Oberon Class

OBERON Class

 submarine

The OBERON class was a follow-on to the earlier PORPOISE class, and they appeared almost identical. New hull materials gave a deeper diving depth, and additional soundproofing was provided. These submarines were very quiet for their day, and stayed in service with various Navies past the year 2000. At the time, they were state of the art conventional subs, despite being based on a late-WWII German hull design. They were originally fitted with two stern-facing 'short' torpedo tubes, but the advent of reliable guided torpedos made these obsolete. The stern tubes were then either used for beer storage for the crew, or were eventually converted for other uses (the Canadian Navy used this space for the installation of a towed array sonar). The final member of this class, HMS ONYX, was the only conventional submarine to see service in the Falkland's War of 1982, where she was used for special operations in and around the islands. The last of the O-boats in RN service were paid off during the 1990s. ONYX is now a museum piece in Birkenhead (near Liverpool), and OCELOT is part of a museum in Chatham.

OBERON Class
Specifications

Displacement:
2030 (surfaced) / 2410 (submerged) tons full load   
Dimensions:
88.5 x 8.1 x 5.6 meters (290.25 x 26.5 x 18.25 feet)
Propulsion:
2 shaft Diesel-electric;
2 Admiralty Standard Range 16 cylinder diesels;
2 English Electric motors, 6000 shp,
12 knots (surface) / 17 knots (submerged)
Crew:
71


Aviation

Helicopters:
None.                                                                                    

Surface Action / Undersea Warfare


Original:
Final:
Torpedoes:
6 21" bow torpedo tubes, 2 21" short tubes aft;
30 Mk.8 (unguided) or Mk.20 torpedoes
6 21" bow torpedo tubes;
20 Mk.24 Mod.1 Tigerfish torpedoes
Radar:

Kelvin Hughes Type 1006 navigation radar
Sonar:
Types 187 active-passive
2007 passive flank
2019
Type 2051 Plessey Triton active passive (except OTUS, OLYMPUS, and ONYX and possibly others)
2007 passive flank
US Type 2024 towed.
Fire Control:

Ferranti DCH tactical data handling system


Air Defence

Guns:
None.                                                              
Missiles:
None.
Radar:
None.
Fire Control:
None.


Electronic Warfare

Attack:
ESM: MEL Manta UAL or UA4 radar warning (later)
ComInt:


Ships:

Name
Pendant
 Completed
Comments
Fate
OBERON
S 09
1961

Sold to Egypt.
ODIN
S 10
1962


ORPHEUS
S 11
1960
Training boat at HMS DOLPHIN, 1987.

OLYMPUS
S 12
1962
Sold to Canada as training platform.
Proposal for museum in Barrow.
OSIRIS
S 13
1964
Sold to Canada and cut up for spare parts.
Dismantled for spare parts.
ONSLAUGHT
S 14
1962


OTTER
S 15
1962


ORACLE
S 16
1963


OCELOT
S 17
1964

Museum in Chatham.
OTUS
S 18
1963
Trialed Sub-Harpoon missiles and USN Mk.48 Mod.3 torpedo.
For sale 1990.
OPPOSSUM
S 19
1964
Trialed Plessey Triton sonar.

ONYX (1)


To Canada as HMCS OJIBWA

OPPORTUNE
S 20
1964


ONYX (2)
S 21
1967
Laid down for Canada. Only D/E boat to serve in Falklands.
Trialed Mk.24 Tigerfish torpedo.
Museum in Birkenhead.

Photos:

 (click on thumbnail for bigger image) 
 

Sub
An unidentified member of the class sits alongside. She still has the original bow sonar dome.  M.D. Thomas photo.
Opportune
OPPORTUNE sits in drydock in this photo. The stern fixed (above) and dive (lower) planes can be seen to good effect, along with the openings for the two stern tubes. M.D. Thomas photo.
Osiris
OSIRIS sits alongside. She has received the new Triton sonar, as can be seen by the new streamlined sonar dome at the bow. M.D. Thomas photo.
Subs
Two unidentified OBERON class subs lie alongside; this is a good study in contrast, as the outside sub has recieved the new Triton sonar, while the inside (background) sub has not. M.D. Thomas photo.
Onyx
ONYX lies alongside the former HMS PLYMOUTH in Birkenhead, England. Both are now museum pieces there. Sandy McClearn photo.
Onyx
The bow of ONYX with the original Type 167 sonar dome installed. Sandy McClearn photo.
Onslow
The forward end of the torpedo compartment on the former HMAS ONSLOW, in Sydney, Australia . A mock torpedo is loaded in Tube 2, as seen with the propeller. Tube 1 is open, with a light shining down it. The lower two tubes were power loaded; the rest were loaded manually. Sandy McClearn photo.
Onslow
The helm on ONSLOW. This is located on the port side of the control room. Sandy McClearn photo.
Onyx
Looking aft from the control room on ONYX, past the radar and snorkel masts. The hatch through to the engine compartment can be seen in the background. Sandy McClearn photo.
Onyx
This is taken from the forward end of the engine compartment on ONYX, looking aft. The oil-water separator is seen to the left of the photo; the submarine's diesel fuel was stored in compartments on the exterior of the pressure hull, and the separator was required to prevent seawater contamination from making it to the engines. Sandy McClearn photo.
Onslow
Looking aft in the engine room, between the two diesel engines. Diesel - Electric submarines typically run off their batteries, located on a lower deck, and use the diesels to charge the batteries. Sandy McClearn photo.
Onyx
The control room on ONYX, looking aft. The attack periscope is in the foreground, with the main periscope in the background. The sonar shack is behind the camera in this view, with the helm out of the shot to the right.

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