HMS Porpoise (S01)

HMS Porpoise (S01) was a Porpoise-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 25 April 1956, commissioned on 17 April 1958, and was decommissioned in 1982. Finally, she was sunk as a target in 1985 in torpedo trials, for which purpose she was painted bright red.

She had been used as a training target while still serving with the Navy; in 1979 her casing, ballast tanks and vents were reinforced so that unarmed torpedoes could be fired at her without the risk of sinking.

In 2000, a glacier in East Greenland was named after her http://www.wayupnorth.co.uk/green00/index.html

Accidents and incidents

• 18 October 1963: Suffered superficial damage departing Portsmouth harbour after colliding with the aircraft carrier HMS Centaur.
• 1 January 1969 - Entangled in the nets of the French trawler Belle Poule.
• 18 April 1982 - HMS Porpoise became entangled in the fishing nets of the Irish trawler Sharelga. The Sharelga, after travelling backwards two miles for twenty minutes, capsized and sank.

References