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Home , Depot ship, HMS Conqueror (1911), HMS Dolphin (1751), HMS Dreadnought (1906), HMS Dreadnought (S101), HMS Neptune (1909)

NMRN MUSEUM SERVICE NARRATIVE

REVIEWED BY THE COLLECTIONS RESEARCH AND LEARNING COMMITTEE OF THE TRUSTEES / 15 SEPTEMBER 2016 1 NMRN RNSM SERVICE NARRATIVE

NARRATIVE thousands of of shipping; also how just the threat of added to increase the flexible use of . We show 4 a submarine at sea can paralyse an entire fleet. We examine how these roles have taken submarines from the margins to Our narrative has four overlapping themes: the history of submarines in conflict and at particular points the heart of the Royal Navy, and we reflect on how, at times, of significant impact; the Baltic 1915-1917, the these roles allow submarines to be independent and, at People Mediterranean in 1941-1943, and the Falklands Conflict of others, that they require close co-operation with other naval 1982. We show the potential power that submarines have to forces. We tell the story of the people who have served in the Royal affect events on land; by the disruption of supplies, by the Navy’s submarines. We examine the qualities needed by threat of nuclear strike, and deployment of Tomahawk cruise Progress submariners – courage, determination and humour – and how missiles in conflicts in the Balkan and the Middle East. We these have developed within such a unique environment, as consider how developments in roles and the power of We describe the rapid pace of development of the Royal crews live and work within a cramped steel beneath the submarines have meant that submarine commanders have Navy’s submarines and the technologies that underpin them. sea. We trace the transition of submariners from 1901 when uniquely challenging decisions to make when on patrol, that We look at how this has taken place by examining the rest of the Navy disparagingly referred to them as the could have significant moral consequences. prototypes and innovation (some of which proved too ‘Trade’, to the revered heroes of two world wars, and finally dangerous to adopt) and show the contribution made by to the technical specialists of the 21st century who are Purpose ideas from outside the Royal Navy; in particular the Type 21 responsible for submarines with an awesome destructive German U-boats and the US Navy and power. We relate the dangers faced and the sacrifices made We describe how the stealth of the submarine has strategic weapons programmes. We chart the transformation by crews: in the high casualty rates of the First and Second revolutionised war at sea, and how crews working with a in scale from the Navy’s first submarine Holland 1 of 122 World Wars; in the technical and human challenges faced succession of new technologies have shaped different roles tonnes to the current Vanguard class of 15,900 tonnes. We since the by submariners who spend months at sea for submarines. We examine the use of the submarine as an link this to the creation of industrial facilities on shore on a without contact with their families, serving in a branch offensive weapon used to sink enemy and merchant national scale for building, operating and refitting the fleet. becoming less and less typical of modern life. We show how in both world wars, and in the post-war era when their We assess the operational impact of the change from boats the people in the relatively small Submarine Service have new role as hunter killer submarines for seeking and capable of submerging only for several hours to the nuclear made an impact out of proportion to their number. destroying enemy submarines was established. We look at submarines capable of remaining dived for months at a time; the use of the submarine for laying mines, landing Special with greatly increased underwater speeds capable of Power Forces and surveillance. We show how in response to the operating at extreme depths and even under the Arctic ice Soviet threat in the Cold War new roles developed; pack. We also look at how far the cramped, and unhygienic We examine the impact that submarines have had at sea and gathering intelligence against maritime forces, tracking living conditions of crews have changed from diesel boats on land, in peace and war. We show how a small – at times Soviet submarines and providing a continuous at-sea nuclear like HMS Alliance to the latest generation of nuclear even midget – submarine can sink a major surface or deterrence. Also how since 1990 yet further roles have been submarines.

Royal Navy Submarine Museum ~ Service Narrative

OURS IS THE STOR Y of the Royal Navy’s 2 1 The hazards of operating petrol driven submarines saw submariners lampooned as hapless and accident prone. Submarine Service, and its impact, from its beginning in 1901 to the present day. We tell this 2 As launched in 1945, HMS Alliance would be streamlined hidden story – of the constant risk and frequent for Cold War operations. sacrifice of crews, alongside the creation of one 3 ‘Sherwood Forest’, the middle level of the missile of the Navy’s most dedicated and perhaps least compartment of a ballistic .

understood branches – as a tangible memorial 4 Submariners display ‘Jolly Roger’ skull and cross bones to all submariners. battle flags, the symbols denote each successful action.

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HISTORICAL NARRATIVE 11 3 hands, and five others were lost before 1914. Risks in war iron ore to Germany. Extraordinary bravery was honoured This historical narrative outlines in more detail our story were greater still with 52 submarines lost from all causes in by the award of five Victoria Crosses; we cannot know how 1 HMS Alliance is showered in poppies. The submarine the First World War. many other acts go unrecorded because there were seldom within different periods; we will bring it to life through our has provided a focal point for acts of remembrance. museum galleries, collections, historic submarines, special any survivors when submarines were lost. exhibitions, programmes, publications and partnerships. Key 2 Sweater produced by the crew of HMS Conqueror Power to telling the story will be our historic assets – our museum to mark their part in the Falklands Conflict of 1982. Purpose collections, submarines, buildings and affiliate organisations. Royal Navy submarines made a significant impact in the First 3 Last of the Royal Navy’s petrol driven submarines; World War, sinking 53 enemy warships and 274 other vessels. The role of submarines developed significantly through the C class crew’s at Fort Blockhouse (HMS Dolphin), In the submarines kept a close watch on the First World War. At the outset the role was expected to be The historical narrative is designed to be an active tool for 1912. internal use which will help inform the decisions we need ’s forward base at Heligoland, where limited to coastal defence, but very quickly this expanded operating in shallow water German minefields and air into daring offensive operations. Submarines conducted to make to actually tell this story – from collecting strategy, 4 The Royal Navy’s submarine fleet at Fort Blockhouse to updates of permanent galleries, to more detailed site Gosport gathered for review by King Edward VII patrols took a heavy toll. In the Campaign independent attacks against enemy warships, merchant development plans. in 1908. submarines proved they could penetrate the heavily ships and surfaced submarines; they also carried out defended Dardanelles Straits where surface ships had failed. reconnaissance and minelaying. In the latter part of the war Once inside the they wreaked havoc on the steam-driven K class was introduced which was designed Turkish supply ships that were all but driven from the sea. In for a new role. With their high speed on the surface of over FIGURE 1 Narrative Sections the , despite bitter conditions over winter, just five 20 knots, they were planned to support a fleet by operating submarines were able to restrict German naval forces whilst ahead, providing reconnaissance and attacking enemy forces sinking thousands of tons of Swedish merchant ships carrying encountered. 2

The following sections sets out the key events /developments 4 which have been identified as a focus within our four themes; the sections will also map the NMRN’s existing assets to these themes.

190 1 ~1918 ORIGINS

People

The first submariners were few in number – even during the rapidly expanded service of the First World War – and were recruited from the Fleet. They were regarded as being eccentric mavericks, outside the mainstream; the divisions of class and rank which existed in ships were unsustainable with such small crews living in such cramped conditions; officers had to become technically knowledgeable and proficient in operating ship systems unlike their surface counter-parts. Living conditions at sea were basic, unhygienic and even unhealthy with very limited supplies of water and dangerous toxic fumes – from the outset facilities in harbour were provided by depot ships, the first being HMS Dolphin in Gosport.

Service in submarines was hazardous even in peacetime with risk from explosion, collision and accident, often with no hope of escape; in 1904 submarine A1 was lost with all

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Progress 191 9 ~1945 COMING OF AGE 2 3

The size, speed, range, diving depth and threat of the Royal speed of ten knots. The D class also had a gun and People Navy’s submarines developed rapidly between 1901 and 1918 three tubes making it the Royal Navy’s first ocean – with the introduction of many different designs. The five going submarine. By 1914 the more heavily armed E class Submariners continued to face hazards and serious accidents Holland class submarines, displaced just 122 tonnes, had a had entered service in large numbers becoming the in the inter-war years. In the event of an accident, rescue crew of eight and carried two 18-inch torpedoes. They were backbone of the submarine fleet in the First World War. facilities were still very limited, though escape training did powered on the surface by a petrol engine and when dived In 1917 the steam-driven K class were introduced but was begin with the introduction of Davis escape equipment in – to a maximum safe depth of 100 feet – were propelled by unstable and dangerous when dived, several sank earning 1927. The Service grew to a peak of 10,000 men during the a battery-powered electric motor which gave a maximum them the name of the ‘Kalamity Class’. In 1918 the R class Second World War; recruits were volunteers, joining boats speed of seven knots. By contrast HMS D1 launched just was introduced, able to carry out a then unique anti- with fewer distinctions of rank, where the crew were truly eight years later displaced 600-tons and was powered by submarine role and with a record maximum speed when ‘all of one company’. Submariners suffered the highest diesel engines which gave a range of 2,500 miles at a surface dived of 14 knots. casualty rate of any of the Navy’s branches; a total of 74 submarines were lost – nearly a third of all operational submarines – the majority with all hands. They served in a 1 highly pressured and exhausting environment, one which worked uniquely to concentrate awareness of what was happening on the surface – and responsibility for action – in the commanding officer alone. These, often young, men had to make the critical decisions to risk an attack or to ensure the boats survival; many won distinction, many too suffered the consequences of such stress.

Power

At the outbreak of the war the Submarine Service focused upon operations in the North Sea and the Norwegian coast, targeting German warships and shipping – extending operations into the Bay of Biscay when was overrun. The greatest successes came in the Mediterranean where the 1930s it became increasingly apparent that the submarine’s Progress 1 Submarine HMS E9 torpedoes the Hela, the first Tenth Flotilla’s (the ‘Fighting Tenth’) campaign against Axis offensive role would be independent operations against German sunk by a British submarine in shipping and warships disrupted supplies, especially to enemy warships and shipping, and this proved the case in Scarce resources were expended in the inter-war years upon the First World War. Rommel’s North African campaign – though the success came the Second World War. Developed during the war the X-craft the concept of the fleet support submarine including fitting 2 An officer demonstrates the Davis Submerged at a cost with 45 submarines lost. In the the RN midget submarines were deployed against heavily defended of heavy guns and embarkation of seaplanes, all of which Escape Apparatus, first used in 1929 and still in submarines achieved many successful sinkings of Japanese harbours that provided bases for capital ships such as the proved impractical. The 21-inch Mark VIII torpedo was use well into the 1950s. units; X-craft successfully attacked the Japanese Tirpitz. Submarines played a key role in inserting Special introduced in 1927 and was to remain in service, with Takao. Forces into occupied and in operations to deceive the modifications, until the 1980s. In many aspects it was 3 K class submarines at Algiers in the 1920s – enemy. Nine Victoria Crosses were awarded to submariners, German submarines which faced the operational imperative despite their fearful reputation the class were technologically advanced. Purpose of which four were to the crew of the X-craft midget to introduce technical innovations – such as the snorkel and submarines. boats with increased diving depths to 300 metres. The Royal During the inter-war years there was significant emphasis Navy was slower – for example to introduce surface radar- upon the use of submarines in a role supporting the surface though construction was significantly improved with the fleet, but this was abandoned in the 1930s. One class of introduction of welding which improved submarine strength submarine was built with the specific role of minelaying. and the speed of construction. Submarines were permanently based in the Mediterranean, in West Africa, the and the Far East in support of the Royal Navy’s role to protect the British Empire. In the

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1 Purpose was primarily anti-submarine but for a period it had the 4 secondary task of Fleet support. Overseas submarine bases in 1 The submarine HMS Forth, mother ship Immediately post-war the Submarine Service resumed its , , and had been withdrawn for the submarine flotilla at Malta during the 1950s. established role in Anti-Submarine training. However the by the 1970s as the British Empire declined and Canada and potential threat posed by the growing Soviet submarine Australia developed their own submarine forces. 2 A trainee surfaces at the of the 100 foot force was recognised as early as 1947 and intelligence (30 metre) Submarine Escape Training Tank (Sett). gathering patrols in the northern waters of the Barents Sea Progress 3 The launch of the Royal Navy’s first nuclear submarine began around the same time. Over the following two HMS by HM The Queen on , decades Soviet submarine forces grew in strength peaking at After the Second World War it was clear that submarines 21 October 1960. approximately 350 boats in the 1970s. Following the Nassau needed a step-change in technology to counter advances Agreement of 1962, the US committed to supply the UK with in anti-. The wartime submarines were 4 An officer checking the bearing accuracy of the search Polaris missiles and technology. The Royal Navy now had two modernised with streamlined hulls and other measures periscope in the control room of HMS Revenge. key roles: tracking Soviet hunter-killer and nuclear missile designed to make them faster and quieter underwater and submarines while also delivering the UK’s own nuclear to remain submerged for longer; much more powerful deterrent with the commission of four new Resolution Class ‘active’ systems were added, snorkels were fitted that ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). From 1969 onwards the allowed them to operate at periscope depth whilst still using Resolution boats and subsequently the Vanguard class have their diesel engines. The Porpoise and Oberon classes of maintained unbroken deterrent patrols providing the UK diesel boats, introduced from 1958, brought a number of with the ultimate defence capability. The role of the SSNs significant technical improvements which made them far

194 5 ~1989 THE COLD WAR supplies of fresh water increased, but hot bunking was also 2 3 more capable of meeting the operational requirement of widespread. Once ashore crews lived with a need to keep the post war period. In the late 1950s two experimental High People secrets that was more vital than ever, and in an environment Test Peroxide (HTP) powered submarines were built and where some public opinion – e.g. the permanent Peace Camp achieved very high underwater speeds but were hindered by Immediately after the War the Submarine Service continued at Faslane since 1982 – has questioned the need and morality numerous technical limitations – not least the volatility of to be drawn largely from volunteers. However, at times a of their work. the fuel, earning HMS Explorer the nickname HMS Exploder. shortage of manpower prevented boats going to sea, This type of propulsion was eclipsed by the advent of nuclear technical skills had to be drafted in and for a number of Power power at sea. years the Service was seen as a career backwater. The advent of nuclear powered submarines and the Polaris missile system During the Indonesian Confrontation, 1962-65, submarines The first Royal Navy nuclear powered submarine saw the Service rapidly expanded – becoming a significant demonstrated their versatility in conducting both valuable Dreadnought was commissioned in 1963 with the USN proportion of naval manpower – and its people successfully intelligence gathering missions and the landing of Special providing its nuclear power-plant. The Swiftsure Class SSN met the difficult challenge of transition from conventional Forces. During the 1982 Falklands Conflict, HMS Conqueror introduced in 1973 was the Royal Navy’s first deep-diving power to nuclear propulsion. This clear increase in and other SSNs emphatically demonstrated the ability of the submarine with a safe operating depth of 1,250 feet. It was professionalism and prestige led to many promotions of nuclear submarine to project power; their speed meant they followed by the Trafalgar Class SSN which first entered submariners to Flag Rank; Sir John Fieldhouse became First were the first vessels to enter the South Atlantic, carrying a service in 1982. The four vessel 7,500 ton Polaris submarine Sea Lord and Chief of the Defence Staff. threat which affected enemy operations even before they force was commissioned from 1968 onwards. Guided homing actually arrived. Their stealth and operational independence torpedoes were introduced in the 1960s and the 65 mile Conditions for crews operating on board changed as made them a powerful threat and following Conqueror’s range Sub-Harpoon anti-ship missile was fitted in SSNs from technical advances such as the snorkel increased the length sinking of the Argentinian Belgrano the Argentine 1982. The last of the Submarine depot ships – HMS Forth de- of dives – HMS Alliance setting a new world record in 1947 Navy could not tolerate any further losses and effectively commissioned in 1978. Submarine escape equipment for time spent submerged. Four peacetime submarine losses returned to harbour. Intelligence gathering operations continued to improve and a rescue capability was available reinforced the need for better escape and rescue facilities against Soviet maritime forces took place predominantly from the 1970s. and even better trainings and standards of professionalism. in the North and Barents, Baltic and Nuclear submarines allowed longer patrols and many other Mediterranean seas. Royal Navy submarines began changes (not always improvements) to conditions for crews – periodically deploying under the Arctic ice-cap.

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1 there is a shortage of specialist engineering skills. Despite Purpose 3 4 these challenges individuals have shown admirable flexibility in managing change; life at sea will change further as the A reduction in force levels in the 1990s was not matched 2014 decision enabling women to serve on Trident Class by a reduction of roles, or of commitments for the Service. submarines takes effect. The importance of submarines in intelligence gathering has grown yet further; submarines’ ability to share what they Power gather has been assisted by the introduction of High Data Rate Communications via satellite which has also Maintaining the power of an ageing fleet to deliver these revolutionised the information provided to submarine roles has been a significant challenge with reductions in commanders on deployment. Continuous at-sea deterrence numbers of SSNs and of diesel submarines. The submarine has been maintained by the Polaris/Trident weapon systems base at Gosport HMS Dolphin was closed in 1994 and the from 1996 onwards, but the SSBNs have added the sub- remaining squadrons are based in either Devonport or strategic nuclear role previously the responsibility of the Faslane. Staff work to create a ‘single operational base’ Royal Air Force. at Faslane is underway. The Tomahawk land-attack (TLAM) missile was introduced The Tomahawk missile with 1,000lb warhead and range in the late 1990s and has given SSNs the additional role of of up to 1,000 miles has been a visible sign of submarines power projection through attacking land targets. The Astute active part in recent conflicts; TLAM launched against targets Class is fitted with a dry-deck shelter facility – making them in Kosovo (1999), Afghanistan (2001), Iraq (2003) and Libya the stealthiest way to arrive and insert Special Forces on a (2012). Intelligence gathering has been extended along foreign shore. coastlines in the Middle-East, and, following a first deployment in 1993, Royal Navy submarines now provide a regular presence East of Suez.

2 Progress 1990 ~PRESENT CHANGING WORLD 1 First used as a submarine shore support base in 1954, Faslane (HMS Neptune) pictured in the 1980s. The Upholder Class diesel submarine was introduced in 1989, People but as part of post-Cold War defence cuts all four vessels of 2 The Royal Navy’s submarine-launched Tomahawk this class were decommissioned after only a few years’ land attack cruise missile breaks surface. The need since 1990 to deliver an expanded range of roles, service; with the paying-off of the last of the Upholder Class with a reduced fleet of submarines, has created a different 3 Vanguard class deterrent submarines berthed in 1994 the Flotilla became an all-nuclear force. From the set of challenges for the Submarine Service. Crews are no alongside their shore support base in Faslane, mid-1990s the Resolution Class ‘Polaris’ force was replaced longer predominantly all volunteers, and recruitment can Scotland. by the 15,900 ton Vanguard Class submarines that carry the be a problem as the restrictions demanded by the Service Trident ballistic missile system which, like Polaris, was also remove it further from what is normal in general naval 4 Two Upholder class, these were the last diesel purchased from the US Navy. powered submarines to serve with the Royal Navy. service, and from everyday life. Secrecy, silence and yet less visibility are incompatible with expectations that personal The SSN force downsized from a peak of 17 hulls to only lives remain connected through social media. Demands seven by the early 2000s and the first of the new 8,000 placed on crews have increased further as work packages Astute Class SSN was commissioned in 2010 several years late required to keep an ageing fleet in operation mean crews and 19 years after the last of the Trafalgar Class entered can be as busy in harbour as at sea; better shore facilities service. British ship-building capability – alongside design have helped people cope, but at times training opportunities and project management of procurement – were have been squeezed and leave has become difficult to take. significantly diminished in this period; co-operation with Retention of personnel too is a persistent problem because the US Navy was essential. of fewer opportunities for advancement in a reduced fleet;

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