HMS Orpheus (S11): Setting a Free Ascent Record Off Malta

A Distinctive Aluminium Fin

HMS Orpheus was built by Vickers-Armstrongs, launched on 17 November 1959 and commissioned on 25 November 1960, an Oberon-class submarine that stood apart from her sisters in one notable respect: unlike the rest of the class, Orpheus's fin was made of aluminium alloy rather than steel.

She displaced 2,410 tons submerged, armed with eight torpedo tubes and fitted with Type 186 and 187 sonars, crewed by 68 officers and ratings.

A Record-Setting Escape Trial

Orpheus joined the 3rd Submarine Flotilla at Faslane in mid-1964, and in June 1965 took part in submarine escape trials off Malta, achieving a remarkable 500-foot free ascent record, a real test of both equipment and human endurance that pushed the boundaries of what submariners could survive escaping from a stricken boat at depth.

She also helped train Canadian and Australian crews destined for their own new Oberon-class submarines, part of the wider Commonwealth cooperation that saw the class exported successfully to several allied navies.

A Collision and a Court Martial

On 15 February 1967, Orpheus collided with her sister submarine HMS Opportune near Portsmouth, a serious incident that resulted in Orpheus's commanding officer being court-martialed, a sobering reminder of just how unforgiving even routine harbour navigation could be. She went on to take part in the 1977 Silver Jubilee Fleet Review at Spithead.

A Long Retirement as a Training Boat

HMS Orpheus was decommissioned in 1987 and went on to serve as a training vessel at HMS Dolphin, before finally being broken up in April 1994, bringing to a close the career of a submarine whose free ascent record off Malta remains a properly impressive footnote in the history of submarine escape and survival training.