Source Van Stoom tot Atoom, 1961. Text G.A.J. Bovens-drawings G.J. Frans Naerebout
An item referred to the prediction of the scientific expert of the newspaper Financial Times that England possessed within 5 years a nuclear propelled tanker of at least 65.000 tons. He thought that the British Admiralty would found in 1957 a special plant for designing a prototype and that between 1961-1962 the first nuclear tanker could be launched. However such a ship could not be profitable operated. The estimated building costs were nearly 4 million pound sterling. If the research in England for another cooling method was successful could the building costs be limited to around 3 million and for a nuclear submarine 2 instead 2,5 million. Anyway the planned British submarine (1) was far more cheaper than her American opponent the USS Nautilus.(2)
Notes
1. The first British nuclear submarine was HMS Dreadnought (S101), laid down by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness, United Kingdom on 12 June 1959, launched on 21 October 1960, commissioned on 17 April 1963 and decommissioned in 1980.
2. .Nautilus (SSN-71), building awarded on 2 August 1951, laid down by General Dynamics on 14 June 1952, launched on 21 January 1954, completed on 22 April 1955, commissioned on 30 September 1954, decommissioned and stricken on 3 March 1980.
