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M 818 - Submarine A Class Reconstructed
This is the Tri-ang Minic Ships model of one of the sixteen Royal Navy "A" Class submarines, ordered during the Second World War and commissioned between 1945 and 1948, after its reconstruction along the lines of the American "Guppy" class submarines.
The "A" Class submarines were diesel / electric powered boats designed primarily for service in the Pacific Theatre. They were of all welded construction and were fitted with "Snort" breathing equipment allowing them to run submerged on their diesel engines at snorkelling depth.
The major reconstruction of these boats involved the installation of a streamlined 26 ft 6 in enclosed fin conning tower. At the same time the 2 external bow tubes, 2 external stern tubes and the 4" deck gun were removed from most of the boats reducing them to six 21" internal torpedo tubes, 4 bow and 2 stern.
The sixteen boats commissioned were HMS Acheron, HMS Aenas, HMS Affray, HMS Alaric, HMS Alcide, HMS Alderney, HMS Alliance, HMS Ambush, HMS Amphon, HMS Anchorite, HMS Andrew, HMS Artemis, HMS Artful, HMS Astute, HMS Auriga and HMS Aurochs.
HMS Affray, which had not been reconstructed, was lost in the English Channel on 17th April 1951 with the loss of 75 lives. The last British submarine lost at sea.
Specifications - HMS Auriga
| Builders: | Vickers-Armstrong Ltd, Barrow-in-Furness |
| Laid Down: | 7th June 1944 |
| Launched: | 29th March 1945 |
| Commissioned: | 12th January 1946 |
| Displacement: | 1,385 tons surfaced 1,620 tons submerged |
| Length (OA): | 281 ft 9 in ( 85.9 m ) |
| Beam: | 22 ft 6 in ( 9.9 m ) |
| Draft: | 17 ft ( 5.2 m ) |
| Armament: | 6 x 21" internal torpedo tubes 6 bow and 4 stern |
| Protection (Armour): | |
| Propulsion: | 2 x Admiralty 8 cylinder diesel engines producing 4,300 BHP 2 x English Electric motors producing 1,250 HP |
| Maximum Speed: | 19 knots surfaced on diesel engines 8 knots submerged on electric engines |
| Complement: | 60 |
| Disposal: | 14th November 1974 broken up at Newport |
( Statistical information from Jane's Fighting Ships 1961 - 62 Edition )
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Builders - Cammel Laird & Co Ltd, Birkenhead ( 3 boats ) HM Dockyard, Chatham ( 1 boat ) Scotts S B & Eng Co Ltd, Greenock ( 2 boats ) Vickers-Armstrong Ltd, Barrow-in-Furness ( 10 boats ) |
Photograph of an "A" Class Submarine after reconstruction
| Further details of the actual ships can be obtained from the following links - | |
| Barrow-in-Furness Submariners Association Web Site | http://www.submariners.co.uk/barrowbuilt/link16.html |
| John Eades Royal Navy Submarines Site | http://members.iinet.net.au/~eadej/aclass.html |
| HMHS Britannic 98 Technical Diving Expedition | http://website.lineone.net/~britannic98/prevexp/affray.htm |