HMS Upstart, 15 February 1952
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Upstart
BuilderVickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down17 March 1942
Launched24 November 1942
Commissioned3 April 1943
Out of serviceLoaned to Greek Navy from 1945
FateSunk as ASDIC target 29 July 1959
Badge
Greece
NameAmfitriti
In service1945
FateReturned to Royal Navy in 1952
General characteristics
Class and typeU-class submarine
Displacement
  • Surfaced - 540 tons standard, 630 tons full load
  • Submerged - 730 tons
Length58.22 m (191 ft)
Beam4.90 m (16 ft 1 in)
Draught4.62 m (15 ft 2 in)
Propulsion
  • 2 shaft diesel-electric
  • 2 Paxman Ricardo diesel generators + electric motors
  • 615 / 825 hp
Speed
  • 11.25 knots (20.8 km/h) max surfaced
  • 10 knots (19 km/h) max submerged
Complement27-31
Armament

HMS Upstart (P65) was a Royal Navy U-class submarine built by Vickers-Armstrong. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name Upstart. After the war, she was loaned to the Greek Navy and renamed Amfitriti.

Career

Wartime

Upstart spent most of her wartime career operating off the south coast of France, where she sank the French fishing vessels Grotte de Bethlehem and Torpille, the German auxiliary minelayer Niedersachsen (the former French Guyane) and the German merchant Tolentino (the former French Saumur). She also launched failed attacks against the French merchant Medjerda and the Italian merchant Pascoli.

Greek service

For other ships with the same name, see Greek submarine Amfitriti.

Upstart survived the war and was loaned to the Greek Navy in 1945, where she was renamed Amfitriti. She served with the Greek Navy for seven years, and was returned to the Royal Navy in 1952. She was subsequently sunk as an ASDIC target off the Isle of Wight on 29 July 1959.

References