HMS Artful (P456)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Artful.

HMS Artful (P456), was an Amphion-class submarine of the Royal Navy, built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Greenock and launched 22 May 1944.^[1]

A RCN Avenger AS.3 over HMS Artful in the mid-1950s
History
United Kingdom
Ordered	7 April 1943
Builder	Scotts of Greenock
Laid down	8 June 1944
Launched	22 May 1947
Commissioned	23 February 1948
Decommissioned	September 1969
Identification	Pennant number P456
Fate	Sold to be broken up for scrap, 16 June 1972. Broken up at Cairnryan, June 1972
General characteristics
Class & type	Amphion-class submarine
Displacement	1,360 long tons (1,382 t) surfaced 1,590 long tons (1,616 t) 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 (1,603 kW) Admiralty ML 8-cylinder diesel engines 2 × 625 hp (466 kW) electric motors 2 shafts
Speed	18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph) surfaced 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range	10,500 nmi (19,400 km; 12,100 mi) at 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph) surfaced 16 nmi (30 km; 18 mi) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) or 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 3 kn (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) submerged
Test depth	350 ft (110 m)
Complement	60
Armament	6 × (2 external) bow torpedo tubes 4 × (2 external) stern torpedo tubes containing a total of 20 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedoes 26 mines 1 × 4 in (100 mm) main deck gun 1 × Oerlikon 20 mm AA gun 3 × .303 cal. machine guns

In 1953 she took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.^[2] In 1955 she was the first of her class to be rebuilt and streamlined. In 1966 she completed a refit and recommissioned for service with the Home Fleet. In 1967 she undertook a Home Fleet Squadron tour to the West Indies and later that year attended Portsmouth Navy Days.^[3]

Design

Like all Amphion-class submarines, Artful had a displacement of 1,360 long tons (1,380 t) when at the surface and 1,590 long tons (1,620 t) while submerged. She 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. She also contained four electric motors each producing 625 horsepower (466 kW) that drove two shafts.^[4] She could carry a maximum of 219 tonnes (241 short tons) of diesel, although she usually carried between 159 and 165 tonnes (175 and 182 short tons).^[4]

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).^[5] When submerged, she 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, she 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).^[4] She 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. Her torpedo tubes were fitted to the bow and stern, and she could carry twenty torpedoes. Her complement was sixty-one crew members.^[4]