Maritime History > Kent-built vessels

HM Submarine Seal (1938 - 1945)

(1/2) > >>

stuartwaters:

--- Quote from: Longpockets on April 01, 2020, 07:01:40 PM ---As far as I am aware they should be referred to as boats. I believe it is because the early submarines were quite small.
To some within the Royal Navy they were not the right vessel to fight the enemy, very ungentlemanly, "not cricket" they were considered as pirates, hence each boat had its own black jolly roger type flag.
I am sure if I have this wrong I will be corrected.

--- End quote ---


In the Royal Navy, Submarines have always been referred to as 'Boats', even the huge Vanguard Class Boats, each of which is a similar size to HMS Belfast and carries enough firepower to turn the world into a radioactive ashtray. And yes, they do return to port flying a Jolly Roger if they've engaged the enemy.

grandarog:
Slightly off topic.
      In the summer of 1962 I was on board a Mk 2 Shackleton of 42 Sqdn from RAF St Mawgan, when we made the last Aerial Torpedo attack on HMS Submarine Seraph before she was decommissioned.
     She was submerged at approx 7 Fathoms .
     We dropped 2 Mk 30 Practice Homing Torpedoes . They both struck her hull just forward  of the conning tower exactly as they were supposed to and were recovered by an RAF Pinnace from Mountbatton, when they surfaced at the end of their 4 minute runs.
      Seraph was specially Armoured as a target for Torpedoes and Practice Depth Charges.
      The sortie was a training role for an exercise in the Med later  that Summer when we dropped 2 live Mk 30's on a target at Filfla Island bombing Range (off the South coast of Malta.) The first disappeared into the depths somewhere and didn't explode. The second worked perfectly and produced a spectacular explosion and water spout. Our Shack circled the area for another 10 mins or so .We could see a trail of dead fish and seals or dolphins floating for about a mile down wind of the Island.
I often wonder how much un-exploded ordinance is on and around Filfla . I don't know if diving and fishing is still prohibited around the site.
     According to Wickypedia, it was some 3 years later before HMS Seraph was Broken up.

Longpockets:
As far as I am aware they should be referred to as boats. I believe it is because the early submarines were quite small.


To some within the Royal Navy they were not the right vessel to fight the enemy, very ungentlemanly, "not cricket" they were considered as pirates, hence each boat had its own black jolly roger type flag.


I am sure if I have this wrong I will be corrected.

Longpockets:

Dave Smith's post about HMS Seal today



HMS Seal. Stuart. Many thanks for that most interesting history. My dad, an electrical fitter on submarines in Chatham dockyard for very many years, worked on HMS Seal &, as was usual in those days- 1938-, the families of all the workforce were invited to the launch. I'm pretty sure we also toured the boat( I'm sure they were referred to as boats, despite my dad, ex WW1 RN artificer always saying "boats sail on rivers, ships sail on seas"!) for I can picture it now, all very spic & span & particularly the torpedo tubes & the spare torpedoes all forward. To an 8 year old a wonderful experience. Nice to know that almost all the crew survived, even if pow's.

Dave Smith:
HMS Seal. Stuart. Many thanks for that most interesting history. My dad, an electrical fitter on submarines in Chatham dockyard for very many years, worked on HMS Seal &, as was usual in those days- 1938-, the families of all the workforce were invited to the launch. I'm pretty sure we also toured the boat( I'm sure they were referred to as boats, despite my dad, ex WW1 RN artificer always saying "boats sail on rivers, ships sail on seas"!) for I can picture it now, all very spic & span & particularly the torpedo tubes & the spare torpedoes all forward. To an 8 year old a wonderful experience. Nice to know that almost all the crew survived, even if pow's.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page