HMS Scorcher (P258)

HMS Scorcher
History
Class and type:	S-class submarine
Name:	HMS Scorcher
Ordered:	7 April 1943
Builder:	Cammell Laird & Co Limited, Birkenhead
Laid down:	14 December 1943
Launched:	18 December 1944
Commissioned:	16 March 1945
Fate:	broken up 1962
General characteristics
Displacement:	814-872 tons surfaced 990 tons submerged
Length:	217 ft (66 m)
Beam:	23 ft 6 in (7.16 m)
Draught:	11 ft (3.4 m)
Speed:	14.75 knots surfaced 8 knots submerged
Complement:	48ficers and men
Armament:	6 × forward 21-inch torpedo tubes, one aft 13 torpedoes one three-inch gun (four-inch on later boats) one 20 mm cannon three .303-calibre machine gun

HMS Scorcher was an S-class submarine of the Royal Navy, and part of the Third Group built of that class. She was built by Cammell Laird and launched on 18 December 1944. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name Scorcher. She was launched by Thomas Beacham, a Foreman Driller employed by Cammell Laird.

Built as the Second World War was drawing to a close, she did not see much action. Along with her sisters, HMS Sirdar and Scythian, Scorcher took part in the search for the missing HMS Affray in 1951. Scorcher too had her fair share of accidents. She was damaged in a collision on 4 February 1956, and suffered a fire during exercises on 22 November 1956.^[1] In 1953 she took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.^[2]

Scorcher was eventually paid off and broken up at Charlestown in 1962.

References

Publications

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475. 

S-class submarines
Royal Navy	First Group Seahorse Starfish Sturgeon Swordfish Second Group Salmon Sealion Seawolf Shark Snapper Spearfish Sterlet Sunfish Third Group P222 Safari Saga Sahib Sanguine Saracen Satyr Sceptre Scorcher Scotsman Scythian Sea Devil Seadog Sea Nymph Sea Rover Sea Scout Selene Seneschal Sentinel Seraph Shakespeare Shalimar Sibyl Sickle Sidon Simoom Sirdar Sleuth Solent Spark Spearhead Spirit Spiteful Splendid Sportsman Springer Spur Statesman Stoic Stonehenge Storm Stratagem Strongbow Stubborn Sturdy Stygian Subtle Supreme Surf Syrtis
Other operators  French Navy Saphir class Saphir Sibylle Sirène Sultane  Israeli Navy Rahav Tanin  Royal Netherlands Navy Zeehond  Portuguese Navy Narval Náutilo Neptuno  Soviet Navy V-1
Preceded by: Rainbow class Followed by: River class List of submarines of the Royal Navy List of submarine classes of the Royal Navy