Category Archives: UK Submarines

News, views and stories about UK submarines

A Part III’s Deck of Cards

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BRITISH SUBMARINE DEPTH CHARGERS PLAYING CARDS

A diesel boat came back from patrol and the pipe was made “All Part III books to the Wardroom. So all the Part III’s mustered at the wardroom except for one junior rating who had a pack of cards. The First Lieutenant said to him “Where is your Part III book?

The boy replied “Sir, I lost my Part III book down Q Recess and so I use this Deck of Cards instead.”

The First Lieutenant replied “Because of this, I am putting you on Captain’s report.

The rating was taken in front of the Captain said to him, “If you do not have a good reason, I will punish you as no other rating has ever been punished.”

The rating began laying out the deck of cards.

When I see the Ace, it tells me that there is but one Main Line.

When I see the Two, it reminds me of the planes – Fwd and Aft.

When I see the Three, it reminds of the three watch system – Red, White & Blue.

When I see the Four, it reminds me of the four types of torpedo – Mk8, 20, 23 & 24.

When I see the Five, it reminds me of the five compartments – Forends,  Accom. Space,  Control Room, Engine Room & After ends.

..and when I see the Six, it reminds me of the Six Valve Chest.

Sir, when I see the Seven, it reminds me of the number of masts – Fwd Periscope, After Periscope, Radar, ECM, Snort Induction, WT and Snort Exhaust.

When I see the Eight, it reminds me of the eight torpedo tubes – 6 Fwd & 2 aft.

When I see the Nine, it reminds me of the punishment I will get for losing my Part III book.

When I see the Ten, it reminds me of the number of months we have run from Faslane when being an SM1 boat.

When I see the Jack, it reminds me of all the jacky bastards living in the Fwd Mess.

When I see the Queen it reminds of me of Polaris Submarines and all the queens that man them.

When I see the King, it reminds me of you sir – the Captain.

There are two Jokers in the pack – the number of times I have been home this year.

There are Four suits, one for each mess – Fwd, Aft, Senior Rates and that other one.

There are Twelve picture cards, one each for the number of killicks that seem to be on my back at any one time.

There are Thirteen tricks, one each for the number of killicks that are on my back at any one time.

There are Fifty Two cards, one for each of the sailors that the Jimmy thinks are onboard.

There are Three Hundred & Sixty Five Spots, the number of days we turn to in a year.

And so you see Sir, my deck of cards serves me as a Part III Book, SMP6, Watch & Station Bill and Leave Record.

You see folks, this story is true – I was that Part III.

N.B. I was awarded 10 days nines, 30 Days stoppage of leave, 30 days stoppage of Submarine Pay and picked up for a haicut on the way out.

Source – Diesel Boats UK on Facebook

Falklands dispute: Argentina accuses UK of ‘defiance’ of anti-nuke treaty

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A sign at the Argentine-Brazilian border, translated into English, proclaims "The Malvinas are Argentine"

A sign at the Argentine-Brazilian border, translated into English, proclaims “The Malvinas are Argentine”

Argentina has lashed out at the UK for allegedly violating an international treaty and sending submarines with nuclear weapons capacity to the Falkland Islands- a nuclear-free zone.

“We currently are in an unstable stage of the implementation of the Tlatelolco treaty, which bans nuclear arms in Latin America and the Caribbean. [The Treaty] is being defied by the United Kingdom,” MercoPress quoted Eduardo Zuain, Argentina’s Foreign Relations secretary, as saying prior to the Disarming Conference at the UN.

Zuain also blamed London for a strong military presence in the Atlantic,“including submarines with the capacity to transport nuclear armory to a nuclear-free area,” alleging they were dispatched to the area 30 years ago during the conflict between Buenos Aeros and London.

“This is why Argentina in several opportunities has expressed its concern, before different international forums over the possibility that the UK could have introduced nuclear weapons to the South Atlantic,” Argentina’s representative said in Geneva.

Zuain pointed out that Falklands constitute one of the world’s most militarized territories with more than 1,500 British soldiers and 3,000 citizens.

The diplomat went onto argue that such a military presence also threatens other countries in the region.

“We deplore that the UK government so far has not provided requested clarifications on the incidents reported, nor has it given any information which could corroborate or deny recent displacements of nuclear submarines with the capacity to carry atomic weapons,” Zuain stated.

The 1969 Treaty of Tlatelolco banned nuclear arms in Latin America and the Caribbean and established a nuclear-free zone.

Conflict over the archipelago in the south-western Atlantic Ocean has been simmering since 1982 when the two countries fought a war that the British won. In 2010, a British company began oil exploration near the archipelago, which has led to an exacerbation of the conflict.

Recently, the President of Argentina Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner sent a letter to the British Prime Minister David Cameron calling to negotiate the return of the archipelago to Buenos Aires. The British prime minister replied that the population of the islands support the UK’s sovereignty, which he stipulates would be confirmed by a public referendum in March.

Source – RT Question More

UK – Search Begins for Famous World War II Submarine

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HMS Saracen
IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM The HMS Saracen on the River Mersey, U.K., in July 1942.

One of the most celebrated submarines of World War II could soon be located 70 years after she was scuttled to avoid falling into enemy hands.

On Aug. 14, 1943, the H.M.S. Saracen was deliberately sunk by her crew near the town of Bastia, on the northern coast of the French island of Corsica, after being damaged in a clash with Italian warships. She has lain undisturbed at the bottom of the Mediterranean ever since, but now a new operation to find her wreck is under way.

The André Malraux, a state-of-the-art, $13 million research vessel, departed from the French port of Marseille on Monday and is now combing the ocean floor in search of the lost British sub. France’s underwater archaeological unit (DRASSM) is using side-scan sonar to locate the remains and will then deploy a robotic camera to examine her down in the depths.

“A copy of the resulting pictures and film will be sent to the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport for their archives,” Terry Hodgkinson, a British author who has written extensively about the ill-fated vessel, told the U.K. Telegraph. “Some will also be sent to the family members of HMS Saracen’s crew.”

The 217-foot Saracen was one of the most successful Allied submarines marauding the seas of Europe. She torpedoed the Italian submarine Granito, the auxiliary submarine chaser Maria Angelette, the Vichy French tugs Provincale II and Marseillaise V, the Italian merchant ships Tagliamento and Tripoli and the German merchant vessel Tell, according to official records.

But on Aug. 13, 1943, she was mortally wounded by depth charges launched from the Italian corvettes Minerva and Euterpe; her superstitious captain, Lieut. Michael Lumby, insisted on waiting for a day to pass in order to avoid scuttling the ship on the unlucky Friday the 13th.

Two of the  Saracen’s 48 crewmembers died while attempting to flee the wreckage, meaning that her wreck is classed as an official war grave. Should the DRASSM find the submarine as expected, a bronze badge will be placed on top that bears the inscription: ‘In memory of H.M.S. Saracen and her Crew who played a vital role in the Liberation of Corsica. Sank 14th August 1943.’

One sailor who managed to escape with his life was William T. H. Morris, who was captured and eventually moved to the infamous prisoner of war camp at Marlag und Milag Nord in Germany.

Morris was incredibly proud to serve on the Saracen and kept a fascinating logbook. One of his poems, called Here’s to Us, includes the lines: “Here’s to the gallant submariners;
The boys with their torpedoes, by gad;
Those cool, imperturbable, calm, indisputable;
Nervy, inquisitive lads!”

Source – Time World

Rolls-Royce begins work on new Raynesway factory to build reactors for submarines

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WORK has officially started on Rolls-Royce’s new submarine reactor factory.

Yesterday, Vice Admiral Sir Andrew Mathews, the Royal Navy’s chief of fleet, conducted a ground-breaking ceremony at the company’s marine power site in Raynesway.

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The multi-million-pound Core Manufacturing Facility will replace existing production buildings at the site. It will produce reactor fuel cores for UK submarines and will support 300 Derby jobs.

Vice Admiral Sir Andrew Mathews leads the ground-breaking ceremony at the site of the new Rolls-Royce factory that will build reactors for the UK sub fleet.

Vice Admiral Sir Andrew Mathews leads the ground-breaking ceremony at the site of the new Rolls-Royce factory that will build reactors for the UK sub fleet.

The building is part of a phased revamp of the Raynesway site, which will take place over the next decade.

Sir Andrew said: “Rolls-Royce has played a vital role in supporting the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarine propulsion programme for over 50 years.

“This significant investment to regenerate the facility, to build our nuclear reactor cores, will ensure that the site continues to do so for decades to come.”

Jason Smith, president of submarines and chief operating officer for nuclear, said: “We are pleased to begin construction of this important facility, which will use the most advanced manufacturing techniques to enhance our world-leading nuclear manufacturing capability.

“The investment in this facility demonstrates the high level of trust that the Ministry of Defence has in both our technology and the expertise of our highly skilled workforce.”

Rolls-Royce is investing £500 million to regenerate its Raynesway site after striking a huge £1.1 billion deal last year to build submarine reactors for the MoD.

A further £600 million is being used to develop two submarine reactors.

One of the engines will be used to power a seventh Astute Class attack submarine and one will be for the first of the next generation of nuclear-deterrent submarines – the Vanguard, which can deploy Trident ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads.

They will replace the four existing Vanguards, the first of which is due to leave service in 2022.

The Government has said that a final decision on renewing the Trident missile system would not be made until 2016 – but long lead times meant that work on the project needs to start now.

Last week, Rolls-Royce signed a 10-year “foundation contract” with the MoD, worth £800 million.

It is aimed at delivering and supporting the UK’s nuclear submarine fleet.

The contract covers the overheads, running and business costs at Rolls-Royce’s submarines sites.

Source – This is Derbyshire

 

HMS Tireless returns to Plymouth after reactor leak

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HMS Tireless

HMS Tireless will undergo repairs in Plymouth

 

The Devon-based submarine HMS Tireless has returned to Plymouth after a leak in its nuclear reactor.

The Royal Navy said the small leak of coolant was contained within the reactor compartment of the Trafalgar-class hunter-killer vessel.

The navy said that the incident “posed no risk to the public, the environment or the crew”.

It added it was not yet known how long the repairs to the 28-year-old vessel would take.

Analysis

Scott Bingham Business reporter, BBC Spotlight

While HMS Tireless has had its fair share of problems, the Royal Navy has been able to keep the boat in sufficient shape to remain part of the UK’s armed forces for nearly 30 years.

The vessel is expected to be decommissioned this year.

The navy openly admits that it and four sister vessels still in service were “designed as Cold War warriors” and are now having to adapt to the demands of the 21st Century.

Any problem with any vessel’s nuclear systems must be treated very seriously, but those systems are completely contained in a sealed compartment.

There are also safety procedures in place to prevent radioactivity from leaking out of the vessel.

This, coupled with the fact the submarine has always come back to its base in a city populated by 250,000 people, shows the service is confident such situations can be kept safely under control.

It is the latest in a series of incidents that have affected the submarine.

In 2007, two mechanics died on board when a self-contained oxygen generator exploded while the vessel was under the North Pole.

The vessel was sailing under an ice pack 170 miles (275km) north of Deadhorse, in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, when the accident happened.

In 2000, a fault was discovered on board which then forced 12 hunter-killer nuclear submarines in the UK’s fleet to undergo intensive inspections.

The submarine became stranded in Gibraltar in May of the same year with a leak in pipe work leading from the nuclear reactor system.

It was there for nearly a year while repairs were carried out, putting a strain on relations with Spain, and drawing criticism from environmentalists.

In May 2003, it was taken to Scotland for repairs prompting a Ministry of Defence inquiry after it collided with an object at sea.

Source – BBC News

Troubled Trafalgar class nuclear submarine, HMS Tireless, in new reactor coolant leak

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HMS Tireless was the third of the Trafalgar class hunter-killer nuclear submarines. These are not nuclear armed but nuclear powered and conventionally armed.

Tireless was launched in 1985 and, at  28 years old, was due to be decommissioned this year. However, her service was extended for another four years due to the delay in the rollout of the new Astute class submarines.

Ten days ago, Tireless was taking part in a training exercise for new officers off the west coast, when a coolant leak developed within its sealed reactor unit. The Ministry of Defence has said that no risk was involved  to the public the environment or the crew.

Tireless was ordered back to the Faslane naval base on the Clyde where engineers inspected the leak; and then returned to her home base at Devonport.

She is said to face up to 10 months in dry dock while repair work is carried out.

Tireless is most famous for a series of troubling incidents.

She collided with an iceberg at 60 metres down on 13th May 2003 [it would have been the 13th]. This was the first return of the navy to under-ice operations since 1996. Neither her passive sonar nor other onboard sensors had given any warning of the proximity of the iceberg.  Tireless’s bow was forced down 9 degrees and she subsequently broke free of the iceberg at a depth of 78 metres. Some damage was done to her upper section.

She suffered an earlier leak  of her reactor coolant , in May 2000 in the Mediterranean. This saw her nuclear propulsion system shut down, with backup diesel power getting her into Gibraltar. She spent a year there under extensive repairs,  becoming the focus of serious diplomatic strain.

In March 2007, on deployment back in the Arctic, it was Tireless that had an internal explosion  in her forward section – later found to be caused by a defective or obsolete oxygen candle.This killed two of her crew – Leading Operator Mechanic Paul McCann; and Operator Maintainer (Weapons Submariner) 2 Anthony Huntrod.

Following the current incident, there is real concert that the cost of the failures experienced by  the new Astute hunter-killers – in forcing the extension of the lives of ageing Trafagar class submarines like Tireless – may be asking the impossible or the dangerous.

The problems in with commissioning of the Astute submarines are having a knock on effect on the nuclear safety of the older Tralfalgar hunter-killers that were due for decommissioned.

This latest reactor coolant leak is seen as potential evidence that this ship is actually reaching the end of her life. It may be that she has to be decommissioned and will not emerge from the extensive repair period now necessary.

Her preceding two siblings – class leader, HMS Trafalgar and HMS Turbulent have already been decommissioned, Tralfalgar in 2009 and Turbulent in JUly last year, 2012.

The current incident has reduced the hunter-killer fleet to a maximum of five instead of the recommended seven plus a spare needed to carry out vital duties, including protecting the UK’s Trident missile-carrying Vanguard submarines.

Of those five, Astute, Britain’s brand new £1.2billion attack submarine which – gloriously – ran aground in 2010 for the ultimate photo opportunity – just beside the Skye Bridge –  is still not fully operational. One other, possibly two, are in maintenance.

This latest incident comes just weeks after the Clyde-based Trident submarine,  HMS Vigilant ,was stranded in the US after its rudder broke, just after her £350million refit.

The leak will also fuel the heated political debate about nuclear submarines operating in Scottish waters.

Last night, local MSP, Michael Russell MSP for Argyll and Bute, called on the Ministry of Defence to clarify exactly what had happened. He said: “This is the latest in a long line of alarming incidents involving nuclear submarines off the coast of Scotland. ‘

Andy Smith of the UK National Defence Association, says: ‘The problems with HMS Tireless illustrate the folly of trying to have ‘defence on the cheap’ and failing to upgrade or replace equipment due to political short-sightedness and a defence policy dictated by the treasury rather than the military.’

Source – For Argyll

UK – HMS Churchill reunion (One for the diary – Pass it on)

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HMS CHURCHILL ASSOCIATION 8th REUNION DINNER/DANCE 28 Sept 2013

The next reunion will be at the Crown Plaza in Glasgow.

Prices and details are to be negotiated but it may be a bit more for the function this time, however there is a very good chance that along with the dance there will be a display by a full pipe band and support by Diaggio for the reception courtesy of the Meningitis Association.

Churchill Blazer Badges will be on sale at the reunion at £15 per badge. This is to covers costs.

Reunion tickets are available for sale Follow this link the tickets are £45 , however I have had to add the extra bits that paypal charges for the transaction so each ticket comes to £46.73, the donate button is to donate £5 to the Meningitis Charity.

Source – HMS Churchill website

UK – Submariners punished for drunken misconduct

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HMS Astute

Figures obtained by the BBC show that there have been more than 300 disciplinary incidents in the past three years on the navy’s 13 submarines, including 42 cases of misconduct or unfitness through alcohol or drugs.

The list of disciplinary offences, provided following a freedom of information request, itemises 13 instances of misconduct or unfitness due to alcohol or drugs on the four Trident submarines, which carry nuclear weapons as the nation’s nuclear deterrent.

It also details eight drink or drug related incidents on HMS Astute, the submarine on which a junior rating shot dead an officer in April 2011 after binge drinking while on shore leave. All eight cases occurred after this shooting.

An inquest last month into the death of Lt Cdr Ian Molyneux focused attention on what was described as a culture of excessive drinking among the submarine’s personnel.

Although alcohol is available on board Royal Navy ships and submarines, its consumption is extremely limited”

Navy spokesman

The inquest was told that Able Seaman Ryan Donovan had drunk more than 20 pints of cider and lager over two days before the attack, in which he also shot and injured another officer while the submarine was docked in Southampton.

Police investigating the murder were so alarmed about heavy drinking by the crew while ashore that the senior officer wrote to Hampshire’s Chief Constable to highlight the issue and the warning was passed to military authorities.

The coroner Keith Wiseman said a culture of drinking to excess had to stop, and recommended that a system of random alcohol testing for crew should be introduced.

The Royal Navy has tightened its rules on alcohol consumption before duty. “We take all disciplinary offences seriously,” a navy spokesman said.

“Although alcohol is available on board Royal Navy ships and submarines, its consumption is extremely limited and the RN’s promotion of healthy living, coupled with the professionalism of modern sailors, means that fewer sailors drink at sea than ever before,” he added.

“This is particularly true of the submarine service due to the demands of operating the boat and the restrictions of working a continuous six-hour watch routine.”

Submarines: numbers of offences
2010 2011 2012
FIGURES BASED ON INCIDENTS INVOLVING SERVICE PERSONNEL ON SUBMARINES
HMS Astute 11 14 26
HMS Ambush 0 3 3
HMS Talent 2 5 3
HMS Tireless 10 4 6
HMS Torbay 3 2 7
HMS Trafalgar 3 0 0
HMS Trenchant 4 22 11
HMS Triumph 7 4 2
HMS Turbulent 16 13 4
HMS Vanguard 14 9 9
HMS Vengeance 22 7 2
HMS Victorious 3 13 23
HMS Vigilant 3 11 10
Total 98 107 106
Total offences 2010-12 311

The most common form of misconduct within the submarine service is going absent without leave, which accounts for about half the incidents.

Alcohol and drug related misbehaviour is the next most frequent issue. According to the Ministry of Defence, these cases mainly involve alcohol rather than drugs.

Those involved are generally punished by a mixture of fines, restriction of privileges and stopping of shore leave.

The navy provided the BBC with details of 311 disciplinary incidents since January 2010 involving service personnel serving on submarines. This covers the 13 submarines in the service, but it can be difficult to contrast the disciplinary records of the various vessels without knowing their schedules and extent of times at sea.

Source – BBC News

UK – Rolls-Royce secures £800m MoD contract

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Engineering giant Rolls-Royce has struck an £800m deal with the Ministry of Defence, cementing its place as supplier of nuclear propulsion technology to the military for the next decade.

HMS Vanguard

In a written statement to MPs, Defence Minister Philip Dunne said the contract covered the overhead, running and business costs at Rolls-Royce Submarines sites. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

 

In a deal which the MoD says will save the public purse £200m and sustain 2,000 British jobs, the government has committed to covering Rolls’ overhead costs for the next 10 years.

The contract follows on from an agreement made in June last year, when Rolls secured £1.1bn from the government to revamp its Derby production plant.

It consolidates around 100 existing contracts between the manufacturer and the MoD and is the first of three deals the Ministry is expected to sign.

In a written statement to MPs, Defence Minister Philip Dunne said the contract covered the overhead, running and business costs at Rolls-Royce Submarines sites.

He said the new deal consolidated costs, focussed on efficiency and secured future terms and conditions between the firm and the MoD.

Jason Smith, Rolls-Royce chief operating officer and head of its submarines unit said: “I am pleased that we have agreed this enabling contract with the MoD which delivers significant savings to them over the next ten years and provides us with the stability to deliver these activities efficiently.

“It further reinforces the commitment to the submarine programme.”

The deal was struck weeks before Chancellor George Osborne unveils his 2013 budget, which is widely expected to feature further defence spending cuts, after the MoD absorbed around a fifth of total savings announced in the Autumn statement.

Britain’s 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) set the course for future UK defence spending, in which the government said it would cut spending by 8pc up to 2015.

Source – The Telegraph

UK – Amec appeal refused over £94m costs on submarine job

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 Screen Shot 2013-02-12 at 07.55.42

Amec’s legal battle to reduce the amount it must pay of a £93.6m cost overrun on a nuclear submarine jetty contract at Faslane has failed.

Now Amec and partners Morgan Sindall face a huge bill as they hammer out with the Ministry of Defence what proportion of cost overruns were properly incurred on the troubled project.

A costly legal battle has been running as both firms struggled to finish the Faslane SSN Berthing Project, first revealed in the Enquirer, more than four years late and at an expected final cost of £235.7m.

When the project was first awarded Amec was sole contractor for the jetty. But after Morgan Sindall acquired Amec’s construction arm for £26m back in 2007, the job became a 50:50 joint venture between the two firms.

Under the terms of the contract, the contractors are liable to pay the first £50m of overruns on the agreed maximum target price for the job, which has itself already risen from £89m to £142m.

This element was not challenged in the latest legal contest, but Amec held that the remaining £43.6m cost overrun should be split between client and contractor, with Amec due any costs howsoever incurred.

An arbitration panel rejected this saying the only costs payable were the actual costs reasonably and properly incurred within the contract.

A High Court judge has now refused Amec’s attempt to appeal this decision in a written ruling this week upholding the arbitration decision.

Source – Construction Enquirer