308:, was commissioned in March 1958. They were very fast boats, achieving a peak speed of over 30 knots, a speed record at the time for a submarine, a sustained underwater speed of around 49 km/h (26.5 kn) for period up to 3 hours, and 22 km/h (12 kn) for 15 hours on one turbine. Because of the use of hydrogen peroxide as a
300:
hull, modified with retractable superstructure fittings to help streamlining. Being purely experimental craft they had no torpedo tubes or radar fitted, only one periscope and were equipped with backup diesel engines to recharge the batteries and propel them on the surface.
316:
class. As well as providing experience with this type of technology, they also allowed the Royal Navy to practise against fast moving underwater targets. However the use of HTP was not successful, and there were several explosions, which resulted in the second nickname of
40:
369:
submarine to the point where it is a safe technology albeit as an auxiliary power source to a conventional diesel-electric drive, although hydrogen peroxide has long been abandoned and liquid oxygen is generally now preferred.
596:
705:
350:
which could be installed in a submarine, the HTP project was abandoned. It was decided that it was not worth converting the class into normal diesel submarines. As a result,
589:
698:
949:
672:
582:
691:
503:
944:
667:
975:
849:
565:
543:
833:
651:
294:
92:
337:
27:
896:
745:
721:
970:
729:
366:
798:
790:
782:
737:
626:
401:
267:
submarine, which had been scuttled at the end of the war, was salvaged and eventually recommissioned into the
825:
774:
642:
259:
79:
293:, the steam being generated using heat from the catalysed interaction of HTP and diesel oil. They used the
841:
806:
767:
256:
20:
507:
411:
237:
185:
65:
329:
had the nickname "Excruciater". The subsequent use of HTP to power torpedoes led to the loss of
561:
539:
415:
69:
480:
888:
759:
330:
248:
347:
252:
195:
39:
553:
236:
to test a propulsion system based on the use of highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide (
964:
868:
619:
431:
355:
290:
272:
189:
683:
309:
241:
268:
233:
574:
286:
134:
264:
365:
Other countries have since developed the concept of the non-nuclear
247:
Germany had started experimenting with this technology early in the
255:
cycle. They had built some experimental boats. One of these, the
687:
578:
560:. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 95–131.
916:
465:
463:
481:"HMS EXPLORER - A Personal experience by George Brian Brown"
211:
46 km/h (25 kn) (average submerged, 30 knots peak)
377:
556:(1995). "United Kingdom". In Chumbley, Stephen (ed.).
362:
in turn was also subsequently sold to Thos. W. Ward.
908:
887:
861:
818:
757:
719:
281:This eventually led to the construction of the two
558:Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995
244:to achieve high underwater endurance and speeds.
699:
590:
8:
950:List of submarine classes of the Royal Navy
673:List of submarine classes of the Royal Navy
706:
692:
684:
597:
583:
575:
504:"Explorer Class Experimental Submarines"
232:were experimental vessels built for the
459:
819:Conventional-powered attack submarines
34:
7:
945:List of submarines of the Royal Navy
668:List of submarines of the Royal Navy
534:Miller, David; Jordan, John (1987).
312:, the submarines were nicknamed the
346:When the United States developed a
188:(HTP) steam raising plant driving
167:4.78 m (15 ft 8 in)
14:
38:
16:1958 class of British submarines
714:UK submarine classes after 1945
321:being applied to the class and
1:
479:Brown, George (30 May 2024).
722:ballistic missile submarines
538:. London: Salamander Books.
992:
469:Miller & Jordan, p. 63
367:air-independent propulsion
251:and developed it into the
25:
18:
976:Explorer-class submarines
940:
926:
663:
637:
615:
410:
125:
56:
37:
536:Modern Submarine Warfare
354:was sold for £13,500 to
19:Not to be confused with
862:Experimental submarines
338:Russian submarine
175:3.4 m (11 ft)
159:54 m (178 ft)
126:General characteristics
47:-class submarine (HMS
520:. Retrieved 7-3-2009.
325:in particular, while
933:Single boat of class
336:and the loss of the
285:-class experimental
149:1,000 tons submerged
26:For other uses, see
21:Sub Marine Explorer
412:Vickers-Armstrongs
289:boats, which used
238:high-test peroxide
186:High Test Peroxide
66:Vickers-Armstrongs
971:Submarine classes
958:
957:
909:Rescue submarines
889:Midget submarines
760:attack submarines
681:
680:
609:-class submarines
451:
450:
444:26 February 1958
441:25 February 1955
423:28 November 1956
416:Barrow-in-Furness
358:for breaking up;
230:-class submarines
223:
222:
146:780 tons surfaced
89:Succeeded by
70:Barrow-in-Furness
983:
758:Nuclear-powered
720:Nuclear-powered
708:
701:
694:
685:
599:
592:
585:
576:
571:
549:
521:
519:
517:
515:
506:. Archived from
500:
494:
491:
485:
484:
476:
470:
467:
378:
249:Second World War
42:
35:
991:
990:
986:
985:
984:
982:
981:
980:
961:
960:
959:
954:
936:
922:
904:
883:
857:
814:
753:
715:
712:
682:
677:
659:
633:
611:
603:
568:
554:Preston, Antony
552:
546:
533:
530:
525:
524:
513:
511:
510:on 4 April 2009
502:
501:
497:
493:Preston, p. 527
492:
488:
478:
477:
473:
468:
461:
456:
447:Sold for scrap
426:Sold for scrap
376:
348:nuclear reactor
196:Diesel-electric
113:1958–1965
52:
31:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
989:
987:
979:
978:
973:
963:
962:
956:
955:
953:
952:
947:
941:
938:
937:
935:
934:
931:
927:
924:
923:
921:
920:
912:
910:
906:
905:
903:
902:
893:
891:
885:
884:
882:
881:
873:
865:
863:
859:
858:
856:
855:
847:
839:
831:
822:
820:
816:
815:
813:
812:
804:
796:
788:
780:
772:
764:
762:
755:
754:
752:
751:
743:
735:
726:
724:
717:
716:
713:
711:
710:
703:
696:
688:
679:
678:
676:
675:
670:
664:
661:
660:
658:
657:
648:
638:
635:
634:
632:
631:
624:
616:
613:
612:
604:
602:
601:
594:
587:
579:
573:
572:
566:
550:
544:
529:
526:
523:
522:
495:
486:
471:
458:
457:
455:
452:
449:
448:
445:
442:
439:
436:
428:
427:
424:
421:
418:
409:
406:
398:
397:
394:
391:
388:
385:
382:
375:
372:
291:steam turbines
221:
220:
217:
213:
212:
209:
205:
204:
203:
202:
199:
193:
190:steam turbines
181:
177:
176:
173:
169:
168:
165:
161:
160:
157:
153:
152:
151:
150:
147:
142:
138:
137:
132:
128:
127:
123:
122:
119:
115:
114:
111:
107:
106:
103:
99:
98:
90:
86:
85:
77:
73:
72:
63:
59:
58:
57:Class overview
54:
53:
43:
28:Explorer class
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
988:
977:
974:
972:
969:
968:
966:
951:
948:
946:
943:
942:
939:
932:
929:
928:
925:
919:
918:
914:
913:
911:
907:
901:
899:
895:
894:
892:
890:
886:
880:
878:
874:
872:
871:
867:
866:
864:
860:
854:
852:
848:
846:
844:
840:
838:
836:
832:
830:
828:
824:
823:
821:
817:
811:
809:
805:
803:
801:
797:
795:
793:
789:
787:
785:
781:
779:
777:
773:
771:
770:
766:
765:
763:
761:
756:
750:
748:
744:
742:
740:
736:
734:
732:
728:
727:
725:
723:
718:
709:
704:
702:
697:
695:
690:
689:
686:
674:
671:
669:
666:
665:
662:
656:
654:
650:Followed by:
649:
647:
645:
641:Preceded by:
640:
639:
636:
630:
629:
625:
623:
622:
618:
617:
614:
610:
608:
600:
595:
593:
588:
586:
581:
580:
577:
569:
567:1-55750-132-7
563:
559:
555:
551:
547:
545:0-86101-317-4
541:
537:
532:
531:
527:
509:
505:
499:
496:
490:
487:
482:
475:
472:
466:
464:
460:
453:
446:
443:
440:
437:
435:
434:
430:
429:
425:
422:
420:5 March 1954
419:
417:
413:
407:
405:
404:
400:
399:
395:
393:Commissioned
392:
389:
386:
383:
380:
379:
373:
371:
368:
363:
361:
357:
356:Thos. W. Ward
353:
349:
344:
342:
341:
335:
334:
328:
324:
320:
315:
311:
307:
302:
299:
297:
292:
288:
284:
279:
277:
276:
270:
266:
263:
262:
258:
254:
250:
245:
243:
239:
235:
231:
229:
218:
215:
214:
210:
207:
206:
200:
197:
194:
191:
187:
184:
183:
182:
179:
178:
174:
171:
170:
166:
163:
162:
158:
155:
154:
148:
145:
144:
143:
140:
139:
136:
133:
130:
129:
124:
120:
117:
116:
112:
110:In commission
109:
108:
104:
101:
100:
97:
95:
91:
88:
87:
84:
82:
78:
75:
74:
71:
67:
64:
61:
60:
55:
50:
46:
41:
36:
33:
29:
22:
915:
897:
876:
875:
869:
850:
842:
834:
826:
807:
799:
791:
783:
775:
768:
746:
738:
730:
652:
643:
627:
620:
606:
605:
557:
535:
528:Bibliography
512:. Retrieved
508:the original
498:
489:
474:
432:
402:
384:Pennant No.
364:
359:
351:
345:
339:
332:
326:
322:
318:
313:
305:
303:
295:
282:
280:
274:
260:
246:
227:
226:
224:
141:Displacement
93:
80:
48:
44:
32:
898:Stickleback
769:Dreadnought
747:Dreadnought
310:hair bleach
304:The first,
242:diesel fuel
240:, HTP) and
192:(submerged)
76:Preceded by
965:Categories
731:Resolution
454:References
269:Royal Navy
234:Royal Navy
216:Complement
198:(surfaced)
180:Propulsion
105:£2,000,000
870:Meteorite
800:Trafalgar
792:Swiftsure
784:Churchill
621:Excalibur
433:Excalibur
390:Launched
360:Excalibur
331:HMS
327:Excalibur
306:Excalibur
287:submarine
275:Meteorite
273:HMS
257:Type XVII
135:Submarine
118:Completed
877:Explorer
851:Upholder
835:Porpoise
739:Vanguard
653:Porpoise
628:Explorer
607:Explorer
403:Explorer
387:Builder
352:Explorer
323:Explorer
319:Exploder
296:Porpoise
283:Explorer
228:Explorer
225:The two
201:2 shafts
94:Porpoise
62:Builders
49:Explorer
45:Explorer
827:Amphion
776:Valiant
644:Amphion
514:8 March
396:Status
172:Draught
81:Amphion
843:Oberon
808:Astute
564:
542:
314:Blonde
298:-class
265:U-boat
261:U-1407
253:Walter
156:Length
51:(S30))
900:class
879:class
853:class
845:class
837:class
829:class
810:class
802:class
794:class
786:class
778:class
749:class
741:class
733:class
655:class
646:class
381:Name
374:Boats
340:Kursk
333:Sidon
208:Speed
96:class
83:class
562:ISBN
540:ISBN
516:2009
438:S40
408:S30
164:Beam
131:Type
102:Cost
917:LR5
271:as
967::
462:^
414:,
343:.
278:.
219:49
68:,
930:S
707:e
700:t
693:v
598:e
591:t
584:v
570:.
548:.
518:.
483:.
121:2
30:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
