Top
Share
Home

Welcome

This website is brought to you in association with the Barrow-in-Furness Branch of the Submariners Association and is the premier UK internet resource for Submariners and anyone interested in Royal Navy Submarines.

Vickers and Barrow are names synonymous with the development of the submarine. Hundreds of submarines covering virtually every class have been built for the Royal Navy and foreign Navies. This site is dedicated to not only to those who have served on Her Majesty's Submarines but also to those employees past and present whose skills and efforts have given pride to the phrase 'Barrow built' and made the name Vickers known and respected throughout the world.

On This Day - January 12

1909 C 32 (I 62) Laid Down
1922 HMS Victory HMS Victory was taken out of service afloat, entering Number 2 Dock in Portsmouth, the world's oldest drydock
1935 Severn (N 57) Completed
1937 Trident (N 52) Laid Down
1942 Unbeaten (N 93) HMS Unbeaten torpedoes and sinks the German submarine U-374 south-west of Cape Spartivento, Calabria, Italy.
1943 Unshaken (P 54) HMS Unshaken attacks the Italian merchant Campania north-west of Marettimo Island, Italy. All torpedoes missed.
1943 X 7 (Pdinicchthys) Completed
1944 Unruly (P 49) HMS Unruly sinks a Greek sailing vessel with gunfire north of Syros Island, Greece.
1950 Truculent (P 315) HMS Truculent sank with the loss of 64 lives

On 12th January 1950 HMS Truculent sailed from Chatham to carry out trials, having just completed a refit; in addition to her normal compliment she was carrying an additional 18 dockyard workers. The trials complete she set a course for Sheerness, which would take her through the Thames Estuary hat night. At 7 o'clock a ship showing three lights appeared ahead in the channel. It was decided that the ship must be stationary and as Truculent could not pass to the starboard side without running aground, the order was given to turn to port. At once the situation became clear as the cargo ship Divina came out of the darkness: the extra light indicated that she was carrying explosives. A collision was unavoidable. The two vessels remained locked together for a few seconds before the submarine sank.
Lastest Comments
31/12/2025 on page Unruly (P 49)
Prue Hames wrote:
My Father served on HMS Unruly - Able Seaman John Smith DSM
05/12/2025 on page The History Of British Submarine Sonars
Alan Moore wrote:
The interim sonar prior to 2046 was 2061 not 2062. I worked on 2031z and 2061 between 1985 & 1987 at ARE Portland North. If I looked up from my desk I had a great view of a portion of Portland Harbour and lots of Weymouth Bay.
30/11/2025 on page Affray (P 421)
richard lacey wrote:
Not sure that a raised periscope and radar indicate a dived situation, as on my sub, they were always raised on the surface; otherwise, they could not be used
17/11/2025 on page P 222
Grace Absolom wrote:
Richard William Absolom is my grandfather. He was my dad\'s father. My dad was 3 years old when the P222 disappeared. We often talk about what might have happened.
10/11/2025 on page Thorn (N 11)
Stuart Newland wrote:
My uncle, John Leonard Newland went down on the Thorn. My dad was only about 6 when it happened but he still lays a poppy for him every year at the Royal Navy Memorial at Chatham where he is commemorated.