In 1953 she took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.[2] In 1955 she was the first of her class to be rebuilt and streamlined. In 1966 she completed a refit and recommissioned for service with the Home Fleet. In 1967 she undertook a Home Fleet Squadron tour to the West Indies and later that year attended Portsmouth Navy Days.[3]
Like all Amphion-class submarines, Artful had a displacement of 1360t when at the surface and 1590t while submerged. It had a total length of 293feet, a beam of 22feet, and a draught of 18feet. The submarine was powered by two Admiralty ML eight-cylinder diesel engines generating a power of each. It also contained four electric motors each producing that drove two shafts.[4] It could carry a maximum of 219t of diesel, although it usually carried between 159t165t.[4]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.5kn and a submerged speed of 8kn.[5] When submerged, it could operate at 3kn for 90nmi or at 8kn for 16nmi. When surfaced, it was able to travel 15200nmi at 10kn or 10500nmi at 11kn.[4] Artful was fitted with ten 21inches torpedo tubes, one QF 4 inch naval gun Mk XXIII, one Oerlikon 20 mm cannon, and a .303 British Vickers machine gun. Its torpedo tubes were fitted to the bow and stern, and it could carry twenty torpedoes. Its complement was sixty-one crew members.[4]