Royal Navy Submarine Service

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Submarine Service
Founded 1901
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy

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The Royal Navy Submarine Service is the collective name given to the submarine element of the Royal Navy. It is sometimes known as the "Silent Service", on account of a submarine being required to operate quietly in order to remain undetected by enemy SONAR (or ASDIC as it was known in the RN pre-1948). The service currently consists of nine Fleet submarines (SSNs), of the Swiftsure and Trafalgar class, and four ballistic missile submarines (SSBN), of the Vanguard class. It also operates the LR5 Submarine Rescue System ROV.

All the Royal Navy's current submarines (with the exception of the LR5, which is strictly speaking a submersible rather than a submarine) are nuclear powered.

Contents

[edit] History

HMS Holland 1, the first-ever submarine to be commissioned by the Royal Navy. She can still be seen at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport.
HMS Holland 1, the first-ever submarine to be commissioned by the Royal Navy. She can still be seen at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport.
The "Dolphins" badge, issued to all British submariners on completion of training. It is worn on the upper left breast, just above any medal ribbons.
The "Dolphins" badge, issued to all British submariners on completion of training. It is worn on the upper left breast, just above any medal ribbons.

The United Kingdom was the last major maritime power not to use submarines at the beginning of the 20th century, as the idea of submarine warfare was considered by many senior personnel in the Admiralty to be "Underhand, unfair and damned un-English"[1] (Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson VC, 1901). However, those in favour of experimenting with submarine technology eventually won the argument, and the Royal Navy launched its first submarine, Holland 1, in 1901.

The Submarine Service proved its worth in World War I, where it won five of the Royal Navy's 14 Victoria Crosses of the war, the first by Lieutenant Norman Holbrook, Commanding Officer of HMS B11.

During World War II the major operating arenas were the Norwegian waters; the Mediterranean where a flotilla of submarines fought a successful battle against the Axis replenishment route to North Africa; and the Far East where Royal Navy submarines disrupted Japanese shipping operating in the Malacca Straits[2].

The first British nuclear-powered submarine, HMS Dreadnought (S101) was launched in 1960 based around a US-built nuclear reactor. This was complemented by the Valiant class from 1966, which featured the Rolls-Royce PWR1 reactor.

Royal Navy submarines became an important part of the strategic nuclear deterrent with the introduction of the Resolution class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) from 1968. These carried US-built Polaris missiles and were later replaced by the Vanguard class submarines and the Trident missile system from 1994.

HMS Conqueror (S48) flying a Jolly Roger on returning to Faslane having sunk ARA General Belgrano.
HMS Conqueror (S48) flying a Jolly Roger on returning to Faslane having sunk ARA General Belgrano.

HMS Conqueror made history in 1982 during the Falklands War when she became the first nuclear-powered submarine to sink a surface ship, the ARA General Belgrano.

In May 1991 Oberon class submarines HMS Opossum and her sister HMS Otus returned to the submarine base HMS Dolphin in Gosport from patrol in the Persian Gulf flying Jolly Rogers (see below), the only indication that they had been involved in alleged SAS and SBS reconnaissance operations[3].

In 1999 HMS Splendid participated in the Kosovo Conflict and became the first Royal Navy submarine to fire a cruise missile in anger. [4]

After Operation Veritas, the attack on Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces following the 9/11 attacks in the United States, it emerged that HMS Trafalgar she was the first Royal Navy submarine to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles against Afghanistan,[5]. HMS Triumph was also involved in the initial strikes . On April 16, 2003 it was reported that HMS Turbulent, the first Royal Navy vessel to return home from the war against Iraq, had launched fourteen Tomahawk cruise missiles. [6]

[edit] The Jolly Roger and the Submarine Service

Main article: Jolly Roger

Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson VC, the Controller of the Royal Navy, summed up the opinion of many in the Admiralty at the time when he said in 1901 "[Submarines are] underhand, unfair, and damned un-English. ... treat all submarines as pirates in wartime ... and hang all crews."[7][8] In response, Lieutenant Commander (later Admiral Sir) Max Horton first flew the Jolly Roger on return to port after sinking the German cruiser SMS Hela and the destroyer SMS S-116 in 1914.[9][10]

In World War II it became common practice for the submarines of the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy to fly the Jolly Roger on completion of a successful combat mission where some action had taken place, but as an indicator of bravado and stealth rather than of lawlessness. The Jolly Roger is now the emblem of the Royal Navy Submarine Service.[11]

In 1982 returning from the Falklands conflict HMS Conqueror flew the Jolly Roger depicting one dagger for the SBS deployment to South Georgia and one torpedo for her sinking of the Argentinian Cruiser Belgrano.

On her return to Faslane from Kosovo, on July 9, 1999, HMS Splendid flew the Jolly Roger. [12] . HMS Trafalgar and HMS Triumph did the same upon their return from Operation Veritas, as did HMS Turbulent on its return from Iraq in 2003.

[edit] The Perisher

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The Perisher (as the Submarine Command Course is better known) is a 24 week course all officers must take prior to serving as an Executive Officer on board a Royal Navy Submarine. It has been run twice a year since 1917, usually starting on 02 July and 14 November each year. It is widely regarded as one of the toughest command courses in the world, with an historical failure rate of 25%[13].

If at any point during the training a candidate is withdrawn from training he will be nominated for boat transfer and kept occupied until the transfer. His bag is packed for him and he is notified of the failure when the boat arrives. On departure he is presented with a bottle of whisky. A failure on Perisher means that it is very unlikely the candidate will return to the Submarine Service.

[edit] Traditions

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The Submarine Service has many traditions that are not found in the surface fleet. These include slang unique to submariners (such as referring to the weapons storage department as the Bomb Shop and the engine room as the Donk Shop[14]), a special communications code known as the Dolphin Code and the entitlement of a sailor to wear Dolphins upon entering the service.

[edit] Active submarines

[edit] Fleet submarines

As of 2006, the Submarine Service consists of two classes of Fleet (sometimes known as attack or Hunter-Killer) submarines - the Swiftsure class submarine and the Trafalgar class submarine. Since they are all nuclear submarines, they are classified as SSNs.

These submarines are armed with the Spearfish torpedo for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. Some are also armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles for attacking targets on land. This capability was used by HMS Trafalgar against the Taliban in 2001 during Operation Veritas. The Fleet submarines are also capable of surveillance and reconnaissance missions[15]

Royal Navy Fleet submarines in active service[16]
Name Class Pennant Number Launched
HMS Superb Swiftsure S104 1974
HMS Sceptre Swiftsure S104 1976
HMS Trafalgar Trafalgar S107 1981
HMS Turbulent Trafalgar S87 1982
HMS Tireless Trafalgar S88 1984
HMS Torbay Trafalgar S90 1985
HMS Trenchant Trafalgar S91 1986
HMS Talent Trafalgar S92 1988
HMS Triumph Trafalgar S93 1991

[edit] Ballistic submarines

Main article: Vanguard class submarine

The four ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) of the Royal Navy are all of the Vanguard class. They were all built by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd, now BAE Systems Submarines. The SSBN flotilla or bomber 'fleet' fleet tends to be almost a separate entity, for example it rarely uses pennant numbers preferring to use hull numbers, thus Vanguard 05, Victorious 06, Vigilant 07 and Vengeance 08.

The four Vanguard class boats are responsible for the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent, and use the Trident missile system. Each boat is capable of carrying up to 16 Trident II D5 Missiles and each may carry up to 12 warheads giving a quite formidable potential. It is UK Government policy to limit that number to a total of 48 warheads per boat.

There has been an SSBN on patrol continuously for over 30 years, representing over 300 missions.

Royal Navy ballistic missile submarines in active service[17]
Name Class Pennant Number Launched
HMS Vanguard Vanguard S28 1992
HMS Victorious Vanguard S29 1993
HMS Vigilant Vanguard S30 1996
HMS Vengeance Vanguard S31 1998

[edit] LR5 Submarine Rescue System

The Royal Navy also operates the LR5 Submarine Rescue System, designed for retrieving sailors from stranded submarines. It is capable of rescuing 16 at a time.

[edit] Future submarines

The Royal Navy is to receive at least four new Astute class submarines, boats being delivered in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014 - 3 or 4 more are planned. The Swiftsure-class will be entirely decommissioned by 2010. HMS Trafalgar is to be decommissioned in 2008, followed by HMS Turbulent in 2011. The Astute Class submarine will be the biggest nuclear Fleet submarine ever to have been in service with the Royal Navy, nearly 30% larger than its predecessors. This is due to the powerplant, the Rolls Royce PWR2 reactor (developed for the Vanguard class SSBN). The armament of Astute class is set to be 38 Spearfish torpedoes (the US equivalent is the Mk48 ADCAP torpedo), Tomahawk Block III/IV Cruise Missiles and submarine launched mines.

It is unclear whether more Astute class submarines will be ordered. Another development project is the Maritime Underwater Future Capability (MUFC). These will follow on from the Astute class and possibly replace the Trafalgar class. Reports (e.g. in Defense News) have suggested that the MUFC studies may result in a single class of multi-role submarines to replace the Trafalgar class, Vanguard class SSBNs and eventually the Astute class. This would require a submarine capable of launching conventional land attack missiles, some form of nuclear missile (ICBM or tactical nuclear missile) as well as conventional submarine munitions including mines and torpedoes.

A new generation of ballistic missile submarines is also being planned, following a December 2006 Ministry of Defence white paper which recommended that the nuclear weapons should be maintained into the 2040s. It advocated the currently preferred submarine-based system, as it remained the cheapest and most secure deterrence option available.

[edit] See also

[edit] Further reading

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Stephen Wentworth Roskill (1968). Naval Policy Between the Wars, Walker, ISBN 0870218484 p. 231. cites A. J. Marder, Fear God and Dread Nought, vol. I (Oxford UP, 1961), p.333 and also Williams Jameson, The Most Formidable Thing (Hart-Davis, 1965) pp. 75-76.
  2. ^ http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.2558
  3. ^ Opossum and Otus were seen returning to HMS Dolphin ... with a jolly roger
  4. ^ Barton Gellman U.S., NATO Launch Attacks on Yugoslavia Washington Post 25 March 1999
  5. ^ Trafalgar Returns March 1, 2002
  6. ^ Cruise missile sub (HMS Turbulent) back in UK by Richard Norton-Taylor in The Guardian April 17, 2003
  7. ^ "underhand, unfair, and damned un-English."(Stephen Wentworth Roskill (1968). Naval Policy Between the Wars, Walker, ISBN 0870218484 p. 231. cites A. J. Marder, Fear God and Dread Nought, vol. I (Oxford UP, 1961), p.333 and also Williams Jameson, The Most Formidable Thing (Hart-Davis, 1965) pp. 75-76.)
  8. ^ "underhand, ... and damned Un-English. ... treat all submarines as pirates in wartime ... and hang all crews." (J. R. Hill (1989). Arms Control at Sea, Routledge, ISBN 0415012805. p.35 cites Marder, From the Drednoughts to Scapa Flow p.332)
  9. ^ Staff, The Jolly Roger on a webpage of the National Museum of the Royal Navy
  10. ^ HMS Triumph and HMS Superb
  11. ^ General information on the Royal Navy Submarine Service use and history of the Jolly Roger
  12. ^ Swiftsure Class Nuclear Fleet Submarines
  13. ^ Perisher Sumarine Command Training in the Royal Navy
  14. ^ Rick Jolly, Jackspeak: A Guide to British Naval Slang & Usage, FoSAMMA (2000), ISBN 0-9514305-2-1
  15. ^ http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.2441
  16. ^ http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.2441
  17. ^ http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.2420