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Oxley (N 55)

Built By: Vickers (Barrow)
Build Group: O1a
Fate: HMS Oxley was torpedoed, in error, by HMS Triton (Lieutenant Commander Hugh Patrick de Crecy Steel, Royal Navy) in the North Sea (off Norway) on Sunday 10th September 1939. HMS Oxley had accidentally strayed into the patrol area allocated to HMS Triton and had failed, for various reasons to respond to challenges.

The Submarine Crew included a large proportion of Reservists, some of whom had served in Submarines in WWI, had only just been recalled for further Active Service.

There were only two survivors – the Commanding Officer Lt Cdr Harold Godfrey Bowerman and Able Seaman Herbert Gluckes C/J105279

Oxley

Oxley

Oxley and others

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Built for the Royal Australian Navy. One of two ocean going submarines ordered.

On their eleven day delivery voyage to Australia in 1928, Oxley and Otway encountered very severe weather in the Bay of Biscay which badly strained their engine columns, forcing them to remain in Malta for several months whilst British experts repaired the damage.

Whilst at Malta they were reduced to a Reserve state and were unable to leave Malta until November of 1928.

After useful service in the Royal Australian Navy, the two vessels were transferred to the Royal Navy in 1931 where they served in the Home Flotilla

1931 - 1936: Mediterranean
1937 - 1938: Portsmouth
1939: Home Waters.

She was the first British vessel to be lost in WWII.

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Read

HMS Oxley sunk by HMS Triton

Lieutenant-Commander H P de C Steel, Royal Navy, HMS Triton testimony given at the Board of Inquiry into the circumstances of the loss of HMS Oxley

Roll of Honour
52
Banks, John Alfred Thomas
C/J110100
Born: 16th May, 1908.
Aged: 31
From: Kandy Ceylon/India
Able Seaman
Bargrove, Richard Ernest John
C/J41545
Born: 31st Jan, 1899.
Aged: 40
From: West Ham, Essex UK
Chief Petty Officer
Bishop, John James
C/SSX 18445
Born: 28th Dec, 1914.
Aged: 24
From: Sunderland, Co. Durham UK
Able Seaman
Bonnett, Harry Douglas
P/K62458
Born: 18th Sep, 1900.
Aged: 38
From: Brighton, Sussex UK
Chief Stoker
Had 3 service numbers SS121568 (1916), J49198 (1919), K62458 (1925-1939)
Burgess, Herbert Donald
P/M33700
Born: 22nd Mar, 1900.
Aged: 39
From: Isle Of Wight, Hants UK
Electrical Artificer 1st Class
Butt, George Albert
C/KX 76126
Born: 2nd Jun, 1906.
Aged: 33
From: Bath, Somerset UK
Stoker 1st Class
Coppinger, Robert Patrick
Born: 3rd Aug, 1910.
Aged: 29
From: Portsmouth, Hants UK
Lieutenant
Davis, Horace Edward
P/KX 86668
Born: 4th Jul, 1917.
Aged: 22
From: Portsmouth, Hants UK
Stoker 1st Class
Dicker, Robert
P/JX 125939
Born: 22nd Oct, 1909.
Aged: 29
From: Christchurch, Hants UK
Petty Officer
Dover, William Alfred
C/J113040
Born: 2nd Jun, 1906.
Aged: 30
From: Bath, Somerset UK
Signalman
Farbrace, Percy John
C/J108523
Born: 8th Apr, 1908.
Aged: 31
From: Faversham, Kent UK
Leading Seaman
Faux, Frederick William
C/J112436
Born: 28th Jan, 1909.
Aged: 30
From: Brixton, London UK
Leading Seaman
Foster, George
P/KX 75831
Born: 22nd Jun, 1903.
Aged: 36
From: Liverpool, Lancs UK
Leading Stoker
Francis, Alfred Richard
C/J34250
Born: 9th Nov, 1898.
Aged: 40
From: Rawlapindi, India UK
Chief Petty Officer
Fuller, Albert James
P/J106465
Born: 19th Nov, 1906.
Aged: 32
From: Brighton, Sussex UK
Telegraphist
Ganderton, Robert
C/KX 75550
Born: 5th Jan, 1908.
Aged: 31
From: Newport Pagnell, Bucks UK
Leading Stoker
Graham, William
P/MX 49892
Born: 13th Jul, 1910.
Aged: 29
From: Dundee, Angus UK
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
Gregory, Peter Francis
P/KX 83851
Born: 27th Aug, 1915.
Aged: 24
From: Southampton, Hants UK
Stoker 1st Class
Groom, Ronald Albert
C/JX 133959
Born: 2nd Jun, 1914.
Aged: 25
From: Fulham, London UK
Petty Officer Telegraphist
Gynes, Frank Arthur James
P/LX 20007
Born: 22nd Jan, 1907.
Aged: 32
From: Abingdon, Berks UK
Petty Officer Steward
Henderson, Gordon John
C/JX 134554
Born: 22nd Apr, 1915.
Aged: 24
From: Acton, London UK
Able Seaman
Hickey, Campbell James
M38178
Born: 24th Nov, 1905.
Aged: 33
From: Brentford, Middlesex UK
Petty Officer Cook
Holt, Harold
P/KX 76324
Born: 29th Apr, 1907.
Aged: 32
From: Bolton, Lancs UK
Stoker 1st Class
Hopkins, William James
P/J101323
Born: 26th Apr, 1905.
Aged: 34
From: West Ham, Essex UK
Able Seaman
Hunter, Walter George
D/KX 76701
Born: 10th Sep, 1907.
Aged: 32
From: Pontypridd, Glamorgan UK
Stoker 1st Class
Jackson, John Willie
D/KX 76978
Born: 22nd Mar, 1908.
Aged: 31
From: Bakewell, Derbys UK
Stoker 1st Class
Jenkins, Harold Leslie
D/KX 76754
Born: 26th Jan, 1904.
Aged: 35
From: Newport, Monmouths UK
Stoker 1st Class
Jordan, Michael
P/K66610
Born: 25th Oct, 1904.
Aged: 34
From: Castle Ward, Northumberland UK
Stoker 1st Class
Launders, Edward William
C/JX 138235
Born: 12th Jul, 1916.
Aged: 23
From: Gravesend, Kent UK
Leading Telegraphist
Livesey, Hezekiah
P/KX 78377
Born: 4th Feb, 1909.
Aged: 30
From: Wigan, Lancs UK
Leading Stoker
Lound, Reginald Calvert
P/K61407
Born: 16th Dec, 1903.
Aged: 35
From: Lincoln, Lincs UK
Stoker 1st Class
Manley, Frederick Kirk (RNR)
Born: 15th Jul, 1909.
Aged: 30
From: Novia Scotia Canada
Lieutenant
Martin, John Herbert
D/KX 76524
Born: 18th Mar, 1908.
Aged: 31
From: Pontypridd, Glamorgan UK
Stoker Petty Officer
Miller, Cuthbert
P/KX 76722
Born: 13th Jan, 1906.
Aged: 33
From: Blythe, Cumberland UK
Leading Stoker
Mingay, Alfred George
C/JX 129665
Born: 4th Jan, 1911.
Aged: 28
From: Southwark, London UK
Petty Officer
Mitchell, Cyril Robert
C/MX 45921
Born: 28th Dec, 1904.
Aged: 34
From: Woodbridge, Suffolk UK
Engine Room Artificer 1st Class
Mockett, Jack
C/MX 50823
Born: 13th Jul, 1908.
Aged: 31
From: Lancaster, Lancs UK
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
Morris, Robert Henry
C/KX 76732
Born: 15th Aug, 1907.
Aged: 32
From: Croydon, Surrey UK
Leading Stoker
Palmer, Wilfred Hinton
Aged: 22
From: Hampstead, London UK
Sub Lieutenant
Pickering, William
D/JX 142446
Born: 9th Feb, 1918.
Aged: 21
From: Ashton Under Lyne, Lancs UK
Able Seaman
Robertson, Robert William Crossman
(Ex M37038)
Born: 9th Mar, 1906.
Aged: 33
From: Berwick, Northumberland UK
Warrant Engineer
Sanders, Nathaniel
P/J73151
Born: 11th May, 1901.
Aged: 38
From: Islington, London UK
Able Seaman
Stevenson, Laurence
P/J100806
Born: 31st Jul, 1905.
Aged: 34
From: Hull, Yorkshire UK
Able Seaman
Thomas, Reginald Alfred Sherborne Hammond
P/JX 111595
Born: 17th Dec, 1908.
Aged: 30
From: Llandilofawr, Carmathenshire UK
Leading Telegraphist
Tiley, Frederick James
D/J109077
Born: 3rd May, 1907.
Aged: 32
From: Pontyprid, Glamorgan UK
Leading Seaman
Underwood, Arthur William
P/J10048
Born: 29th Oct, 1905.
Aged: 33
From: Bermondsey, London UK
Telegraphist
Waters, Charles Leslie
P/KX 84422
Born: 28th Oct, 1914.
Aged: 24
From: Maidstone, Kent UK
Stoker 1st Class
Watson, William Bradford
D/J105736
Born: 13th May, 1906.
Aged: 33
From: Newcastle, Northumberland UK
Able Seaman
Webb, Harold Edward
P/J 111488
Born: 8th Feb, 1909.
Aged: 30
From: Southampton, Hants UK
Able Seaman
Wilson, Henry Ronald
P/JX 131810
Born: 20th Jan, 1913.
Aged: 26
From: Portsmouth, Hants UK
Leading Seaman
Woodward, Leslie
P/J97242
Born: 14th Nov, 1904.
Aged: 34
From: Portsmouth, Hants UK
Leading Seaman
Worth, William Norman
D/MX 51189
Born: 13th Nov, 1912.
Aged: 26
From: Falmouth, Cornwall UK
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class

Events

24-08-1925  Laid Down
29-06-1926  Launched
22-07-1927  Completed
28-08-1938  HMS Oxley arrived at Dundee.
25-08-1939  HMS Oxley departed Portsmouth for Dundee.
04-09-1939  HMS Oxley departed Dundee for her 1st war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the South-West coast of Norway near Stavanger.
10-09-1939  HMS Oxley sunk off Obrestad, Norwegian coast, south of Stavanger - torpedoed in error by HMS Triton.

She was the first British vessel to be lost in WWII.

Submarines Oxley and Triton were patrolling off Norway and had been in regular contact when Triton spotted an unidentified submarine off the coast of Norway. Believing it might be Oxley a number of signals of recognition were flashed by Triton.

No reply was forthcoming and after several challenges Triton fired two torpedoes that struck the submarine and sent her to the seabed. Triton closed in on the area and found three survivors.

A Board of Enquiry found that Oxley was some way out of position and that Triton had acted correctly and was not culpable for the sinking

Official
O1a Specification
Length overall  275 ft
Beam  27 ft 7 5/8 inch
Depth  16 ft 8 5/8 inch
Displacement   1636 tons (surface)
  1872 tons (submerged)
Diving Depth  500 ft
Speed  Surface 15.5 knots (design)
  Surface 15.2 knots (service)
  Submerged 9 knots (design)
  Submerged 8.5+ knots (service)
No. of shafts  2
Endurance  Surface: 14000 miles at 8 knots (design)
  Surface: 18450 miles at 10 knots (service)
  Submerged: 60 miles at 4 knots (design)
  Submerged: 16 miles at 9 knots (service)
Armament  6 x 21 inch bow tubes
  2 x 21 inch stern tubes
  (16 torpedoes carried)
  1 x 4 inch gun
Complement  5 Officers and 51 Ratings
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