Gal class submarine

The Type 540 Gal Class submarine was built in Vickers shipyards at Barrow in Furness in England according a design, based on Germany's HDW Type 206 submarine class and modified for Israeli requirements, for the Israeli Navy. "Gal" (גל - Hebrew for "wave") was the name of the son of Abraham (Ivan) Dror, 3rd commander of the squadron and head of the project.

The Gal class of submarines were the first submarines in the Israeli Navy that were built to the specific requirements of the Israeli Navy from the ground up. Previous generations of submarines employed by the navy were refurbished and upgraded boats whose hull designs dated back to the era before and during World War II.

Since going into service in the late-1970s, these small but agile and sophisticated submarines were continuously upgraded with newer systems to maintain their technological edge. However, in the late 1990s, the Gal submarines were replaced with the new Dolphin class submarine. In the early 2000s the Gal boats were decommissioned. One was scrapped and two were sent to Germany in hopes of finding them a foreign buyer.

On 11.10.2007 the Gal submarine had been transported to the Naval Museum in Haifa. It was opened to the public in a few days. Some changes were made in the submarine to make it accessible to the visitors like opening her side to make an entrance. Part of the changes have been made with the financial help of the German federal government.

Ships

The first ship commissioned was "Gal" in December 1976. It was damaged by grounding on her delivery voyage but was repaired.

The next 2 Gal class submarines were named after two ancient sea monsters mentioned in Isaiah 51:9:

"Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake as in the ancient days, In the generation of old! Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, (Rahav) and wounded the dragon? (in Hebrew, Tanin)"

*"Tanin" - commissioned in June 1977
*"Rahav" - commissioned in 18 December 1977

References

*"Conway's All the World's Fighting ships 1947-1995"

*http://www.submarines.dotan.net/gal/
*http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/naval/gal/Gal.html
*http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/israel/gal.htm
*http://www.dolphin.org.il