HMS Dreadnought (S101)
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| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | Vickers Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness |
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Succeeded by | Valiant class |
| Built | 1959–1960 |
| In commission | 1963–1980 |
| History | |
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Dreadnought |
| Builder | Vickers Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness |
| Laid down | 12 June 1959 |
| Launched | 21 October 1960 |
| Commissioned | 17 April 1963 |
| Decommissioned | 1980 |
| Identification | Pennant number: S101 |
| Fate | Laid up at Rosyth Dockyard |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Nuclear-powered submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 265.7 ft (81.0 m) |
| Beam | 31.2 ft (9.5 m) |
| Draught | 25.9 ft (7.9 m) |
| Propulsion | 1 x Westinghouse S5W reactor, two geared steam turbines, one shaft, 15,000 shp (11,000 kW) |
| Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) surfaced; 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) submerged |
| Complement | 113 |
| Armament | 6 x bow tubes for 21 inch (533 mm) torpedoes , 24 rounds carried |
The seventh HMS Dreadnought was the
Design and construction
The
Although the plan was to build all-British nuclear submarines, much time would be saved by accepting American nuclear technology. The excellent relations between Admiral Mountbatten and
The name Dreadnought was chosen because it represented 'a land-mark in naval history, associated as it is with revolutionary war-ship design.'[3] Dreadnought was laid down on 12 June 1959.[4] She was at that time the largest pressure vessel ever constructed in the UK.[4] The hull was constructed of QT35 steel (QT standing for Quenched and Tempered) designed to withstand greater depths.[4]
She was
Construction programme
| Number | Name | (a) Hull builder (b) Main machinery manufacturers |
Ordered | Laid down | Launched | Accepted into service |
Commissioned | Estimated building cost[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S101 | Dreadnought | (a) Vickers Ltd, Shipbuilding Group, Barrow-in-Furness (b) Westinghouse Electric Corporation, USA.[8] |
12 June 1959 [9] | 21 October 1960 [9] | April 1963 [8] | 17 April 1963 [9] | £18,400,000 [8] |
Service
In the mid-1960s, Dreadnought's visits included trips to Norfolk, Virginia; Bermuda; Rotterdam; and Kiel. In October 1964, she participated in a joint maritime exercise with US and Canadian naval forces to the north of Scotland. During the exercise, the task force was monitored by a group of three Soviet submarines and three Soviet ships.[10]
She was at
During her career, Dreadnought performed many varied missions. On 24 June 1967, she was ordered to sink the wrecked and drifting German ship Essberger Chemist. Three torpedoes hit along the length of the target, but the gunners of HMS Salisbury, a frigate, completed the task by piercing the tanks which were just keeping Essberger Chemist afloat.[11]
Apart from minor hull-cracking problems, Dreadnought proved to be a reliable vessel, popular with her crews. On 10 September 1970, she completed a major refit at Rosyth, in the course of which her nuclear core was refuelled and her ballast tank valves were changed to reduce noise.
In early 1971, Dreadnought took part in an Arctic exercise, codenamed 'Sniff'.[12] While participating in the exercise under the command of CO Alan Kennedy, on 3 March 1971, Dreadnought became the first British nuclear submarine to surface at the North Pole.[13] On return to Faslane, it was later discovered that the ice had caused minor damage to the propeller, bow and fins.[13]
In 1973, she took part in the Royal Navy's first annual Group Deployment, when a group of warships and auxiliaries would undertake a long deployment to maintain fighting efficiency and "show the flag" around the world.
In November 1977, while under the command of CO High Mitchell she diverted from a planned 8-month deployment to Australia to proceed to Gibraltar and then to the South Atlantic.[14] Together with the frigates Alacrity and Phoebe, Dreadnought took part in Operation Journeyman, a deployment to the South Atlantic in 1977 (prior to the Falklands War) to deter possible Argentine aggression against the Falkland Islands and to undertake covert surveillance.[15]
Fate
Due to machinery damage and the limited refit facilities then available for nuclear fleet submarines, Dreadnought was withdrawn from service in 1980. Dreadnought is now at Rosyth Dockyard, laid up in afloat storage until she can be safely disposed under the auspices of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s Submarine Dismantling Project (SDP). Her nuclear fuel has been removed but much of her interior remains intact. She was docked down during 2012 for her periodic hull inspection and re-preservation. Campaigners hope that she will be returned to Barrow after decommissioning as a tourist attraction in the town.[16]
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 0-370-31021-7
- ISBN 0-531-03730-4
- ISBN 978-0-14-197370-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-14-197370-8.
- ISBN 978-0-14-197370-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-14-197370-8.
- ^ "Unit cost, i.e. excluding cost of certain items (e.g. aircraft, First Outfits)." Text from Defences Estimates
- ^ a b c Defence Estimates, 1964–65, page 72, List and particulars of new ships which have been accepted or are expected to be accepted into HM service during the Financial Year ended 31st March 1964
- ^ ISBN 0-85177-605-1page 529.
- ISBN 978-0-14-197370-8.
- ^ Hillbeck, Ian. "1963: Dreadnought Class". rnsubs.co.uk. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-14-197370-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-14-197370-8.
- ISBN 978-0-14-197370-8.
- ISBN 978-0-14-197370-8.
- ^ "Hopes Barrow built nuclear sub could go on display". in-Cumbria. 21 September 2012. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.