HMS Alaric (P441)

History
United Kingdom
Ordered	Very late in World War II
Builder	Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down	31 May 1945
Launched	18 February 1946
Commissioned	11 December 1946
Decommissioned	1971
Fate	Sold to be broken up for scrap on 24 June 1971; Scrapped at Inverkeithing in July 1971
General characteristics
Class and type	Amphion class submarine
Displacement	1,360 tons surfaced 1,590 tons 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 Admiralty ML 8-cylinder diesel engine, 2 × 625 hp electric motors for submergence driving two shafts
Speed	18.5 knots surfaced 8 knots submerged
Range	10,500 nautical miles (19,400 km) at 11 knots (20 km/h) surfaced 16 nautical miles (30 km) at 8 knots (15 km/h) submerged 90 nautical miles (170 km) at 3 knots (6 km/h) submerged
Test depth	350 ft (110 m)
Complement	60
Armament	6 × 21 in (530 mm) (2 external) bow torpedo tubes, 4 × 21-inch (2 external) stern torpedo tubes, 20 torpedoes Mines: 26 1 × 4-inch main deck gun 3 × 0.303 machine gun 1 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon

HMS Alaric (P441), was an Amphion-class submarine of the Royal Navy, built by Cammell Laird laid down in May 1944 and launched 18 February 1946.^[1]

Design

Like all Amphion-class submarines, Alaric had a displacement of 1,360 tonnes (1,500 short tons) when at the surface and 1,590 tonnes (1,750 short tons) while submerged. It 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. It also contained four electric motors each producing 625 horsepower (466 kW) that drove two shafts.^[2] It could carry a maximum of 219 tonnes (241 short tons) of diesel, although it 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, it 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, it 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] Alaric 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. Its torpedo tubes were fitted to the bow and stern, and it could carry twenty torpedoes. Its complement was sixty-one crew members.^[2]

Service

Alaric served on the home station all her life and was modernised in the 1960s. In 1953 she took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.^[4] In 1968 she was part of the First Submarine Squadron based at HMS Dolphin and took part in Navy Days at Portsmouth during that year.^[5] Following decommissioning, Alaric was sold to Thos. W. Ward for scrapping at Inverkeithing, arriving there in July 1971.

References

1. "Alaric". Uboat.net. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
2. Paul Akermann (1 November 2002). Encyclopedia of British Submarines 1901-1955. Periscope Publishing Ltd. p. 422. ISBN 978-1-904381-05-1.
3. "Acheron class". World Naval Ships, Cranston Fine Arts. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
4. Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15 June 1953, HMSO, Gale and Polden
5. Programme, Navy Days at Portsmouth 31 August – 2 September 1968, p. 21.

Publications

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.

External links

• Pictures of HMS Alaric at MaritimeQuest