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Two submarines of the Royal Australian Navy have borne the name Oxley, after explorer John Oxley.

[edit] O-Class submarine

The first HMAS Oxley was an O class submarine built by Vickers Armstrong Limited at Barrow-in-Furness in England, launched on 29 June 1926 and commissioned on 1 April 1927. HMAS Oxley paid off on 9 April 1931 and transferred to the Royal Navy on 10 April 1931. HM Submarines Oxley and Triton were patrolling off Norway on 10th September 1939 and had been in regular contact when Triton spotted an unidentified submarine off the coast of Norway. Believing it might be Oxley a number of signals of recognition were flashed by Triton. No reply was forthcoming and after several challenges Triton fired two torpedoes that struck the submarine and sent her to the seabed. Triton closed in on the area and found three survivors. A Board of Enquiry found that Oxley was some way out of position and that Triton had acted correctly and was not culpable for the sinking.