SPARTAN HMS (S 1005) submarine

[aukepalmhof]

Built as a nuclear attack submarine by Vickers Shipbuilding at Barrow-in-Furnes for the Royal Navy.
26 April 1976 laid down.
07 April 1978 launched under the name HMS SPARTAN (S105), Lady Lygo the wife of Admiral Sir Raymond Lygo performed the christening of the vessel. She was one of the Swiftsure Class.
Tonnage 4.200 tonnes standard and 4.500 tonnes dived. Dim.82.9 x 9.8 x 8.2m. (draught)
Powered by one Rolls-Royce pressured water-cooled nuclear reactor, supplying steam to two English Electric geared steam turbines 15.000 shp. One Paxman auxiliary diesel 4.000 hp. One shaft. Speed in excess of 25 knots, dived 30 knots.
The class can dive to a depth of 800ft.
Armament 5 – 21 inch torpedo tubes, 25 reloads, when built. She can fire Spearfish or Tigerfish torpedoes.
Crew 12 officers and 85 ratings.
22 Sept. 1979 commissioned, under command of Captain, Cdr Nigel Goodwin.

The principle role of this “hunter-killer” vessel is to attack ships and other submarines, and she can protect a convoy or taskforce.

When war broke out in the Falklands, the submarines were the first warships to reach the waters around the islands, and the HMS SPARTAN arrived off the islands on 12 April 1982, and began patrolling the waters of the 200-mile Exclusion Zone.
1989 Was fitted out with an improved reactor core.
07 Nov 1979 a sailor was killed on board during an accident in the Irish Sea.
Jan. 1999 arrived Rosyth for a refit. After her refit she can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles.
2003 After her refit refueled at Rosyth Dockyard.
Now based at Faslane.
January 2006 decommissioned.

Sierra Leone 2001 1100Le sg?, scott? (wrongly given on the stamp as SPARTON.)

http://www.btinternet.com/~warship/Today/sboat.htm http://www.mjmorgan.dircon.co.uk/hms.htm
The World Navies, editor Chris Chant.

[aukepalmhof]

Info given by the Ascension Post:
£1 Sea King XZ593 and Fleet Submarine, HMS Spartan
Early in the conflict it became clear that the Royal Navy had submarines operating in the war zone around the Falklands and amongst their number was the Nuclear Fleet Submarine HMS Spartan. On her return journey to the UK, with no impending enemy threat and the life of a sailor in the balance, Spartan surfaced off Ascension to carry out a casualty evacuation or CASEVAC operation.
Ascension 2011 £1.00 sg 1106, scott?