Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Royal Navy — Submarine

HMS Sportsman

S-class submarine

HMS Sportsman
Royal Navy official photographer — This photograph FL 3755 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 8308-29) — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate British S class submarine HMSM SPORTSMAN secured to a buoy at Sheerness .

Service

  1. Royal Navy as Sportsman21 December 1942 — 8 July 1952986 days of the war
  2. Marine Nationale as Sibylle8 July 1952 — 24 September 1952
S-class submarine Particulars
Name
HMS Sportsman
Builder
Chatham Dockyard
Ordered
14 October 1940
Laid down
1 July 1941
Launched
17 April 1942
Commissioned
21 December 1942
Fate
Sunk off Toulon, 24 September 1952 (1952)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, surfaced
865 long tons (879 t)
Displacement, submerged
990 long tons (1,006 t)
Length
66.14 m (217 ft)
Beam
7.01 m (23 ft)
Draught
4.27 m (14 ft)
Speed
15 knots (27.8 km/h, 17.3 mph)
Range
6,000 nmi (11,112 km)
Complement
48
Main gun
76 mm (3 in)

HMS Sportsman was a S-class submarine, operated by the Royal Navy. Her keel was laid at Chatham Dockyard on 1 July 1941. She entered service on 21 December 1942, having been launched on 17 April 1942.

She was one of 111 ships of her class.

The boat displaced 865 long tons surfaced and 990 long tons submerged. She measured 66.1 m (217 ft) long with a beam of 7.0 m (23 ft). Her designed speed was 15 knots, and she carried a complement of 48.

Her main battery was one 76 mm (3 in) guns. Her machinery developed 1,900 bhp.

She served with the Royal Navy as Sportsman until 8 July 1952. She then passed to the Marine Nationale, serving as Sibylle from 8 July 1952. She was in commission for 986 days of the Second World War.

She was sunk on 24 September 1952, at 39°44′N 25°16′E. The wreck survives.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 2 × diesel engines
  • 2 × electric motors
Power
  • 1900 bhp (diesel)
  • 1300 hp (electric)
Armament
  • 7 × 21 in torpedo tubes (6 × bow, 1 × stern)
  • 1 × 3 in (76 mm) deck gun
  • 1 × 20 mm AA gun

Sister ships

86 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from HMS Sportsman on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Royal Navy official photographer — This photograph FL 3755 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 8308-29) — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons