Although the plan was to build all-British nuclear submarines, much time would be saved by accepting American nuclear technology. The excellent relations between Admiral Mountbatten and US Navy Chief of Naval Operations Arleigh Burke, expedited obtaining that help. This was despite Rear Admiral Hyman Rickover, in charge of the American naval nuclear power programme, being set against any transfer of technology; indeed, Rickover prevented Mountbatten inspecting USS Nautilus. It was not until a visit to Britain in 1956 that Rickover changed his mind and withdrew his objections.[1] Although Rickover wished to supply the third generation S3W reactor of the Skate class, Mountbatten exerted his influence and the entire machinery system for an American Skipjack-classsubmarine, with its fifth generation S5W reactor, was obtained.[1] This was known as the "American Sector" (see 1958 US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement). The hull and combat systems of Dreadnought were of British design and construction, although British access to the Electric Boat Company influenced the hull form and construction practices.[1] During Dreadnought's construction, Rolls-Royce, in collaboration with the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority at the Admiralty Research Station, HMS Vulcan, at Dounreay, developed a completely new British nuclear propulsion system. On 31 August 1960, the UK's second nuclear-powered submarine was ordered from Vickers Armstrong and, fitted with Rolls-Royce's PWR1 nuclear plant, Valiant was the first all-British nuclear submarine.
The name Dreadnought was chosen because it represented 'a land-mark in naval history, associated as it is with revolutionary war-ship design.'[3]Dreadnought was laid down on 12 June 1959.[4] She was at that time the largest pressure vessel ever constructed in the UK.[4] The hull was constructed of QT35 steel (QT standing for Quenched and Tempered) designed to withstand greater depths.[4]
She was launched by Queen Elizabeth II on Trafalgar Day, 21 October 1960.[5] She then proceeded for fitting out at a nearby floating dock.[6] The reactor was installed on 8 July 1962 and went critical in November 1962.[6] She commenced sea-trials in mid-December 1962 in the Irish Sea.[6]Dreadnought made her first dive, in Ramsden Dock, on 10 January 1963. She was commissioned on 17 April 1963.
In the mid-1960s, Dreadnought's visits included trips to Norfolk, Virginia; Bermuda; Rotterdam; and Kiel. In October 1964, she participated in a joint maritime exercise with US and Canadian naval forces to the north of Scotland. During the exercise, the task force was monitored by a group of three Soviet submarines and three Soviet ships.[10]
She was at Gibraltar in 1965, 1966, and 1967, and on 19 September 1967, she left Rosyth, Scotland for Singapore on a sustained high-speed run. The round trip finished as 4,640 miles surfaced and 26,545 miles submerged.
During her career, Dreadnought performed many varied missions. On 24 June 1967, she was ordered to sink the wrecked and drifting German ship Essberger Chemist. Three torpedoes hit along the length of the target, but the gunners of HMSSalisbury, a frigate, completed the task by piercing the tanks which were just keeping Essberger Chemist afloat.[11]
Apart from minor hull-cracking problems, Dreadnought proved to be a reliable vessel, popular with her crews. On 10 September 1970, she completed a major refit at Rosyth, in the course of which her nuclear core was refuelled and her ballast tank valves were changed to reduce noise.
In early 1971, Dreadnought took part in an Arctic exercise, codenamed 'Sniff'.[12] While participating in the exercise under the command of CO Alan Kennedy, on 3 March 1971, Dreadnought became the first British nuclear submarine to surface at the North Pole.[13] On return to Faslane, it was later discovered that the ice had caused minor damage to the propeller, bow and fins.[13]
In 1973, she took part in the Royal Navy's first annual Group Deployment, when a group of warships and auxiliaries would undertake a long deployment to maintain fighting efficiency and "show the flag" around the world.
In November 1977, while under the command of CO Hugh Mitchell, she diverted from a planned 8-month deployment to Australia to proceed to Gibraltar and then to the South Atlantic.[14] Together with the frigates Alacrity and Phoebe, Dreadnought took part in Operation Journeyman, a deployment to the South Atlantic in 1977 (prior to the Falklands War) to deter possible Argentine aggression against the Falkland Islands and to undertake covert surveillance.[15]
Fate
Due to machinery damage and the limited refit facilities then available for nuclear fleet submarines, Dreadnought was withdrawn from service in 1980. Dreadnought is now at Rosyth Dockyard, laid up in afloat storage until she can be safely disposed under the auspices of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s Submarine Dismantling Project (SDP). Her nuclear fuel has been removed but much of her interior remains intact. She was docked down during 2012 for her periodic hull inspection and re-preservation. Campaigners hope that she will be returned to Barrow after decommissioning as a tourist attraction in the town.[16]
The Resolution class was a class of four nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) built for the Royal Navy as part of the UK Polaris programme. Each submarine was armed with up to 16 UGM-27 Polaris A-3 nuclear missiles.
The Trafalgar class is a class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines (SSNs) in service with the Royal Navy, and the successor to the Swiftsure class. Like the majority of Royal Navy nuclear submarines, all seven boats were constructed at Barrow-in-Furness shipyard, Cumbria. With only one boat remaining active and in commission and six retired from the seven originally in service, the class makes up part of the Royal Navy's nuclear-powered ‘hunter-killer’ submarine force. The Trafalgar class has nearly been replaced by the larger and more capable Astute class, of which five are commissioned.
HMS Astute (P447) was an Amphion-class submarine. Her keel was laid down by Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness. She was launched in 1944 and commissioned in 1945.
HMS Resolution (S22) was the first of the Royal Navy's Resolution-class ballistic missile submarines. She operated from 1968 until 1994 providing the UK Polaris at sea nuclear deterrent.
The Valiant class were a class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines in service with the Royal Navy from the mid-1960s until 1994. They were the first fully British nuclear fleet submarine; the earlier HMS Dreadnought used an American nuclear reactor. There were only two boats in the class, the first, Valiant commissioned in 1966 three years after Dreadnought, and Warspite the following year. Both were built by Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness.
HMS Onyx was an Oberon-class submarine of the Royal Navy.
The Rolls-Royce pressurised water reactor (PWR) series has powered the Royal Navy's nuclear submarines since the Valiant class, commissioned in 1966.
A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor, but not necessarily nuclear-armed. In the US classification, nuclear-powered submarines are designated as SSxN, where the SS denotes submarine, x=G means that the submarine is equipped with guided missiles, x=B means that the submarine is equipped with ballistic missiles and the N means that the submarine is nuclear-powered. SSN refers to nuclear-powered attack submarines, which do not carry missiles.
The latest HMS Warspite was the third of Britain's nuclear-powered submarines, and the second of the Valiant class. After entering service in 1967 she collided with a Soviet submarine the following year. A mechanical failure associated with the submarine's nuclear reactor in 1991 led to the boat being laid up at HMNB Devonport where she awaits disposal.
The sixth and most recent HMS Valiant was the second of Britain's nuclear-powered submarines, and the first of the two-unit Valiant class.
HMS Sealion (S07) was a Porpoise-class submarine.
HMS Repulse (S23) was a Resolution-class ballistic missile submarine of the Royal Navy.
HMS Revenge (S27) was the fourth of the Royal Navy's Resolution-class ballistic missile submarines.
HMS Churchill was the first of three Churchill-class nuclear fleet submarines that served with the Royal Navy.
HMS Ambush (P418/S68/S18), was an Amphion-class submarine of the Royal Navy, built by Vickers Armstrong and launched 24 September 1945.
HMS Totem was a Group 3 T-class submarine of the Royal Navy which entered service in the last few months of World War II. To-date, she is the only ship of the Royal Navy to have been named Totem.
There have been a number of 21-inch (53.3cm) torpedoes in service with the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom's Polaris programme, officially named the British Naval Ballistic Missile System, provided its first submarine-based nuclear weapons system. Polaris was in service from 1968 to 1996.
Rear Admiral Peter Gerald Hammersley CB OBE was an English Royal Navy officer who served from 1946 to 1982. Hammersley won a scholarship to Britannia Royal Naval College to train as a deck officer but his eyesight was too poor. Instead, he chose to become an engineer and studied at the Royal Naval Engineering College from 1946 to 1950. He trained onboard HMS Frobisher and HMS Duke of York and served on HMS Ocean during the Korean War. Hammersley specialised in submarines from 1954 and in 1959 served on secondment to the US Navy on the nuclear submarine Nautilus. In 1960 he became the first marine engineering officer to serve aboard the Royal Navy's first nuclear-powered submarine, HMS Dreadnought. Hammersley helped design the Swiftsure-class of submarines and commanded a number of shore installations including the Royal Naval Engineering College. He served as aide-de-camp to Queen Elizabeth II and was Chief Staff Officer Engineering for the fleet in the 1982 Falklands War. After retirement in 1982 he served in roles in a number of commercial and charitable organisations.
Keith Foulger was a British naval architect. As a child he aspired to a career as a Royal Navy officer but failed the eyesight requirements and so started a career in naval architecture. Foulger joined the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors and worked on designs for the Porpoise and Explorer-class submarines. Following the 1958 US–UK Mutual Defence Agreement Foulger was chosen to lead a team to observe the construction of the Skipjack-class submarine being constructed for the US Navy. The first British nuclear submarine HMS Dreadnought would use the same reactor and so the aft portion had to accommodate that design. Foulger's job was to minimise any mismatch between this portion and the forward section which was to be a wholly British design.
References
1 2 3 4 Vanguard to Trident; British Naval Policy since World War II, Eric J. Grove, The Bodley Head, 1987, ISBN0-370-31021-7
↑ Warships of the Royal Navy, Captain John E. Moore RN, Jane's Publishing, 1979, ISBN0-531-03730-4
↑ "Unit cost, i.e. excluding cost of certain items (e.g. aircraft, First Outfits)." Text from Defences Estimates
1 2 3 Defence Estimates, 1964–65, page 72, List and particulars of new ships which have been accepted or are expected to be accepted into HM service during the Financial Year ended 31st March 1964
1 2 3 Gardiner, Robert Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995, pub Conway Maritime Press, 1995, ISBN0-85177-605-1 page 529.
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