Submariners AssociationBarrow in Furness Branch
Barrow Built
Post War Submarines
EXPERIMENTAL EXPLORER CLASS 1955
As early as 1911, Germany was conducting laboratory experiments with closed-cycle propulsion systems that did not breathe air, hoping that it would be possible to build a true submarine, one that was designed to stay submerged, as opposed to a submersible boat. By the start of the Second World War research had gathered momentum and in 1940, following the trials of a prototype hydrogen peroxide-driven submarine - the odd little V80 - a number of experimental boats were built.
In 1946, one such experimental boat, the U-Boat 1407, which had been scuttled at the German collapse, was salvaged and after a long delay commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Meteorite. Her recovery led to a British development programme, which resulted in two 1120-ton submarines, Explorer and Excalibur being constructed at Barrow. Built for speed trials only they were purely experimental unarmed submarines. Their high-test hydrogen peroxide engines were basically steam turbines with the steam being supplied from the heat generated by the interaction of high-test hydrogen peroxide (HTP), a catalyst and diesel oil.
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.
Provisionally accepted from Vickers in March 1958, HMS Excalibur was built at a cost of £1,142,000. Both Explorer and Excalibur were fitted with the latest submarine escape arrangements including the one-man escape chamber and equipped with the most modem escape breathing apparatus for use by the ship's company in the event of an emergency.
Explorer and Excalibur were, not unnaturally, known as the 'blonde' submarines, because of their peroxide fuel and they served a useful purpose inasmuch as they gave the Royal Navy's anti-submarine forces some valuable practice against fast targets. Their main use, however, was to prove finally that the HTP system was only a stopgap. HTP proved difficult to the point of being dangerous, and there was more than one contemporary report of explosions in the two submarines, and at least one instance when the entire crew was forced to stand on the casing to avoid the noxious fumes, which had suddenly filled the boat. 'I think the best thing we can do with peroxide is to try to get it adopted by potential enemies', said one RN submariner.
Commander Christopher Russell, who captained HMS Explorer - which was known locally as 'Exploder' because of the huge fireballs from her exhausts when starting up - recalls the dangers of working with HTP:
'The high-test peroxide was a very volatile substance and was carried in special bags outside the pressure hull. Occasionally there would be a 'whoomph' as one of them exploded. Looking into the engine room, which was unmanned when we were under way, one could see flames dancing along the top of the combustion chamber. We did not look upon her as being dangerous. The crew took the bangs and fires as a matter of course. Fire drill became a very practised affair'.
The development of the hydrogen peroxide engine did not go well, and a lot of steam went out of the project, in quite a literal sense. When the Americans succeeded in designing a nuclear reactor suitable for fitting in submarines, a new era began and the HTP project was abandoned. Neither Explorer nor her sister Excalibur had much contribution to make in these circumstances, and they were scrapped in 1969/70.
PATROL SUBMARINES
Submarines with diesel-electric power units have an important role to play in anti-submarine warfare and against surface ships. Their underwater endurance is not as great as that of nuclear submarines but they are fast, silent and difficult to detect. The Royal Navy Patrol Submarine Fleet consisted of the Porpoise and Oberon Classes.
PORPOISE CLASS 1955
Designed in the early 1950s as replacements for the A boats, the Porpoise Class were the first post-war-built operational submarines to be accepted into service. As with the earlier minelayer submarines of the same class name, ordered in the 1930 Admiralty Programme, whether by accident or design, the first-of-class Porpoise , Narwhal and Rorqual were also built at Barrow. Of the other five submarines of the class, Finwhale, Grampus and Sealion were built at Cammell Lairds and Cachalot and Walrus at Scotts'.
Porpoise Class submarines were fitted with two Admiralty Standard Range 16-cylinder diesel generator sets. Together these supply 3300 bhp, providing a surface speed of 12 knots. The submerged speed of 17 knots is attained from two massive main batteries, which drive the propulsion motors to develop 5000 hp.
Having beautifully clean welded hulls and a high yet silent underwater speed, these submarines were among the best conventional boats in the world. Long patrol endurance was a primary design requirement of the Porpoise Class, and the snort equipment was designed to give maximum snort charging facilities and to operate in rough sea conditions in any part of the world. When required, oxygen replenishment and carbon dioxide and hydrogen eliminators make it possible for the class to remain totally submerged for several days without 'snorting'.
When snorting, these submarines can remain submerged for as long as six weeks. They are fitted with apparatus to distil freshwater from seawater for drinking purposes, and this, together with stowage capacity for large quantities of stores and provisions, enabled them to remain independently operational for months without any outside support. With this ability to stay at sea for such long periods, habitability standards have to be of the highest quality, and an air conditioning plant, which provides drying and either heating or cooling of the air as appropriate for arctic or tropical service, is an important installation in the Porpoise Class.
OBERON CLASS 1959
Between 1959 and 1964, thirteen Oberon Class submarines were constructed for the Royal Navy, three of which Olympus, Orpheus and Osiris were built at Barrow. Although they have the same dimensions, displacement and machinery as the Porpoise Class, the Oberons incorporated some important developments, such as improved detection equipment and the ability to fire homing torpedoes.
Perhaps the most radical change that occurred with the introduction of the Oberon Class was the fact that for the first time in British submarines plastic was used in the superstructure construction - before and abaft the bridge, in most units the superstructure was mainly glass fibre laminate. In addition, the superstructure of the second ship, the Vickers-built Orpheus, was of aluminium.
Having acquired an enviable reputation for reliability and quietness, many Oberons have been sold to foreign buyers since 1962, and they are regarded as the best conventional submarines available.
 Falmouth SM Gathering |