HMS Rorqual
Porpoise-class
General Characteristics
Displacement:	2,080 tons surfaced/2,450 tons dived
Length:	290 ft (88.4 m)
Beam:	26.6 ft (8.11 m)
Draught:	18 ft (5.5 m)
Propulsion:	2 shafts, two 1650 hp (1.230 MW) Admiralty Standard range diesel generators, two English Electric main motors 12000 hp (8.95 MW)
Speed:	12 knots (22 km/h) surfaced/17 knots (31 km/h) dived
Range:	9,000 nautical miles at 12 knots (17,000 km at 22 km/h)
Complement:	71
Armament:	Eight 21 inch (530 mm) torpedo tubes (6 bow, 2 stern; 30 torpedoes in total)

The Porpoise class was an eight-boat class of diesel-electric submarines of the Royal Navy. This class was originally designated patrol submarines, then attack. They were the first submarines to be built after the end of World War II. Their design was, in many ways, influenced by the German WWII-era Type XXI U-boat, which was the first submarine that was designed actually to operate while submerged, unlike previous boats which could operate only underwater temporarily while being used more as a surface ship. Download high resolution version (1060x799, 101 KB)HMS Rorqual (Porpoise-class submarine). ... The White Ensign of the Royal Navy. ... English Electric was a 20th century British industrial manufacturer with a base in electric motors that expanded to include railway locomotives and aviation before eventual inclusion as part of GEC. // History The English Electric Company was formed in 1918 and, during that year and 1919, acquired control of Dick, Kerr... A modern torpedo, historically called a self-propelled torpedo, is a self-propelled guided projectile that (after being launched above or below the water surface) operates underwater and is designed to detonate on contact or in proximity to a target. ... A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. ... A number of vehicles use a diesel-electric powerplant for providing locomotion. ... Jump to: navigation, search USS Los Angeles A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate underwater. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... Jump to: navigation, search World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb . Known in the USSR as: the Great Patriotic War World War II, also known as the Second... Type XXI U-boat U 3008, postwar photo Type XXI U-boats, also known as the Elektroboote, were the first submarines designed to operate entirely submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a temporary, awkward mode of operation. ...

The Porpoise class were considerably quieter than their US counterparts, thanks in large part to a number of different techniques in the interior of the boat and the use of diesel-electric for the class. The class were relatively large compared to previous submarine classes, at 290 ft (88.4 m) and 2450 tons dived and had very effective long-range sensor equipment. The word Usa has more than one meaning: U.S.A. - The United States of America The United States Army Usa, Oita - A city in Japan The USA cable network USA Today national daily newspaper The University of Southern Alabama goes by the initials U.S.A. The patriotic cheer...

They were far more capable than previous submarine classes in operating for prolonged periods thanks to much improved underwater breathing systems. The class also performed excellently in clandestine operations, such as surveillance and inserting special forces. The class were also the first to not have a gun on deck, a decision that would be carried in all subsequent submarine classes in the RN.

The first Porpoise-class boats were launched in 1958 during the ever increasing threat of the Soviet Union's submarine fleet. The weaponry of the Porpoise-class was updated in 1970 to operate the Mk24 Tigerfish torpedo. The Porpoise-class were all decommissioned by the 1980s. The Oberon-class submarines, which were almost identical to the Porpoises, and the first of which was commissioned in 1961, survived their predecessor only a little longer, all being decommissioned in the early 1990s. Jump to: navigation, search 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Mk24-2 Tigerfish torpedo is a heavy Acoustic homing torpedo used by the Royal Navy for several years. ... Jump to: navigation, search // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Oberon class was a thirteen-ship class of diesel-electric submarines of the Royal Navy, and were based on the successful Porpoise-class submarine. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search // Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but otherwise retaining the same mindset. ...

See also

• The Grampus class of six submarines that served in World War II is sometimes called the Porpoise class.

Jump to: navigation, search World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb . Known in the USSR as: the Great Patriotic War World War II, also known as the Second...