View source for HMS Narwhal (S03)

{{Short description|Submarine of the Royal Navy}}
{{Other ships|HMS Narwhal}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
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{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= S03_narwhal.jpg
|Ship caption= HMS ''Narwhal'' (S03)
}}
{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag= {{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name=HMS ''Narwhal''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder= [[Vickers-Armstrongs]], [[Barrow-in-Furness]]
|Ship laid down= 15 March 1956
|Ship launched= 25 October 1957
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=
|Ship decommissioned= 10 February 1977
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate=Sunk as a target on 3 August 1985
|Ship notes=
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class= [[British Porpoise-class submarine|''Porpoise''-class]] [[submarine]]
|Ship displacement=*2,080 tons surfaced
*2,450 tons submerged
|Ship length= {{convert|290|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam= {{convert|26|ft|7|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught= {{convert|18|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship depth=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=*2 × Admiralty Standard range diesel generators, {{convert|1,650|hp|abbr=on}}
*2 × [[English Electric]] main motors, {{convert|12,000|hp|abbr=on}}
*2 shafts
|Ship speed=*{{convert|12|kn|km/h|lk=in}} surfaced
*{{convert|17|kn|km/h}}submerged
|Ship range= {{convert|9000|nmi|km|abbr=on|lk=in}}  at  {{convert|12|kn|km/h|abbr=on}}
|Ship endurance=
|Ship test depth=
|Ship complement=71
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*8 × [[British 21 inch torpedo|{{convert|21|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}]] torpedo tubes, 6 bow, 2 stern
*30 × Mk 8 or Mk 23 torpedoes, later the [[Mark 24 Tigerfish]]
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''HMS ''Narwhal'' (S03)''' was a [[British Porpoise-class submarine|''Porpoise''-class]] [[submarine]] of the [[Royal Navy]]. She was launched on 25 October 1957.

==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-boat]]s and British wartime experiments with the submarine {{HMS|Seraph|P219|2}}, which was modified by streamlining and fitting a bigger battery.<ref name="conwaysp529">{{Harvnb|Gardiner|Chumbley|1995|p=529}}</ref><ref name="nelp116">{{Harvnb|Brown|2012|p=116}}</ref><ref name="rebuildp114">{{Harvnb|Brown|Moore|2012|p=114}}</ref>

The ''Porpoise''-class submarines were {{convert|290|ft|3|in|m}} [[length overall|long overall]] and {{convert|241|ft|0|in|m}} [[length between perpendiculars|between perpendiculars]], with a [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|26|ft|6|in}} and a [[Draft (ship)|draught]] of {{convert|18|ft|3|in|m}}. [[Displacement (ship)|Displacement]] was {{convert|1565|LT|t}} standard and {{convert|1975|LT|t}} full load surfaced and {{convert|2303|LT|t}} submerged.<ref name="conwaysp529"/>  Propulsion machinery consisted of two Admiralty Standard Range diesel generators rated at a total of {{convert|3680|bhp|kW}}, which could charge the submarine's batteries or directly drive the electric motors. These were rated at {{convert|6000|shp|kW}}, and drove two shafts, giving a speed of {{convert|12|kn|mph km/h}} on the surface and {{convert|16|kn|mph km/h}} submerged.<ref name="jfs71p339">{{Harvnb|Blackman|1971|p=339}}</ref><ref name="rebuildp114"/> Eight [[British 21 inch torpedo|{{convert|21|in|mm|adj=on|0}}]] 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.<ref name="conwaysp529"/>

''Narwhal'' was [[Keel laying|laid down]] at [[Vickers-Armstrongs]]' [[Barrow-in-Furness]] shipyard on 15 March 1956, was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 25 October 1957 and completed on 4 May 1959.<ref name="conwaysp529"/><ref name="jfs71p339"/>

==Service==
''Narwhal'' ran aground at the entrance to [[Campbeltown|Campbeltown Loch]], [[Scotland]], on 4 April 1960.<ref name=Times050460>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Submarine Goes Aground |date=5 April 1960 |page=12 |issue=54738 |column=D }}</ref> She was refloated the next day.<ref name=Times060460>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Grounded Submarine Towed Off |date=6 April 1960 |page=6 |issue=54739 |column=C }}</ref>

'Narwhal' briefly appears, unnamed, in the 1961 film of ''The Day Of The Triffids''

In 1970 she was present at Portsmouth Navy Days.<ref>Programme, ''Navy Days Portsmouth, 29th-31st August 1970'', p25.</ref> In October 1976, ''Narwhal'', together with the nuclear attack submarine {{HMS|Sovereign|S108|2}}, took part in Operation ''Brisk'', to gain experience in under-ice operations, with ''Sovereign'' going on to surface at the [[North Pole]].<ref>{{harvnb|Hennessey|Jinks|2016|p=368}}</ref>

''Narwhal'' was decommissioned for the last time on 10 February 1977.<ref>{{cite news|title=Nostalgic Farewell to Narwhal|newspaper=[[Navy News]]|date=March 1977|page=23|url=https://issuu.com/navynews/docs/197703|access-date=13 October 2018}}</ref> On 2 June 1980 ''Narwhal'' was sunk off [[Portland Harbour|Portland]], but was raised in a salvage exercise on 26 June 1980 by the Swedish heavy-lift ship ''Hebe III''.<ref name="critv2p70">{{Harvnb|Critchley|1981|p=70}}</ref> She was scuttled as a target on 3 August 1985 and lies in the English Channel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?77651|title=HMS Narwhal (S-03) [+1983] |publisher=Wrecksite|access-date=19 January 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Publications==
* {{cite book|last=Blackman|first= Raymond V. B. |title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1971–72 |year=1971 |location=London|publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & Company|isbn=0-354-00096-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Brown|first=David K.|title=Nelson to Vanguard: Warship Design and Development 1923–1945|year=2012|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK|isbn=978-1-84832-149-6}}
* {{cite book|last1=Brown|first1=David K.|last2=Moore|first2=David|title=Rebuilding the Royal Navy: Warship Design Since 1945|year=2012|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK|isbn=978-1-84832-150-2}}
* {{Cite Colledge2006}}
* {{cite book | last=Critchley | first = Mike | title = British Warships Since 1945: Part 2 | year = 1981 |publisher = Maritime Books |location = Liskeard, UK | isbn = 0-9506323-6-8 }}
* {{cite book|editor1-last=Gardiner|editor1-first=Robert|editor2-last=Chumbley|editor2-first=Stephen|title=Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995|year=1995|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland, USA|isbn=1-55750-132-7}}
* {{cite book|last1=Hennessey|first1=Peter|last2=Jinks|first2=James|title=The Silent Deep: The Royal Navy Submarine Service since 1945 |year=2016 |publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-0-241-95948-0}}

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAZZhtrS9Ig&list=PL1C1E06B080314678&index=2 ''Narwhal'' film from 1960]
{{British Porpoise class submarine}}
{{1960 shipwrecks}}
{{1985 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Narwhal, HMS}}
[[Category:British Porpoise-class submarines]]
[[Category:Ships built in Barrow-in-Furness]]
[[Category:1957 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1960]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1985]]


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