HM Submarine Ocelot

HM Submarine Ocelot (S17) is an Oberon Class Submarine.

She was laid down at Chatham Dockyard on 17th November 1960 being launched on 5th May 1962 from No.7 slip and finally being commissioned into the Royal Navy on 31st January 1964.

Propulsion was provided by two Admiralty Standard Range 16 VMS diesel generators and two 3,000 shaft horsepower electric motors, these provided the drive for two 7ft diameter three bladed propellers up to 400 revolutions per minute.

Ocelot was armed with eight torpedo tubes that had a diameter of 21inches or 53cm. Six were fitted facing forward and two facing aft, although subsequent work on her disabled the aft facing tubes. She had a payload of 24 torpedoes. Complimenting her armament she was also fitted with Type 186 and Type 187 sonars, and an I-band surface search radar. Most of Ocelots equipment was sound proofed making the Oberon Class one of the quietest submarines in existence.

Her crew consisted of a total of 68 men, 6 officers and 62 enlisted men. She was assigned to the 3rd Submarine Squadron based at HMNB Clyde in Faslane serving there was 3 years here she would engage in exercises and trials around the Clyde and Londonderry areas as well as in the Mediterranean, and in 1965 the Baltic. During the 1960s Ocelot was heavily involved in the trialling of submarine equipment this included the Mark 24 Torpedoes, acting as a target for aircraft and assisting ship trials and training. Ocelot also carried out NATO exercises during this period. In total she clocked up over 90,000 miles.

During the 1970s Ocelot travelled further in Earths oceans such as to the Caribbean. In 1971 she took part in the salvage of HM Submarine Artemis which unfortunately sunk while moored at the RN submarine base HMS Dolphin. Ocelot helped rescue the three ratings trapped on board and bring Artemis back afloat.

By August 1991 Ocelot was paid off to make way for the Nuclear fleet of the Royal Navy. She was sold in 1992 and became a tour-able museum vessel at Chatham Dockyard where she is in No.3 Dry Dock.