Submarine Heritage Centre - Art Gallery

Submarine Heritage Centre

Registered Address:

53 Red Oak Avenue

Barrow-in-Furness

Cumbria, LA13 OLJ, UK

Tel: 01229 820993

Fax: 01229 772407

| Sponsorship Comments | Technical Data | Historical Data |

Sponsorship Comments

Sponsored by the Scottish Branch of the Submariners Association. This Branch of the Submariners Association have chosen this particular class of submarine as they are directly involved with the memorial which is held each year in Scotland regarding the loss of HMS/M Vandal in Scottish waters. The painting we have chosen to represent this class of submarine is in fact HMS/M Venturer, this is believed to be the first RN submarine during WWII to sink an enemy submarine whilst both boats were submerged.

Technical Data

Builder:	Vickers Armstrong - Limited
Pennant No:	P64
Yard No:	837
Ordered:	15.07.1941
Laid down:	17.03.1942
Launched:	23.11.1942
Completed:	20.02.1943
Dimensions (in feet & inches):	Length 197 feet, Breadth 16 feet, Draught 12 feet 9 inches.
Displacement:	Surface 540 tons, Submerged 730 tons.
Machinery:	Twin diesels 615bhp Twin electric motors 825bhp Twin shafts.
Speed:	Surface 11.75 knots, Submerged 9 knots.
Endurance:	4,100 nautical miles at 10 knots.
Armaments:	4 x 21 inch Torpedo tubes. 1 x 3 inch gun. 3 machine guns.
Complement:	31.

Historical Data

HMS/M Vandal disappeared whilst working up in the Kilbraunan Sound on February 24th 1943. She had sailed from the Holy Loch on February 22nd for the exercise area between the Mull of Kintyre and the Isle of Arran, and was last seen leaving Loch Ranza on the afternoon of the 24th. By nightfall she had failed to make her "surfacing signal", at daybreak a search of the area was made, but no trace of the boat was found.

HMS/M Vandal, unfortunately had the shortest career of any submarine in the Royal Navy. In 1995, the wreck of Vandal was positively identified lying in 300 feet of water about one and a half miles North West of Loch Ranza off the Isle of Arran. The cause of her loss is still unknown.

HMS/M Venturer - Yard Number 860

This was the first of the fourteen "V" Class submarines built at Barrow between 1943 and 1944. Launched on the 14th May 1943, "Venturer" was, as other boats of the Class, of partially welded construction.

"Venturer" distinguished herself by sinking two German Submarines."U771" was sunk on the 11th November 1944. "U864" was sunk on the 9th February 1945 in a unique action as both boats were submerged. "U864" was detected by "Venturer's" ASDIC used in passive mode so that there could be no tell "ping".

"Venturer's" Commanding Officer Lt. J.S. Launders was also able to obtain good sightings on the U Boats periscopes due to what Launders described as "the most shameful periscope drill on the U Boats part". From information provided by the ASDIC and Launders sightings, Launders concluded he was broad on U 864's starboard bow.

For the next hour he used the ASDIC to determine a plot of "U864's" course and when finally certain of direction and speed fired four MK VIII** torpedoes in a "hosepipe" salvo. The range was 3,000 yards and "U864" took one torpedo and sank.

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