HMS Virulent (P95)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Virulent.

History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Virulent
Ordered	21 May 1942
Builder	Vickers-Armstrongs, High Walker
Laid down	30 March 1943
Launched	23 May 1944
Commissioned	1 October 1944
Identification	Pennant number P95
Fate	Loaned to the Greek Navy, 29 May 1946
Greece
Name	Argonaftis
Acquired	29 May 1946
Out of service	3 October 1958
Identification	U15
Fate	Broke adrift on 15 December 1958 and stranded Sold for scrapping in 1961
General characteristics
Class and type	V-class submarine
Displacement	545 tons standard/658 tons full load surfaced 740 tons submerged
Length	204 ft 6 in (62.33 m)
Beam	16 ft 1 in (4.90 m)
Draught	15 ft 3 in (4.65 m)
Propulsion	2 shaft diesel-electric, 2 Paxman diesel generators + electric motors, 615 hp (459 kW) / 825 hp (615 kW)
Speed	11.25 knots (21 km/h) surfaced 10 knots (19 km/h) submerged
Complement	33 officers and men
Armament	4 × forward 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 8 torpedoes one 3 inch gun

HMS Virulent was a V-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was built during the Second World War as part of the second batch (18 in number) of V-class submarines ordered on 21 May 1942.

Vickers-Armstrongs built her at High Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne. She was laid down on 30 March 1943, launched on 23 May 1944, and commissioned on 1 October 1944.

Fate

Virulent was lent to the Hellenic Navy as Argonaftis (U15) from 29 May 1946 until 3 October 1958. She was intended to be towed from Malta to the River Tyne. She broke adrift from the tow on 15 December 1958 and became stranded on the northern Spanish coast. She was then found and towed by two Spanish trawlers, the frigate Hernán Cortés and the patrol boat V-18 to Pasajes on 6 January 1959. Sold to a Spanish scrap company in spring 1961, she was eventually scrapped in April 1961 at Pasajes.

References

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• HMS Virulent at Uboat.net