Alliance

A class of 46 boats ordered under the 1943 programme of which Vickers Armstrong built ten (Yard Numbers 903 to 912).

Only two Amphion (Yard Number 903) and Astute (Yard Number 904) were completed before the sudden end of WWII ( August 15th 1945). Consequently the orders for 30 submarines were cancelled.

The "A" Class was the only class of submarine designed during WWII, specifically to operate in Far Eastern waters against the Japanese.

Submarines of the "S" and "T" class had operated successfully against the Japanese since early 1942, from basis in Australia and Ceylon. However compared to American Fleet Submarines, they were very short ranged, also and most importantly, provided very poor habitability for their Ships Companies.

To cover the vast area of the Pacific Ocean, a submarine was needed with a big range, high surface speed and vastly improved living conditions. She would also require a large weapon load to avoid having to return prematurely from a distant patrol area.

Tropical Snorting Trial

For 30 days, from October 9th to November 8th 1947, Alliance using the new snorting system carried out tropical habitability trials in an area of the Atlantic Ocean bordered by the Canary Isles, Cape Verde and Freetown.

Alliance snorted for the entire period, except for three nights, when she went deep to take bathy readings and to work her battery. Over this period of time, she steamed 3,193 nautical miles, which in its day was a record.

Epilogue

Alliance was taken out of service and reduced to a harbour-training vessel in H.M.S. Dolphin in 1973.

Transferred on permanent loan to the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport on 28th February 1978.

She now stands as a permanent memorial to the 4,334 British Submariners lost in both World Wars and the 739 British Submariners lost in peacetime accidents.