HMS Tantalus (P318)

HMS Tantalus in Plymouth Sound in August 1948
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Tantalus
BuilderVickers Armstrong, Barrow
Laid down6 June 1942
Launched24 February 1943
Commissioned2 June 1943
IdentificationPennant number P318
FateScrapped in November 1950
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeBritish T class submarine
Displacement
  • 1,290 tons surfaced
  • 1,560 tons submerged
Length276 ft 6 in (84.28 m)
Beam25 ft 6 in (7.77 m)
Draught
  • 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m) forward
  • 14 ft 7 in (4.45 m) aft
Propulsion
  • Two shafts
  • Twin diesel engines 2,500 hp (1.86 MW) each
  • Twin electric motors 1,450 hp (1.08 MW) each
Speed
  • 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h) surfaced
  • nine knots (20 km/h) submerged
Range4,500 nautical miles at 11 knots (8,330 km at 20 km/h) surfaced
Test depth300 ft (91 m) max
Complement61
Armament
  • Six internal forward-facing 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
  • two external forward-facing torpedo tubes
  • two external amidships rear-facing torpedo tubes
  • one external rear-facing torpedo tubes
  • six reload torpedoes
  • 1 x 4-inch (102 mm) deck gun
  • three anti-aircraft machine guns

HMS Tantalus was a British submarine of the third group of the T class. She was built as P318 by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow, and launched on 24 February 1943. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name Tantalus, after the mythological Tantalus, son of Zeus.