HMS Grampus (N56)

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

HMS Grampus (N56) was the lead ship of her class of mine-laying submarine of the Royal Navy. She was built at Chatham Dockyard and launched on 25 February 1936. She served in World War II off China before moving to the Mediterranean Sea.

HMS Grampus (N56)
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Grampus
Builder	Chatham Dockyard
Laid down	20 August 1934
Launched	25 February 1936
Commissioned	10 March 1937
Fate	Sunk, 16 June 1940
Badge
General characteristics
Class & type	Grampus-class submarine
Displacement	1,810 long tons (1,840 t) (surfaced) 2,157 long tons (2,192 t) (submerged)
Length	293 ft (89 m)
Beam	25 ft 6 in (7.77 m)
Draught	16 ft 10 in (5.13 m)
Installed power	3,300 hp (2,500 kW) (diesel engines) 1,630 hp (1,220 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion	2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors 2 × shafts
Speed	15.5 kn (17.8 mph; 28.7 km/h) (surfaced) 8.75 kn (10.07 mph; 16.21 km/h) (submerged)
Complement	59
Armament	6 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (bow) (12 torpedoes), 1 × 4 in (100 mm) deck gun, 50 × mines

On 16 June 1940, under the command of Lieutenant Commander C. A. Rowe, Grampus laid mines in the Syracuse and Augusta, Sicily area. She was seen by the Italian torpedo boat Circe, which was on anti-submarine patrol with Clio, Calliope, and Polluce. Within a very short time, Grampus was destroyed. Wreckage came to the surface along with air bubbles and oil. Polluce was credited with the kill. There were no survivors. Some sources give the date of this action as 24 June 1940.

References

• Akermann, Paul (2002). Encyclopaedia of British Submarines 1901–1955 (reprint of the 1989 ed.). Penzance, Cornwall: Periscope Publishing. ISBN 1-904381-05-7.
• Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
• McCartney, Innes (2006). British Submarines 1939–1945. New Vanguard. Vol. 129. Oxford, UK: Osprey. ISBN 1-84603-007-2.

External links

• HMS Grampus from uboat.net

37°5′N 17°30′E