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Superb (S 109)

Built By: Vickers (Barrow)
Build Group: SSN 4

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Commanders
1977: Commander   D I Ramsay
1977: Vice Admiral   Geoffrey William Biggs KCB
1979: Commander   Michael Cecil Boyce
1981: Admiral   James Francis Perowne KBE
1992: Commander   S T Williams
1995: Vice Admiral   Peter John Wilkinson
1999: Commander   D J Pollock
2001: Commander   N J Hibberd
2005: Lieutenant Commander   John Aitken
2008: Commander   Steven Drysdale

Launched by Mrs Williams, wife of Admiral David Williams Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel

Superb was the 679th ship to be launched at Vickers, the 740th to be launched at Barrow, 432nd vessel built by Vickers for the RN and the 304th Submarine to be built by Vickers for the RN.

1977 Took part in the Queens Silver Jubilee Review of the Fleet in late June. Wore fag of Flag Officer Submarines.

Undertook refit 1982-1985

Related Pages

Submarine: TV Documentary

Giving a unique insight into the lives of some of the country's best submariners, this six part series spends 12 months charting the ups and downs of HMS Superb, a nuclear-powered submarine that can remain undetected underwater for months on end.

Events

 20-05-1970   Ordered from Vickers, barrow
 16-03-1972   Laid Down
 30-11-1974   Launched
 13-11-1976   Completed
 27-05-2008   HMS Superb collided with an underwater pinnacle 80 miles south of Suez in the Red Sea and damaged its sonar equipment, forcing it to surface. None of the crew was hurt.

Official
SSN 4 Specification
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
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