7, 1941 Launch: January 19, 1942
Commissioning: August 8, 1942 End of duty: April 21, 1943

The Splendid ( English: great ) was deployed in the Mediterranean and sunk south of Capri at position 40 ° 30 '  N , 14 ° 15'  E by the German destroyer ZG 3 / Hermes with depth charges. 30 British sailors were rescued from the German warship, 18 were killed.

HMS Sibyl
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 217 (ex P67)
Keel laying: December 31, 1940 Launch: April 29, 1942
Commissioning: August 16, 1942 End of duty: 1948

The Sibyl (see Sibylle ) was used in the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia. The submarine was scrapped in March 1948.

HMS Sea Dog
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 216 (ex P 66)
Keel laying: December 31, 1940 Launch: June 11, 1942
Commissioning: September 24, 1942 End of duty: 1947

The Sea Dog (English: seal ) was used in the North Sea and in Southeast Asia. It was scrapped in Troon in August 1948.

HMS Sea Nymph
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 223
Keel laying: May 6, 1941 Launch: July 29, 1942
Commissioning: November 3, 1942 End of duty: 1948

The Sea Nymph (English mutatis mutandis. Mermaid ) was used in the North Sea and scrapped in June 1948 in Troon.

HMS Sickle
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 224 (ex P 74)
Keel laying: May 8, 1941 Launch: August 27, 1942
Commissioning: December 1, 1942 End of duty: June 18, 1944

The Sickle (ger .: sickle ) was used in the Mediterranean. The submarine has been missing off Greece since June 18, 1944. It probably ran into a sea mine. There were no survivors.

HMS Sportsman La Sibylle
Builder: Chatham Dockyard No.: P 229 (ex P 79)
Keel laying: July 1, 1941 Launch: April 17, 1942
Commissioning: December 21, 1942 End of duty: September 23, 1952

The Sportsman (ger .: athletes ) was used in the Mediterranean. She was awarded to the French Navy in 1951 and renamed Sibylle . The submarine sank 40 NM east of Toulon in 1952 with the entire crew in an accident.

HMS Simoom
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 225 (ex P75)
Keel laying: July 14, 1941 Launch: October 12, 1942
Commissioning: December 30, 1942 End of duty: November 19, 1943

The Simoom (Arabic: poisonous wind , a sandstorm in North Africa and the Levant, see Samum ) was used in the Mediterranean. She has been missing in the eastern Mediterranean since November 19, 1943. The submarine probably ran into a sea mine. There were no survivors.

HMS Satyr sapphire
Builder: Scott's Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. No.: P 214 (ex P64)
Keel laying: June 8, 1940 Launch: September 28, 1942
Commissioning: February 8, 1943 End of duty: 1961

The satyr (see satyr ) was used in the North Sea. The submarine was disarmed in 1944/45 and used as a training target. In 1952 it was handed over to the French Navy and renamed Saphir . The satyr remained in French service until 1961 and was canceled in June 1962.

HMS Stubborn
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 238 (ex P 88)
Keel laying: September 10, 1941 Launch: November 11, 1942
Commissioning: February 20, 1943 End of duty: 1946

The Stubborn (English: stubborn , stubborn or stubborn ) was used in the North Sea, the Biscay and in Southeast Asia. It was sunk on April 30, 1946 off Malta as a sonar target.

HMS Surf
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 239
Keel laying: February 1, 1941 Launch: December 20, 1942
Commissioning: March 18, 1943 End of duty: 1949

The Surf (ger .: Surf ) was used in the Mediterranean and in Southeast Asia. It was sold for scrapping on October 28, 1949 and demolished in Faslane .

HMS Scepter
Builder: Scott's Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. No.: P 215 (ex P65)
Keel laying: July 25, 1940 Launch: January 6, 1943
Commissioning: April 15, 1943 End of duty: 1949

The HMS Scepter (English: scepter ) was used in the North Sea. It was disarmed in 1944/45 and used as an exercise target. The submarine was damaged in an explosion of the batteries on August 8, 1949 and scrapped in September 1949.

HMS Syrtis
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 241
Keel laying: October 14, 1941 Launch: February 4, 1943
Commissioning: April 23, 1943 End of duty: March 28, 1944

The Syrtis (see Syrte ) was used in the North Sea. The submarine ran into a German sea mine near Bodø (Norway). There were no survivors.

HMS Stonehenge
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 232
Keel laying: April 4, 1942 Launch: March 23, 1943
Commissioning: June 15, 1943 End of duty: March 22, 1944

The Stonehenge (see: Stonehenge ) was used in Southeast Asia. It was lost between Sumatra and the Nicobar Islands under unexplained circumstances with the entire crew. The submarine has been missing since March 1944.

HMS Stoic
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 231
Keel laying: June 18, 1942 Launch: April 9, 1943
Commissioning: June 29, 1943 End of duty: 1948

The Stoic (ger .: stoically ) was used in Southeast Asia. The submarine was destroyed in 1948 in unmanned deep diving tests at a depth of 183 m. The wreck was lifted in 1950 and scrapped in Dalmuir.

HMS Sea Rover
Builder: Scott's Shipbuilding & Engineering Co.
(completed at Vickers-Armstrong )
No.: P 218 (ex P 68)
Keel laying: April 14, 1941 Launch: February 25, 1943
Commissioning: July 7, 1943 End of duty: 1949

The Sea Rover (English: vagabond of the seas ) was used in Southeast Asia. It was sold for scrapping in 1949 and demolished in Faslane in October of that year.

HMS Storm
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 233
Keel laying: June 23, 1942 Launch: May 18, 1943
Commissioning: August 23, 1943 End of duty: 1949

The Storm (English: Sturm ) was used in Southeast Asia. The submarine was sold for scrapping in November 1949 and demolished in Troon.

HMS Sirdar
Builder: Scott's Shipbuilding & Engineering Co.
(completed at Vickers-Armstrong )
No.: P 226 (ex P 76)
Keel laying: April 24, 1941 Launch: March 26, 1943
Commissioning: September 20, 1943 End of duty: 1953

The Sirdar ( Farsi: commander , see Sirdar ) was used in Southeast Asia. The submarine sank in an accident in the dock in 1953 and was scrapped in Bo'ness on May 31, 1965 .

HMS Spiteful Sirêne
Builder: Scott's Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. No.: P 227 (ex P 77)
Keel laying: September 19, 1941 Launch: June 5, 1943
Commissioning: October 6, 1943 End of duty: 1958

The Spiteful (ger .: malicious or spiteful ) was used in Southeast Asia. The submarine was operated by the French Navy under the name Sirêne between 1952 and 1958 . It was scrapped in Faslane in 1963.

HMS Stratagem
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 234
Keel laying: April 15, 1942 Launch: June 21, 1943
Commissioning: October 9, 1943 End of duty: November 22, 1944

The Stratagem (ger .: stratagem ) was used in Southeast Asia. It was badly damaged by depth charges in the Malakka Strait by Japanese aircraft and was abandoned by the crew. 10 men were able to save themselves and fell into Japanese hands. Only three men survived captivity.

HMS Spirit
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 245
Keel laying: October 27, 1942 Launch: July 20, 1943
Commissioning: October 25, 1943 End of duty: 1950

The Spirit (ger .: Spirit ) was used in Southeast Asia. It was sold for scrapping on January 4, 1950 and demolished in Grays in July 1950 .

HMS Statesman Sultans
Builder: Cammell Laird No.: P 246
Keel laying: November 2, 1942 Launch: September 14, 1943
Commissioning: December 13, 1943 End of duty: 1961

The Statesman (English: statesman ) was used in Southeast Asia. It was used by the French Navy from 1952 to 1959 under the name Sultans ( French : Sultana ). On January 3, 1961, the submarine was sold for scrapping.

HMS Strongbow
Builder: Scott's Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. No.: P 235
Keel laying: April 17, 1942 Launch: August 30, 1943
Commissioning: December 23, 1943 End of duty: June 1945

The Strongbow (ger .: Strong Bow ) was used in Southeast Asia. It was badly damaged by depth charges off Malaya on January 13, 1945 and has not been repaired. The submarine was decommissioned in Falmouth in June 1945 and scrapped in Preston in April 1946 .

HMS Shalimar
Builder: Chatham Dockyard No.: P 242
Keel laying: April 17, 1942 Launch: April 22, 1943
Commissioning: April 22, 1944 End of duty: 1950

The Shalimar ( Kashmiri :?) Was used in Southeast Asia. It was scrapped in Troon in July 1950.

HMS Spark
Builder: Scott's Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. No.: P 236
Keel laying: October 10, 1942 Launch: December 28, 1943
Commissioning: April 28, 1944 End of duty: 1949

The Spark (ger .: Funke ) was used in Southeast Asia. It was sold for scrapping on October 29, 1949 and dismantled in Faslane.

HMS Scythian
Builder: Scott's Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. No.: P 237
Keel laying: February 21, 1943 Launch: April 14, 1944
Commissioning: August 11, 1944 End of duty: 1960

The Scythian (English: Skythe ) was used in Southeast Asia. It was scrapped in Charlestown in August 1960 .

HMS Scotsman
Builder: Scott's Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. No.: P 243
Keel laying: April 15, 1943 Launch: August 18, 1944
Commissioning: December 9, 1944 End of duty: 1964

The Scotsman (English: Schotte ) was scrapped in Troon in November 1964.

HMS Sea Devil
Builder: Scott's Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. No.: P 244
Keel laying: May 5, 1943 Launch: January 30, 1945
Commissioning: May 12, 1945 End of duty: 4th June 1962

The Sea Devil (ger .: monkfish ) was in on December 15, 1965 Newhaven scrapped.

literature

  • Erminio Bagnasco: Submarines in World War II . 5th edition. Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 1996, ISBN 3-613-01252-9
  • Robert Hutchinson: Fight Under Water - Submarines from 1776 to the Present . 1st edition. Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-613-02585-X
  • Anthony Preston: The History of the Submarines . German edition. Karl Müller Verlag, Erlangen, 1998, ISBN 3-86070-697-7
  • Peter Padfield: The Submarine War 1939-1945 . Ullstein Taschenbuchverlag, Munich 2000, ISBN 3-548-24766-0

Web links

Commons : S Class  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files
  • S-Class on uboat.net (English)
  • S-Class at submariners.co.uk (English)
  • S-Class at battleships-cruisers.co.uk (English)

Individual evidence

  1. The uboat.net (see: Weblinks ) gives 715 GRT for the overwater displacement of the Seraph class  . Robert Hutchinson (see: literature ) gives 865 ts. Erminio Bagnasco (see: literature ) gives 814 to 872 ts.
  2. The uboat.net gives 990 GRT for the underwater displacement of the Seraph class. Hutchinson and Bagnasco give 990 ts.
  3. The sources uboat.net and Robert Hutchinson sometimes give very different dates for the date of commissioning. Bagnasco does not provide dates for individual submarines. According to uboat.net, the first new P 222 was put into service on March 4, 1942. According to Hutchinson, the first new building put into service was the Safari on February 15, 1942. The text takes the information from uboat.net as a basis. Contradictions are mentioned in further footnotes.
  4. Two submarines were laid up at Scott’s and later completed at Vickers . In the table they are added to Vickers .
  5. HMS is the abbreviation for His / Her Majesty's Ship and the name prefix of British ships. HMS means His / Her Majesty's Ship .
  6. The source: Anthony Preston: The history of the submarines (see literature ) is unclear about the point of diving depth. There it is stated on page 59f: "The small Dutch and British submarines could operate within the 10-fathom line (28 m)." 10 threads would be approx. 18 m.
  7. The uboat.net states March 4th 1942 for the commissioning of the P 222. Hutchinson states November 3, 1942.
  8. The uboat.net states March 14, 1942 for the safari to go into service. Hutchinson gives February 15, 1942.
  9. The uboat.net states March 13, 1942 for the commissioning of the Sahib. Hutchinson states May 30, 1942.
  10. The uboat.net specifies June 10, 1942 for the Seraph to be commissioned. Hutchinson gives May 27, 1942.
  11. The uboat.net states August 8, 1942 for the Splendid to be commissioned. Hutchinson gives August 4, 1942.
  12. The uboat.net states November 3rd, 1942 for the commissioning of the Sea Nymph. Hutchinson gives July 29, 1942.
  13. The uboat.net states December 30, 1942 when the Simoom was put into service. Hutchinson states November 28, 1942.
  14. The uboat.net states February 8, 1943 for the commissioning of the satyr. Hutchinson gives September 28, 1942.
  15. The uboat.net states March 18, 1943 for the start of the Surf. Hutchinson gives November 18, 1943.
  16. The uboat.net states April 15, 1943 for the commissioning of the Scepter. Hutchinson gives January 1943.
  17. The uboat.net states April 23, 1943 for the Syrtis to be commissioned. Hutchinson gives March 24, 1943.
  18. The uboat.net states that the Stoic was put into service as June 29, 1943. Hutchinson gives May 31, 1943.
  19. The uboat.net specifies August 23, 1943 for the commissioning of the Storm. Hutchinson gives July 9, 1943.
  20. The uboat.net states that the Sirdar was put into service as September 20, 1943. Hutchinson gives August 18, 1943.
  21. The uboat.net states October 9, 1943 for the commissioning of the Stratagem. Hutchinson gives August 14, 1943.
  22. The uboat.net states that the Strongbow was put into service on December 23, 1943. Hutchinson gives November 17, 1943.
  23. The uboat.net states April 22, 1944 for the Shalimar to be commissioned. Hutchinson gives April 3, 1944.
  24. The uboat.net states August 11, 1944 for the commissioning of the Scythian. Hutchinson gives July 11, 1944.
  25. The uboat.net states December 9, 1944 for the Scotsman's commissioning. Hutchinson gives October 27, 1944.
  26. The uboat.net states May 12th 1945 for the commissioning of the Sea Devil. Hutchinson states March 31, 1945.