| Built By: | Vickers (Barrow) |
| Build Group: | SSN 4 |
| 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
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.
| 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. |
| 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 |
| Class: | 1935 - 1970: Improved S Class |
| Built By: | Cammell Laird (Mersey) |
| Build Group: | S3 |
| Fate: | |
| Sold for scrapping in 3rd January 1961 | |
Between 1942 and 1944 HMS Seraph was engaged in unusual but vital wartime assignments, including carrying Eisenhower's deputy, General Mark Clark, through the Mediterranean to a hazardous rendezvous with the Free French as a prelude to the North African invasion, as well as the dramatic rescue of General Giraud from Vichy France in rough sea right under the nose of the enemy. Her most famous mission however was Operation Mincemeat where she aided the allies in deceiving their enemy about the invasion of Sicily.
Yet what made these missions even more extraordinary was the fact that this 'Secret Mission Submarine' had the unusual distinction of having two captains, Royal Navy Lieutenant Bill Jewell who was in operational control and Captain Jerauld Wright of the United States Navy who commanded for political purposes.
Terence Robertson uncovers the history of this extraordinary submarine and how these two captains collaborated to pull off some of the most remarkable operations in the Second World War.
20 pages added or updated in the last Array 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.
| 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 |
| Class: | 1935 - 1970: Improved S Class |
| Built By: | Cammell Laird (Mersey) |
| Build Group: | S3 |
| Fate: | |
| Sold for scrapping in 3rd January 1961 | |
Between 1942 and 1944 HMS Seraph was engaged in unusual but vital wartime assignments, including carrying Eisenhower's deputy, General Mark Clark, through the Mediterranean to a hazardous rendezvous with the Free French as a prelude to the North African invasion, as well as the dramatic rescue of General Giraud from Vichy France in rough sea right under the nose of the enemy. Her most famous mission however was Operation Mincemeat where she aided the allies in deceiving their enemy about the invasion of Sicily.
Yet what made these missions even more extraordinary was the fact that this 'Secret Mission Submarine' had the unusual distinction of having two captains, Royal Navy Lieutenant Bill Jewell who was in operational control and Captain Jerauld Wright of the United States Navy who commanded for political purposes.
Terence Robertson uncovers the history of this extraordinary submarine and how these two captains collaborated to pull off some of the most remarkable operations in the Second World War.
20 pages added or updated in the last Array 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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