HMS Courageous (S50) is a decommissioned Churchill-class[1] nuclear fleet submarine in service with the Royal Navy from 1971. She is now a museum ship managed by the Devonport Naval Heritage Centre.

Decommissioned HMS Courageous
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Courageous
Laid down15 May 1968
Launched7 March 1970
Commissioned16 October 1971
Decommissioned10 April 1992
Motto
  • Fortiter in Angustis
  • ("Bravely in straits")
StatusMuseum ship
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeChurchill-class submarine
Displacement4,900 tonnes (submerged)
Length86.9 m (285 ft 1 in)
Beam10.1 m (33 ft 2 in)
Draught8.2 m (26 ft 11 in)
PropulsionOne nuclear reactor, one shaft
Speed28 knots (52 km/h) submerged
Complement103
Armament

In 2021, plans to set up a Cold War Centre around Courageous entered their first phase of implementation, supported by the National Museum of the Royal Navy.[2]

Operational history

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In 1982, Courageous along with her sister ship, HMS Conqueror, was sent with the British task force to retake the Falkland Islands from the occupying Argentine forces. She returned home later in the year without damage. Courageous was retired from service in 1992.

During the HMNB Devonport Navy Days 2006, one of the members of the team restoring HMS Courageous pointed out that HMS Valiant was one of the first Royal Navy submarines to have her reactor removed. As Valiant had been cosmetically wrecked by this work, HMS Courageous was selected for the museum ship to represent the nuclear submarine fleet of the Royal Navy during the Cold War. Components were removed from HMS Valiant to restore Courageous.[citation needed] HMS Courageous was due to be moved in 2007 from her current berth to a new berth, due to development of the HMNB Devonport area where she resided.

References

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Cited footnotes

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  1. ^ Marshall, Jack (21 September 2021). "Submerged: Life under the waves on the HMS Courageous, the Preston-affiliated nuclear submarine". Lancashire Evening Post. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  2. ^ Phillips, Andy (5 November 2021). "Nuclear submarine could open to the public next year in Plymouth". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 10 July 2022.

Cited texts

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  • HMS Courageous: A Cold War Veteran. Published by the Courageous Society 2008.
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50°22′51.22″N 4°11′07.05″W / 50.3808944°N 4.1852917°W / 50.3808944; -4.1852917