Parthian-class submarine

HMS Phoenix, 1939
Class overview
Name Parthian class
Operators Royal Navy
Preceded by Odin class
Succeeded by Rainbow class
In commission 1929–1946
Completed 6
Lost 5
General characteristics
Type Submarine
Displacement
  • 1,760 long tons (1,790 t) surfaced
  • 2,040 long tons (2,070 t) submerged
Length 289 ft (88 m)
Beam 30 ft (9.1 m)
Draught 16 ft (4.9 m)
Propulsion
  • Diesel-electric
  • 2 × Admiralty diesel engines, 4,640 hp (3,460 kW)
  • 2 × electric motors, 1,635 hp (1,219 kW)
  • 2 shafts
Speed
  • 17.5 knots (20.1 mph; 32.4 km/h) surfaced
  • 8.6 kn (9.9 mph; 15.9 km/h) submerged
Complement 53
Armament

The Parthian-class submarine or P class was a class of six submarines built for the Royal Navy in the late 1920s. They were designed as long-range patrol submarines for the Far East. These boats were almost identical to the Odin class, the only difference being a different bow shape.

Boats

Construction data
Name Builder Launched Fate
Pandora (ex-Python) Vickers, Barrow 22 August 1929 Sunk by Italian aircraft in harbour at Valletta, Malta, 1 April 1942; Raised but not repaired, September 1943; Hulk scrapped, 1955
Parthian Chatham Dockyard 22 June 1929 Lost in the Adriatic, presumed mined, 6 August – 11 August 1943
Perseus Vickers, Barrow 22 May 1929 Mined in the Ionian Sea between the islands of Kefallonia and Zakynthos off the west coast of Greece, 6 December 1941
Phoenix Cammell Laird 3 October 1929 Presumed sunk in depth charge attack by the Italian torpedo boat Albatros off the coast of Sicily, 16 July 1940
Poseidon Vickers, Barrow 21 June 1929 Sank in accidental collision with a merchant steamer, 9 June 1931; Wreck alleged to have been salvaged by China during 1970s
Proteus Vickers, Barrow 23 July 1929 Scrapped at Troon, March 1946