HMS Scorcher Submarine

THE S-CLASS SUBMARINES

Construction of the S-class boats began under the War Emergency Programme in 1940. A total of thirty three were built in the first group, and in 1942, work on a second group of 17 virtually identical boats was begun. Scorcher was one of these; constructed like virtually all the group by Cammell Laird, she was laid down in November 1943 and launched on 18 December 1 944. She was retained in service until the early 1960s.

DETAIL IMPROVEMENTS

The second group of S-class boats were slightly improved over the earlier units, with welded, instead of riveted pressure hulls, which permitted them to dive to 350ft (1lOm) instead of 300ff (90m), though the change was actually made to speed up construction. They were always reckoned to be handy boats, fast to respond to the helm, and able to crash-dive in under thirty seconds. Their main armament was 12 X 21in (533mm) torpedoes, one re-load for each of their six tubes, all of which were located in the bow. Originally they had a single 4in (102mm) QF gun on the foredeck, but this was later supplemented by a 20mm AA gun in a basket aft of the conning tower.

TECHNICAL DATA

Type: Patrol/attack submarine
Machinery: 2-shaft, diesels producing 1900bhp and electric motors producing 1 300shp
Dimensions (overall). Length, 66.lm (217ff); beam, 7.25m (23.75ff)
Displacement 81 4t surfaced; 990t submerged
Draught: 4.25m (14ff)
Complement: 48
Speed: 14.75 knots (27km/h) surfaced, 9 knots (16.5km/h) submerged