HMS Osiris

Three ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Osiris, after the Egyptian god Osiris:

HMS Osiris (S13)

HMS Osiris (S13) was an Oberon-class submarine that served in the Royal Navy.

Design and construction

The Oberon class was a direct follow on of the Porpoise-class, with the same dimensions and external design, but updates to equipment and internal fittings, and a higher grade of steel used for fabrication of the pressure hull.

As designed for British service, the Oberon-class submarines were 241 feet (73 m) in length between perpendiculars and 295.2 feet (90.0 m) in length overall, with a beam of 26.5 feet (8.1 m), and a draught of 18 feet (5.5 m). Displacement was 1,610 tons standard, 2,030 tons full load when surfaced, and 2,410 tons full load when submerged. Propulsion machinery consisted of 2 Admiralty Standard Range 16 VMS diesel generators, and two 6,000 shaft horsepower (4,500 kW) electric motors, each driving a 7 feet (2.1 m) 3-bladed propeller at up to 400 rpm. Top speed was 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) when submerged, and 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) on the surface. Eight 21-inch (530 mm) diameter torpedo tubes were fitted (six facing forward, two aft), with a total payload of 24 torpedoes. The boats were fitted with Type 186 and Type 187 sonars, and an I-band surface search radar. The standard complement was 68: 6 officers, 62 sailors.

HMS Osiris (N67)

HMS Osiris was an O-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Vickers-Armstrongs of Barrow-in-Furness on 12 May 1927, launched on 19 May 1928 and commissioned on 25 Jan 1929.

She was first commissioned for service with the 4th Submarine Flotilla on the China Station.

Wartime history

In September 1939, she was nominated for service on the East Indies Station and deployed with the 8th Flotilla at Colombo for flotilla duties. During January 1940 she transferred to the British Mediterranean Fleet and was deployed with the 1st Submarine Flotilla based at Alexandria.

On 16 August 1940, Osiris sank the Italian merchantman Morea (1,968 tons) approximately 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) west of Durazzo, Albania, with gunfire in a surface engagement, after Morea twice evaded torpedoes fired at the ship.

During an attack carried out on a convoy in the Otranto Strait on 22 September 1940 Osiris torpedoed and sank one of the convoy escorts, the Italian torpedo boat Palestro (875 tons displacement), approximately 40 nautical miles (74 km; 46 mi) west of Durazzo, Albania (position 41°19'N, 18°34'E).