The Submarine is probably the Navy’s most formidable weapon, but when it was first invented, nobody wanted to use it because they thought it underhand. The Great War soon got rid of those courtly sentiments, and by the time of the Second World War, Churchill famously said, that the only thing that frightened him was the German U.boats.
The Uboat pens at Lorient and St. Nazaire
Here in the West Country we are lucky to have examples of nearly all types of submarine prior to the nuclear age that have sunk in our waters over the years.Some you can dive on, some are now restricted, and two have been salvaged and put on display.
Three U. boats which are now museum pieces are also included because they are so historically important, and are well worth a visit.
- The Holland
- A.7
- The Untiring
- M.2
- U.995
- Wilhelm Bauer XX1
- U.534
- Holland Gallery
- UB116
- Midget Submarine XE8
- Submarine U.S.S.Pampanito
Recommended Reading
William Hearnden says
Grabbing at straws here,but wondered if you could help regarding the wreck of the submarine HMS TETRARCH.It was lost in 1941 off Cape Bon in the Mediterranean,according to the Gosport Submarine Association a Wreck has been found but I cannot get any more information. My interest is that my father was on this boat when it was lost and I would like to know if this is his last resting place. Thank you.
Richard Cobbold says
Let me know if you get any response to this question – my grandfather, Walter Norris, was an ERA on Tetrarch.
JEAN-PIERRE MISSON says
For William Hearnden : I have sonar-located a T Class submarine off Tabarka , Tunisia , in 2015 . The image shows the short after casing of a T Class GROUP 1 unit and the only candidate of this type (a T Class with no stern Torpedo Tube n° 11) is HMS TETRARCH . The sonar image and the study will be made available to you . Sincerely yours . JP MISSON missonjp@hotmail.com
JEAN-PIERRE MISSON says
My Post is also for Richard Cobbold.
Mark Heard says
Hi Guys, I am doing some research for my Father,who’s brother Harry Heard was lost on the Tetrarch somewhere in the Med. If you have any news or images of the resting place of the vessel, could you please let me know. Thanks very much. Mark Heard. e-mail Markmad333@aol.com
Platon Alexiades says
The claim that HMS Tetrarch was found at Tabarka is the product of someone’s imagination:
1. The prescribed route of this submarine did not take her anywhere near Tabarka.
2. She had no reason to investigate Tabarka. Tunisia was then under Vichy French control and technically “neutral”.
3. There were no minefields off Tabarka (none were laid before April 1943).
4. Tabarka was a fishing vessel port with hardly anything worth attacking even if relations with Vichy were sometime strained. Its low importance is illustrated by the fact that during the Axis occupation (1942-1943), Tabarka was not used by enemy shipping. The area was only mined by the Germans in late April 1943 to prevent allied MTBs from interfering with the Axis evacuation of Tunisia.
5. HMS Tetrarch was probably lost on an Italian minefield off Marsala (Sicily).