SUBMARINERS ASSOCIATION:  EAST KENT BRANCH

Founded
2nd April 1952

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ROYAL NAVY 'T' CLASS SUBMARINE

From the first being laid down in 1936 to the paying off of the last in 1969, the T class was in service for 31 years.
During their life, the T class underwent many modifications for both war service and for patrols in the Cold War.
The first group had riveted hulls that restricted operating depth. These early boats had torpedo tubes midships and in the bow.
The third group of boats were built with all-welded hulls..

The T’s had a good war record.
The first group sunk four Italian submarines and one U Boat.
Truant, Trident and Triumph had success against surface ships.
Of the second group built, Trooper sank the Italian minelaying submarine Pietro Micca and Thorn accounted for the sinking of the submarine Medusa
The third group of boats operating in the Far East accounted for the sinking of four Japanese submarines. This giving success for Taurus, Telemachus, Tally Ho and Trenchant. Both Tally Ho and Trenchant had success against Japanese Cruisers.
Truculent and Tapir sank U Boats in the Atlantic.
The class suffered two major tragedies.
The Thetis which foundered during sea trials in 1939. She was raised and renamed Thunderbolt.
Thunderbolt's two-man chariot divers sank the Italian light cruiser U/pio Triano in Palermo harbour, on January 3 1943.

In 1951 Truculent was rammed by a cargo ship as she was leaving Sheerness Docks after repairs and sank.

Both of these tragic accidents gave names to component parts of submarines. The Thetis Clip and the Truculent light.