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  Argonaut 1942

Ships

No	Name	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comm	Fate
SF7, 2.1931- SM1, 7.1931- SS166, 9.1942- APS1	V4, 2.1931- Argonaut		Portsmouth N Yd	5.1925	10.11.1927	4.1928	cargo submarine 9.1942, sunk 10.1.1943

Technical data

Displacement standard, t
Displacement normal, t	2878 / 4045
Length, m	109.7 wl 116.1 oa
Breadth, m	10.3
Draught, m	4.88
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 MAN diesels + 2 MAN diesel-generators / 2 electric motors
Power, h. p.	3175 / 2200
Max speed, kts	13.65 / 7.4
Fuel, t	diesel oil 696
Endurance, nm(kts)	18000 (10) / 50 (5)
Armament	2 x 1 - 152/53 Mk 12.14, 2 x 1 - 7.6/90, 4 - 533 TT (8, bow), 60 mines
Electronic equipment	SC sonar
Complement	86
Diving depth operational, m	95

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

Unique USN purpose-built minelaying submarine. Naval management offered to raise displacement for providing necessary in conditions of Pacific theatre endurance, and in some cases it wore enough absurd character: so, "monster" figured in one of sketch design with 20500t displacement. Finally Bureau of construction has prepared in 1922 basic design with surface displacement hardly more than 2500t, armed by two 152/53mm guns of cruiser calibre, four bow TTs and two mine tubes in a stern for 60 mines, should make self-sufficiency of 90 days, and an endurance at a full fuel stowage 18000nm. The hull of future Argonaut has been calculated for a diving depth of 95m instead of 60m at previous classes. At designing, besides usage of some technical decisions applied on S and Barracuda classes submarines, Americans have probably full considered the German experience of building of submarine cruisers in days of the First World War. In particular, on early design stages a fore end was planed to fulfil with characteristic bulb-shape stem as on Barracuda, but in final variant the characteristic sharp "German" bow figured.

Double-hulled, machinery was of combined type (main diesels directly connected with shafts and auxiliary diesel-generators for recharging batteries). To advantages of this submarine it is possible to refer, perhaps, only endurance and good conditions of habitability (that, however, for three-monthly voyage is important). In remaining submarine was mediocre enough: she had bad manoeuvrabiliy and slow speed.

Modernizations

1930s: + JK sonar

1940: diesels were replaced by more powerful Fairbank-Morse (6000 h. p., 15 kts surfaced); - SC sonar: + QCD sonar

9/1942, Argonaut was converted to cargo submarine, mine deck and spare torpedoes compartment were rebuilt as cargo holds; + SD, SJ radars

Naval service

10.1.1943 Argonaut was sunk by Japanese destroyers Isokaze and Maikaze between Bougainville and New Britannia.