Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Royal Navy — Submarine N56

HMS Union (N56)

British U-class submarine

Displacement
960 long tons (975 t)
Length
58.52 m (192 ft)
Beam
4.88 m (16 ft)
Speed
11.3 knots (20.8 km/h, 12.9 mph)
Complement
33

Service

  1. Royal Navy as HMS Union22 February 1941 — 20 July 1941148 days of the war
British U-class submarine Particulars
Name
HMS Union
Pennant / hull number
N56
Builder
Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down
9 December 1939
Launched
1 October 1940
Commissioned
22 February 1941
Fate
Sunk 20 July 1941 (1941)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, surfaced
960 long tons (975 t)
Displacement, submerged
1,150 long tons (1,168 t)
Length
58.52 m (192 ft)
Beam
4.88 m (16 ft)
Draught
4.57 m (15 ft)
Speed
11.3 knots (20.8 km/h, 12.9 mph)
Range
4,050 nmi (7,501 km)
Complement
33

HMS Union was a British U-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She carried the pennant number N56. Her keel was laid at Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness on 9 December 1939. Launched on 1 October 1940, she entered service on 22 February 1941.

She was one of 53 ships of her class.

The boat displaced 960 long tons surfaced and 1,150 long tons submerged. She measured 58.5 m (192 ft) long with a beam of 4.9 m (16 ft). Her designed speed was 11.2 knots, and she carried a complement of 33.

Her machinery developed 615 bhp.

She was in commission for 148 days of the Second World War.

She was sunk on 20 July 1941, at 36°27′N 11°42′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
  • 615 bhp (diesel)
  • 825 hp (electric)
Armament
  • 4 × bow 21 in torpedo tubes
  • 1 × 12-pdr deck gun

Sister ships

28 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from HMS Union (N56) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.