&:: a

E

1!

--

'T

I: r:s

E

..

o

Z

r......

.... -,,-.1

OO<"lI.Or-- 0\ _...
NNNNN N
r---'1,.......c~l""-Ir--ot ..... ro
§
~"""
C
~
'" §
S U
B I i-t
~ § ~
'" ~
Clii "-"0
OJ') ~ <U
<U t:J ~ ~~
jo't:l 0'1
b() u&j
~ 0.. f1 ~ 0..
O!J.... en <U <u
SUS<uo.. ..... 0]
. <S."1j~ 0..
>- '"' :> 0 u ~ d::rd
aai5~w a r-o

......

co 0'1 0 CO CO 0'1 ...................

o:

E3

~

o o:

Z o

~

o Z

f-<
Z
p:.l
~
p_,
0
~
~ ~
>
p:.l
t:1
Q
Z
-<
Z
o
.....
o:
p:.l
Q
p:.l
Z
H
~
<
~
~
0
o: - .....

~
ro
VJ
t!
.........
e VJ
......
VJ ~
§ VJ
.... ~
8
u
&11
0 'Ci) e
~
t-<
p:< ~ 0
~
~ ou
<t!
::r:
u tn
~
0)
, I
I
0
0
Cj)
jj , I
~
c.a
e
~ ~
~
~ jj
~
f-<
~
~
E-< }-t~
~
::r::
u <l

;§

e

<l

S

.D ::l

V)

rN

o,,~,;;: v

,;

l

00 N

:fF/··· .... , .

. +/J ~-'\-

.. LILr}.·_'r-!~, ,1/1,.·.·; . ,dJii':·

-~;1iI

_iiiiiJII

.•. ~

.~

OJ P ·c

ec

S

..0 P

'"

r-
er:
w
>-
'" ~
Z :t: n:
-0: 0
I- "'" I- eL
2: :3
....J -0: ex
0 l- f- W
Z :L :,;:;V)
"" '" --' r- w 0 <tw
Z Z W LJ Z :;: 0 f-O
~ « :::> z 3: n: f- er: 2:0
I- u.. <:( 0 w cr: (Y ow
r- "" f- Ci Z w wCL
:.:: CO l/) :L
Z -' l.:J l:J 0 Z 0 0 3: 0::
~ w Z z :::> ~ 0 a ;::= :;: 0 tsF2
:::> r::: 00 l- I-- :;: 0
:.:: IJ_ ;::: ~ ;J;: :t: cr: w 0 <l: 0 I--
Z - -« <t w Z <..':J l.':J 0 LJ 0:: u.r -'
I- <t I- UJ Vl > j:! 0 r::: r::: -' 1Y cr: Z l.:J Ow w
V) l- V) Z Z r::: 0 0 w Z > ""
<t <i W w w 0; 0.- 0: W Z :::> 0: (YO::
0 -' _; -' CL CL <t ~ CL LLJ W l- f- ::E <r 2: wW 0.-
_; w -' :;: ::E l.:J 0: l- f- Z f- l5 :;: z z CLUJ 0
Z <! :::> ~ 0 0 w 0: i2 ~ :1 0 <l: Z 0 0 0 (LW Z
LLJ co U. LJ U Z I- u co W LJ V1 w :::>tr V1
1.9
LLJ co co c, 0 <0 :t: -c;
:;> 0 w
-' I- ::.:: f- ex 0:: :::> f- I- 3: 3: N CD :;: U. 0 I- V1 '"

is rt~'$. 5 c~~e ~

-14-6 ;::::~L ... .;00 -

~ _. - 0 '¥'--" '- _ ,,--- ...._

u.J ~ .

w ~,

I

"1-

-en-'-

,

El i

I

A

u...._._

,

"I{ .......... -

I:

"L_

.-<
I V] ll"l
,_, 1'- 0. 0'"
Ul -N
OJ
0.,
0
;;; lI"I
";:::
u Nt"- SS:
c,
c-. ...
S ~
O.J I'l
~ 01'- r-, 1'- r-,
~Ul_ ~
.. ~
~
e
~
tJ')
-\-I
rJ)
tf
~
~ lj
0
u..
ct::
f.L1
t-<
p.... I-t
.-r::
:r:
u ::.::: >-
z a::
« w cr:
l- I-
f- «
>- « w
'-' CCl l!J
Z l!J
;::: :t:
f- Z
s 3 2:
w
co f-
LU f- V)
::.:: z r.
::.::: > z w 0 _J
z j::: « z ::;: 0
« « f- 0:: f- 0:: 0::
f- l!J 3- u.J cr: [2
;,c w '" 0 f- a: z
l!J ::..:; Z 0 CD Vl l: z;
Z z l: 0 3-
« z ;:! N 0 0 0 ;;: z; 1i3
f- I- 0:: :t: l- I- 0 u L 0 0
::.0:: ::..:; 0 ::r.: :c tx: 0:: «
z « z l!J l!J 0 LJ 0
l- V) >- 0 cr: --' V)
« « 0 0 f- ;;: cr: w Z
U) ,_ Z I- 0 0 Z f- --' cr: z w ::;)
« w w w 0:: a:: 0 w w ::;) a:: ::..:;, §S
0 -' -' Q_ Q_ Q_ <:( w w 0:: f- Z a:J L <:( 0::
-' w ::;: ~ 0:: cr: Cl I- l- iz I- l!J cr: L Z 0 -'
Z « ::::> 0 ex P f2 x « <r 0 « z ::;) 0 0 Z :=>
W to LL LJ f- a 3- 3- LJ OJ w f- LJ V1 Vl (D
~ ....
w V1 co :r: s:
'- ~ ~ I 3- 3- L Ll u 3-
_j f- "" 0:: l- f- N co f- Ll.. a Vl '"

5

i= o w U)

"L_

\i /

~\ ~,

':l~ \ ! ! I 1 I

1 11' \tB.

"\ I'

I\ll

I"

"' c

o

.~

"' n

c ro

'" c

rc

C,

""

" ~ Q) ill

U:Q

gc3

.;:;'" a

[;0:

Oi"

_ t:

8 ffi

.0-'

~~ ='0 x'" x~ wt:

'""'" "0

r- "

o z w ~ w _J

z; o o 0::

0:: <J: w L'J

L'J ~ Z w fVJ ._J

er: o u,

L'J 0:: Z <J: :z: z :z o 0 VI LJ

_j >u..1 Z '<:: 0 cr: u o _J z <r en (J)

00 ::c. .s: d 3 3 N ill L u.. 0 ~ ~ (J)

~~~~~~

tg~~~ ~V1

I

0Cl 'I..,

.- >. I:<
~ ~ 0
<l>- >-
,_- 0
oro
-CO 0: ~
;}I'- U
.~ en t- z
ll.J OJ uJ "" 0
OJ I"'"ili
{[J u CoO ::Ju1055
::! ro o <1l Vl
Q_ ~(!) r-.:S::Za:::o... w
I '" >- oZCit-aZ Z
'0 rn '" 0 ~~g2e~~ZQ~
c die::
E .~ iil"b ~~o5S2~,8l.L'J
,,-' ~e:~t:JG~ffiGi
E<D '" c
'" u'" ~t~ti:~5~~
ChUl ",-J
C en 0'<:: ..;(«j-.<(wuL!lO
t:g ~-
"'- ...... M,.....,,'"'1""Ll';~r-...D;l
001.0 .00
0 '"
(ij<{) .c; "
'" E '"
'" §
C 0 t
'" to 0
(3 2 s: N
'0 T"-..oocr--.O......-iNC""'"":'"<f"Lt) __ .......,NNNNN(-c.I

Q-..O~ N'~."<t'>r.-...o '!""""' ................... ~ ...........

00 -0

-.t;Jf-....OOO-"O ....... N("iVUi....or-....OO(r-..O

....... ,.......".... ...... ..-. ............ __ ...... N

..

. / :.1· ·. ~.lIII!IW .'. '.1 •. ; ...•.•.

r ~,: ~.~.~dt,~·J '-'~li l_-

o OCJ

SUBMARINE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

POSTWAR DEVELOPMENT IN THE WEST

us Los Angeles class (SSN 688) elevation. Author's drawing

STORES/ESCAPE TRUNK

ESCAPE TRUNK

CENTER

ENGINE ROOM

TRASH ROOM

MESSROOM

US Sturgeon class (SSN 637) elevation. Author's drawing

ESCAPE TRUNK

WEAPON LOADING HATCH

l'lEACTOR

ENGINE ROOM

CONTROL ROOM

AUXILIARY MACHINERY No.

ESCAPE TRUNK

US Los Angeles class weapon layout (deck plan) Author's drawing

TORPEOO TUBES 2 s 4

further advanced, and by early 1957 the United States had offered to share critical design information. Later that year the American and British governments reached an agreement under which the United States would supply a complete SSW plant for the prototype British nuclear submarine (HMS Dreadnought), while a national industrial team continued to develop an independent powerplant,

In consequence, the first Royal Navy nuclear attack submarine (launched in 1960) was a hybrid, combining British sensor and weapon concepts with an existing US powerplant. At this time the all-British design much resembled that being drawn in America for Thresher, with a large bow sonar array

TORPEDO TUBES 1 & 3

IMPULSE TANK No.2

>-
II:
S;: UJ
>::: ~
z
0:: w ~ I MAIN
0 ::'! o
f- f- _J -c TORPEDO ROOM
o 0:: is 2 BALLAST
<:( 0: >-
I.lJ ::'! -' a:
a: w -c TANKS
0 :J :i
o u, X
~ TORPEDO HOIST
IMPULSE TANK No.1
84 (except that the British one was conformal, on the outside of the hull, rather than spherical, on the inside) and sound-isolated (raftmounted) machinery, As drawings of Dreadnought show, her turbine plant was mounted as in Skipjack, with little or no sound isolation. The design differed from the US Navy's in placing the forward planes in the bow, for better control at low speed, particularly at periscope depth. Their positioning also allowed the use of a smaller sail, which reduced both hydrodynamic resistance and snap-roll, The great disadvantage was greater self-noise, reduced by careful detailed design. The Dreadnoughi design also introduced a new water-ram torpedo tube, usable at greater depths than in

previous classes. Given the forced adoption of the after end of the US Skipjack class, the designers had to make special efforts to effect a smooth structural transition between it and the British-designed front end of the hull.

The next step was to revert essentially to the original all-British submarine design, including raft-mounted machinery, in the Valiant class from 1963. There were actually three separate propulsion modes. For moderate speeds, as when the submarine was operating in direct support of a convoy or a task force, the raft isolated the machinery from the hull. However, at very high speeds, as when the submarine was intercepting targets, evading, or transiting, it had to be locked in place, and noise isolation was lost,

85

. ,

, 1

i

,

SUBMARINE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

At the other end of the spectrum, there was a very low-speed electric motor independent of the reduction gearing, and reminiscent of wartime German 'creep' motors. There is also a retractable 'get horne' motor to provide insurance against a main propulsion failure. Self-noise was reduced by moving the bow planes away from the bow sonar.

This basic design was slightly modified, in the late 19605 Churchill class, to fire the new British Tigerfish wire-guided torpedo (Mark 24 Mod 0). HMS Conqueror of this class sank the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano on 2 May 1982. Because she was fitted only to fire the anti-submarine version of the Tigerfish, she had to rely on conventional straightrunning torpedoes (Mark 8) for that attack. The Churchill class also formed the basis of

the British Polaris submarines (Resolution class). The latter differed technically from earlier attack submarine practice only in requiring better control at low speeds, an ability to hover (while firing), and more electric power. This basic design was somewhat older than the American Thresher/Permit one, itself the basis of the series-production Sturgeon class (launched 1963-74). It was, therefore, larger and slower than the US SUbmarine, and could not dive as deep. By the mid-1960s a basic redesign, which led to the 1970s Sunjrsure class, was in progress.

This new design was intended to be able to' dive significantly deeper, and to have a higher speed, yet with less radiated and self-noise than in the previous design. It was developed

Cutaway of the Vickers British Swiltsure nuclear attack submarine class. (unnamed figure numbers relate to security classified areas)

Vickers

about two years before Los Angeles, the US successor to Sturgeon. Although it was intended for increased speed, it did not display the US design's emphasis on speed. The cylindrical portion of the pressure hull was extended as far aft as possible, to eliminate structural trans mons that had caused stress problems in previous British designs. For increased speed, a new reactor core (B) provided some increase in power, while the hull's overall size was restricted to reduce drag. Sail height was also reduced, which in turn reduced periscope depth where control was maintained by moving the bow planes down in the hull. They were made fully retractable for the first time in British practice, ie could be housed to avoid damage when coming alongside. Ironically, although

they can be retracted at medium speed, they must be deployed at high speed for safety, to improve recovery in the event of a stern plane Jam. In this sense US-style sail planes would probably have been better; the US Navy is turning to British-style hull planes just as the Royal Navy is beginning to appreciate the virtues of the American solution.

From an American point of view, perhaps the new Swiftsure design's most exotic feature was the replacement of a conventional propeller by pump-jet propulsion. New machinery features included circulating water scoops in the leading edges of the tail fins; through a large part of the power range, natural flow suffices, and main (sea water) circulation pumps (a source of radiated noise) need not be run. The raft was enlarged to

NQ.1 Main Betlest Tank, S~.jIrb{};m:l 45 C02 S\:rllobe!
Transducer Array 46 MEA Tomb
3 Anchor Stoweoe 47 M' Compensating Tank Sterboaed
4 Chai.:r'\ Locker <IS Diese Oil F cer T .:!n-k
S Transducer Arrl:l), Access Tnm~ and Cable Space ~9 Porwctc venuleuon Coo~lng Coil
Anchor Windlass 50 Ven'tilil'lion Fan Space
lrougl;1 51 Junior R':Htfl-gs MeS-';
52 Access 10 Vf!f11~l.;lljOfl Comoartraunt
Weapon'S. Embarkinq Access Covers 53 Galley
10 Towcn.g Cable Trough 5' Senter Ruling:> Mess
11 W!::apem E mhark ing Haith 55 Pipe eno Cable S-P<lCf:. Starboard
12 Access Tfur"li<: 5& Oilir:t:r'~ Cilbins
13 No.2 Main Ballast T-im.k> $r"fboilrd 57
,. Hi-grl Pressure Air Bottles 58 truncator Suo,. Cover
15 Forward HydrOf.lli';ne~ OpI"r;:nirlg GS(lf 59 AC and DC Snore Conn~Cl~Orl!:
16 Forward +-iydroplil"rte. Sterncerd 60 W.:udroom
17 Torpedo S'hJ[Wr 61 Sonar Dispiay Consote Access S~Cf. Doors
19 Torpedo Tube Bow Ean 62 Sonar Room
63 Wardroom Parttry 90 Sonar Scanner

9 1 Naviqeuon Plattorm

92 Na'l,l;g;t~on Psatturm Covers

93 Brfd-ge Fjn Sa-utters

94 Perfscope

95 Pe r~ $[:0 poe

96 ShUHf!T Orer etlnq Gear

97 Em<lr-geflcy Wh ip Ae<ijj:~

98 R.adar Mast

99

TO Fcrwero Hvor cntsne Becess 64 a Ificers Bathroom
20 Wil~ef T r a lister T a flk 65 Conr)jng lower TnmKiog
21 FOfWil"rd CapSl.'lrt 66 CO(T!(o! Room
22 Hatchw.i1.Y 61 Submarine Cot)uoJ COIl~Qje
23 ForWArd Escece Tower 68
~4 Signaf Ejector 69 Commend Gorl'iolf'
25 02 Gener ators 70 ~~<t""j9<t~ion Ccosofe
26 Wind!a-s.s Control P"nei )1 AGCf."~5 Between One <lnd Iwo Oeock
27 C02 Ab$crpl ion Unit n P~Qt~Ff)'9 T ab~e
n No.2 Dry PWVt;S.10(] Store 73 Hvdr;; .. fiie; Repberml1mtl'fll Tank
29 JuDIO, R iltin-gs BuF1k: SDikC;<; 74 Wate( Secerat ing. T an~
30 Hefrjg.era~ior. Machimny 75 Ventiji:~iQI1 Far) ChDmber
31 enid and Coo: Room 76 Snort In.r;h.lc'!.iOr1 Ftao Valve
32 forward Tm'!'. T a rt\<' Starboard n BWA Corncartrnent
33 Torpedo T ube 78 CO's Cabin
34 Torpedo Overflow Tiilflk 79 lalmdry
35 HP Al~ 80tHe BO Air Lock
36 Tor:p!ldo Cnmputm>!f11 S1 Spare Geer Sro-e
37 T orcedoes in Stowage Rack I 8~ Diesel £xh(lI)$1 T rlJnk ~fig
38 N{).1 Fresh Willl'f TanK 83 Diesel E: xhaust Mufft-er
39 No.2 Fresh W~tt'r Tiink 84 Active waste Tank
40 Batterv Tank B5 Control Room Hatctl
41 Hydrawlk Storeqe Tank B6 Bridge Fin
42 Av;.; t~i;;fY '¥'Iach illcry Spece 87 Buoyant Wirt< Aerial
43 W:relE:~~ QffH;:e 88 Diesel Oil Puel EXPB.nsJon Ti:lnk
44 C02 Scrubber CDmpiirrm~n'[ 89 COnning Tower
86 100 101 102 103 104 105 100 107 lOB 109 110 ," \12

113 114 115 116

R-eactor 5!l'tvic!:'s comcartroeru and Tunnel AJr Lock

RCFW'Head Tank

Winch

carry not only the turbines and generators, but also the condensers. That in turn reduced the need for flexible couplings, a source of complexity and weakness in earlier designs. And the raft no longer had to be locked in at maximum power.

The new hull form was much fuller aft than earlier ones. It was initially thought that a fuller tail-cone would make for greater propulsive efficiency, but the effect is probably marginal though it did provide increased buoyancy to support the machinery, including the pump-jet.

. The usual bow sonar array was relocated to the 'chin', reducing the effect of surface reflections. To fit it, the torpedo tubes had to be moved well abaft the bow, angled out, much as in American designs, and the total

117 !.:!uoy.ant Aerial Float

118 Mi;inoeuvrin9 Room

119 Heeltn Physics Lab.

120 Oa·gl'lu$-:>mg Cebinet

121 E tecmcat, Throttle and Reactor Penets

122 Au)(ilia:rv M<JchiTle":fY Panel

123 Reactor Plant Auxilierv Pare!

124 RCFW Pomp

125 Switchboard Room

126 HP Bilge Pump ano Ballast Pump

127 Diesel Generator

128 AC/DC Moter Generator, Steeboerd

i29 Fresh Water/Salt W.aler Heel Exehancer (Reactor Loop)

130 Milke-up Svstem 'l reatment Svstem

131 HP M.ak-e·lJp Pumps

132 '0' Compensatino TlInk Starboard

133 Aft Escape TO'Ner

134 SSE

135 f. ngine Room Hatch

136 M;;!~n SI<l<Fm Svstem Pipework

137 F eed Wa!!]!j Surge T .ank Sterboarc

138 Sham Steam Connection

139 Oxvcen Generators

140 Ait Treatment Un~1

141 Hvoreutic Beolenahmenr Tank

142 El1"1erga-ncy Propulsion Meter

143 POri Turbo.Generator

144 Mairl Turbine Starboard

145 Mein Gearbox

146 Shatt flex ibte

147 Main Shaft

148 Tbrusr Block

! 49 Shall Seal

150 Mo~or Generator Set

~51 Ah Trim Tank Starboard

152 HP AFr BQHI-e

153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160

Starboard LlJbrica;:ing Oj1 :F lnurs Sr a rbcarc Turbo-Generator

Mi:I~r'\ Engine and TG Set'S. Consta.1lt Posiuon Mllunt~ng Acr Ejector ;!IId Glands Condenser

Main Circl.I!al~rlg W~t.er Pump

Letne

Air Conditioning Chilled Water Plants DiSlC!l:£!r Conoeoser

POSTWAR DEVELOPMENT IN THE WEST

reduced from six to five. Hull sonar arrays were added to improve coverage to the boat's sides (flank arrays in British parlance).

The new Trafalgar class for the 19805 is essentially a modified Sunfuure, capable of firing the anti-ship variant of the Tigerfish torpedo (Mod 1) and also the sub-Harpoon missile. HMS Trafalgar incorporates anechoic hull coatings, and has evolutionary noise-reduction features. However, several much more radical proposals were rejected as too risky or too expensive. They included a natural-circulation reactor and a new type of machinery raft, mounted, not on the hull, but suspended instead from the transverse bulkheads.

Upon developing attack submarine,

a successful nuclear Britain effectively

161 HP Ai, Compressor

162 Fresh WiJter Pump

163 Distc~ber

164 f-W/SW Heat fx~h"rlger ISk.;p-s: Loop}

165 Reserve feed Tank

166 Bilge Teoks and Reserve Feed Tanin

l67 Ma~r'j Condenser St~'ibo;ud

168 Lubricatinq Oil Tanks

169 ll,Jbri~Bting Of Cooler

170 Brine Tank

171 Condenser Circulaunq Water SUCtiDI1 Lire

1 n. Condenser Circu~.atir"lg Wilt-er Discnarqe Line

i 73 Lower RCJdd.ef

174 Cifculaling Water Inlet

175 Cift:1.I1.aHng Water Outlet

176 StabiH~ Fif1

177 Starboard Ah Hydroplilol1e

178 Rope Guerd

li'S Hvdrcntane Yokel

180 Propeller Shaft

~81 F ree Flood Space

1B2 Upper Budder

163 Ah AIlCflor Lignt

1134 NoA MlIin Bi;'Il~a$t T aok. Startn)a((.

185 Shaft TUlNl

'86 No.3 Ma~f1 Battest 'l ank. Port

187 Hi"dn,)p!./In~ end Rudders Operating Unh9fi' G~ide T:I.J'.~

188 NO.3 Main Batlast Tank, Starboard

189 No.3 MST vent Valve, Sterboerc

190 No.4 MSr vent vetves

191 Coolant S~mp~ ~flg Cabinet

192

193

194 E;ne;gency Cooling Aif Delev T ailk

195 Torne! BjOWllr

196 RCFW V!l1v€ OmM

1:97 Ahll'f Capstan

87

co co

~-- .... -..- .. ~--~-,~~,~.~

~ ~ ~ "-

£!

0.

o

>o 1:

z o >= U ::0 o ~

/

!

o ~ ~

0.

Lo o

'"

o

e: >-z o u

u.r

o z

o u

o

o

z o ;::: ::> ...J o <Jj w II:

tn :;; :t:

'"' Z

<! ::; <! :> (J} s :t:

'"' :t:

(!l ::> o Z o <! w II: o (I) ::;; :t:

.c

"OJE

c " '" ., .JaJ

'5,E

c '" Ol " -'CO

s:

o,E

c "' " " -,CO

.c

o,E

c ru

" " _jaJ

~~-~

(,~

en
~
, ...
:>
.....
~
' .....
6
(/)
><: ~
......
o:
t:..:: 0
~
~ (/)
::r:::
u 00 Oc

o o

N a

...

L.l

.... :;-

) f)

Ll

?; ) 11