| Built By: | Vickers (Barrow) |
| Build Group: | SSN 4 |
| TBA: | Captain | Anthony Shand Leslie Smith |
Last of the swiftsure class submarines built for RN at Barrow.
Launched by Lady Ann Eberle, wife of Admiral Sir James Eberle KCB, Commander-in-Chief Fleet
| 26-05-1976 | Ordered from Vickers, Barrow |
| 23-11-1977 | Laid Down |
| 05-10-1979 | Launched |
| 21-03-1981 | Completed |
| 25-03-1999 | In an operational first, the Royal Navy nuclear attack submarine HMS Splendid launched Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) against an air defense radar site in Yugoslavia during NATO operation Allied Force Wednesday night. |
| 17-07-2003 | HMS Splendid arrives at Faslane from final deployment before decommissioning. |
| 22-08-2003 | HMS Splendid paid off at Devonport |
| Length overall | 272 ft |
| Beam | 32 ft 3 inch |
| Displacement | 3500 tons (surface) |
| 4500 tons (submerged) | |
| Diving Depth | In excess of 1000 ft |
| Speed | In excess of 25 knots (surface) |
| 30 knots (submerged) | |
| No. of shafts | 1 |
| Armament | 5 21 inch bow tubes |
| Complement | 12 Officers and 85 Ratings |
They're a funny breed, these submariners. They score at the top of the military entrance exams and can thrive for weeks beneath the surface of the sea in what amounts to a sophisticated tin can loaded with some of the world's most lethal weapons. They have their own rituals and initiations; their own language and bars. They tell jokes, love a good prank and will wrestle on the floor like puppies.
'Underwater, underhanded and damned un-English' they might have been but submarine development and deployment has long been an integral part of naval warfare.
For centuries man has been fascinated with the possibility of an underwater vessel, the ultimate method of improving the odds against a superior surface fleet. Being submerged beneath the sea was the obvious means by which a warship could be approached and attacked without detection - but the attempts to create the perfect sub was a long and often tragic affair.
This DVD tracks the evolution of underwater crafts from the early Turtle to a privileged look inside the salvaged U-Boat 534 and beyond. Aboard the famous U-Boat 534 we examine the living conditions and the true bravery shown by all her crew.
20 pages added or updated in the last 4 month
Please help to maintain this site by reporting any Errors, Broken Links, Information or Site Issues on this page using this button
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Please Note: Donations made using this option go directly to the site owner and not to the Submariners Association.
Thankyou for your support.
| Length overall | 272 ft |
| Beam | 32 ft 3 inch |
| Displacement | 3500 tons (surface) |
| 4500 tons (submerged) | |
| Diving Depth | In excess of 1000 ft |
| Speed | In excess of 25 knots (surface) |
| 30 knots (submerged) | |
| No. of shafts | 1 |
| Armament | 5 21 inch bow tubes |
| Complement | 12 Officers and 85 Ratings |
They're a funny breed, these submariners. They score at the top of the military entrance exams and can thrive for weeks beneath the surface of the sea in what amounts to a sophisticated tin can loaded with some of the world's most lethal weapons. They have their own rituals and initiations; their own language and bars. They tell jokes, love a good prank and will wrestle on the floor like puppies.
'Underwater, underhanded and damned un-English' they might have been but submarine development and deployment has long been an integral part of naval warfare.
For centuries man has been fascinated with the possibility of an underwater vessel, the ultimate method of improving the odds against a superior surface fleet. Being submerged beneath the sea was the obvious means by which a warship could be approached and attacked without detection - but the attempts to create the perfect sub was a long and often tragic affair.
This DVD tracks the evolution of underwater crafts from the early Turtle to a privileged look inside the salvaged U-Boat 534 and beyond. Aboard the famous U-Boat 534 we examine the living conditions and the true bravery shown by all her crew.
20 pages added or updated in the last 4 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.
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