 Sealion on the surface | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Sealion |
| Ordered | 23 December 1932 |
| Builder | Cammell Laird,Birkenhead |
| Laid down | 16 May 1933 |
| Launched | 16 March 1934 |
| Completed | 21 December 1934 |
| Fate | Scuttled asASDIC target, 13 March 1946,Firth of Clyde |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | S-classsubmarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 208 ft 8 in (63.6 m) |
| Beam | 24 ft 0 in (7.3 m) |
| Draught | 11 ft 10 in (3.6 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | |
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 300 feet (91 m) |
| Complement | 40 |
| Armament | |
HMSSealion was a second-batchS-classsubmarine built during the 1930s for theRoyal Navy. Completed in 1934, the boat fought in theSecond World War.
The second batch ofS-classsubmarines were designed as slightly improved and enlarged versions of the earlier boats of theclass and were intended to operate in theNorth andBaltic Seas.[1] The submarines had a length of 208 feet 8 inches (63.6 m)overall, abeam of 24 feet 0 inches (7.3 m) and a meandraught of 11 feet 10 inches (3.6 m). Theydisplaced 768 long tons (780 t) on the surface and 960 long tons (980 t) submerged.[2] The S-class submarines had a crew of 40 officers andratings. They had a diving depth of 300 feet (91 m).[3]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 775-brake-horsepower (578 kW)diesel engines, each driving onepropeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 650-horsepower (485 kW)electric motor. They could reach 13.75knots (25.47 km/h; 15.82 mph) on the surface and 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) underwater.[4] On the surface, the second-batch boats had a range of 6,000nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) and 64 nmi (119 km; 74 mi) at 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph) submerged.[3]
The S-class boats were armed with six21-inch (533 mm)torpedo tubes in the bow. They carried six reload torpedoes for a total of a dozen torpedoes. They were also armed with a3-inch (76 mm)deck gun.[2]
Ordered on 23 December 1932,Sealion waslaid down on 16 May 1933 inCammell Laird'sshipyard inBirkenhead and waslaunched on 16 March 1934. The boat was completed on 21 December.[5]
She had an eventful career after the outbreak of war. Under the command of Lieutenant Commander (later Rear Admiral)Benjamin Bryant, she attacked theGerman submarine U-21 off theDogger Bank in November 1939, but failed to sink her. Her first success was the German merchantAugust Leonhardt, sunk in April 1940 off the Danish island ofAnholt. She later attacked the German merchantMoltkefels, but failed to hit her. She fired upon the beachedPalime, and unsuccessfully attackedU-62 in July 1940. She finished her patrol by sinking the Norwegian merchantToran and attacking but failing to sink the German merchantCläre Hugo Stinnes in August.
On 5 February 1941 she shelled and sank the NorwegianHurtigruten cargo-passenger shipRyfylke. In May of that yearSealion unsuccessfully attackedU-74. In July she attacked French shipping, sinking the French fishing vesselsGustav Eugene andGustav Jeanne, and on succeeding days,Christus Regnat andSt Pierre d'Alcantara.
She was one of a number of submarines ordered to track theGerman battleship Bismarck before her eventualsinking.
Towards the end of 1941 she sank the Norwegian tankerVesco and the Norwegian merchantIsland.[6]
She was scuttled as anASDIC target off theIsle of Arran,Firth of Clyde, on 13 March 1946.
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