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Prior to the Allied landings in Italy in September, HMS/M Severn had been involved in cloak & dagger operations such as the landing of commandoes on the island of Sardinia where they were to destroy the torpedo bomber base at Cagliari (but that's another story). The year was 1943 and the events recounted herein occurred towards the end of that year, following the unconditional surrender of the Italians in September.
The atom bombs dropped on Japan at the end of the Second World War opened the door to the nuclear age. Seeing the potential for developing nuclear energy for the US Navy, Captain Hyman Rickover initiated a research programme that culminated in the launch of USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine.
Meanwhile, ballistic missile technology was developing fast but was still reliant on complex liquid fuels. The US Navy partnered with the army to develop a ballistic missile for both services but withdrew when solid fuels became a practical proposition.
Under the leadership of Rear Admiral William Raborn, the US Navy set up its own project: the Polaris weapon system. In 1960, the first missile-armed nuclear-powered submarine left on patrol, with forty more to follow in subsequent years.
Two years later, when Britain's Blue Streak and Skybolt plans were cancelled, Harold Macmillan and John F Kennedy agreed for Polaris to be supplied to the Royal Navy.
At a time of intensive re-examination of the NATO alliance, the 'special relationship' between the UK and USA, and Britain's role as a nuclear power, this is the first comprehensive history of Polaris.
It brings together technical aspects, the key characters, and the full stories of the American and British programmes.
17 pages added or updated in the last 1 month
Please help to maintain this site by reporting any Errors, Broken Links, Information or Site Issues on this page using this button
If you find this site useful, please consider supporting my work with a small Donation.
Please Note: Donations made using this option go directly to the site owner and not to the Submariners Association.
Thankyou for your support.
Prior to the Allied landings in Italy in September, HMS/M Severn had been involved in cloak & dagger operations such as the landing of commandoes on the island of Sardinia where they were to destroy the torpedo bomber base at Cagliari (but that's another story). The year was 1943 and the events recounted herein occurred towards the end of that year, following the unconditional surrender of the Italians in September.
The atom bombs dropped on Japan at the end of the Second World War opened the door to the nuclear age. Seeing the potential for developing nuclear energy for the US Navy, Captain Hyman Rickover initiated a research programme that culminated in the launch of USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine.
Meanwhile, ballistic missile technology was developing fast but was still reliant on complex liquid fuels. The US Navy partnered with the army to develop a ballistic missile for both services but withdrew when solid fuels became a practical proposition.
Under the leadership of Rear Admiral William Raborn, the US Navy set up its own project: the Polaris weapon system. In 1960, the first missile-armed nuclear-powered submarine left on patrol, with forty more to follow in subsequent years.
Two years later, when Britain's Blue Streak and Skybolt plans were cancelled, Harold Macmillan and John F Kennedy agreed for Polaris to be supplied to the Royal Navy.
At a time of intensive re-examination of the NATO alliance, the 'special relationship' between the UK and USA, and Britain's role as a nuclear power, this is the first comprehensive history of Polaris.
It brings together technical aspects, the key characters, and the full stories of the American and British programmes.
17 pages added or updated in the last 1 month
Please help to maintain this site by reporting any Errors, Broken Links, Information or Site Issues on this page using this button
If you find this site useful, please consider supporting my work with a small Donation.
Please Note: Donations made using this option go directly to the site owner and not to the Submariners Association.
Thankyou for your support.