HMS Otus (S18): A World Record Escape and Special Forces in the Gulf War

Laid Down at Greenock

HMS Otus was built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, launched on 17 October 1962 and commissioned on 5 October 1963, an Oberon-class submarine displacing 1,610 tons standard and crewed by 68 officers and ratings.

Missile Trials and a Silver Jubilee

Otus took part in missile trials during her first commission, and joined the wider Submarine Flotilla for the 1977 Silver Jubilee Fleet Review, part of a varied Cold War career that saw her called upon for both weapons testing and ceremonial duty.

A World Record Escape Off Bergen

In July 1987, Otus hosted escape training trials near Bergen in Norway, during which two submariners set a genuine world record by escaping from a depth of 183 metres, a remarkable and dangerous feat that demonstrated just how far submarine escape technology and training had advanced, and one that stands as a real highlight in the history of the Royal Navy's submarine escape programme.

More to Explore

Special Forces in the Gulf War

During the 1991 Gulf War, Otus deployed under Operation Granby and reportedly conducted special operations involving SAS and SBS personnel, quietly demanding work for a submarine by then well into the later years of her service life.

A New Life as a Museum in Germany

HMS Otus was decommissioned in April 1991 and sold to scrappers in 1992, but was rescued from that fate in June 2002 when she was purchased by a German entrepreneur, who moored her in Sassnitz harbour on the island of Rugen as a floating museum ship, giving visitors on the Baltic coast a genuine piece of Royal Navy Cold War history to explore.

You Might Also Like