HMS Poseidon (1929)
Encyclopedia
HMS Poseidon (P99) was a Parthian-class
submarine
designed and built by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering in Barrow-in-Furness
for the United Kingdom
Royal Navy
, launched on 22 August 1929.
She spent most of her short career assigned to the Yellow Sea
region.
At about 12:45 on 9 June 1931, whilst exercising on the surface with the submarine tender
20 mi (32.2 km) north of the vessels' base at Weihai
, China
and despite excellent visibility Poseidon collided with the Chinese merchant steamer
SS Yuta.
Thirty-one of the submarine's crew managed to scramble into the water before the submarine sank to the seabed 130 ft (39.6 m) below within a few minutes. Aircraft carrier HMS Hermes
, heavy cruiser HMS Berwick
and sister submarine HMS Perseus
led the rescue operations. Poseidon was equipped with Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus
which had come into service two years earlier. This was a closed circuit underwater breathing system which provided the wearer with a supply of pure oxygen and a canvas
drogue
to slow the rate of ascent. Despite the submarine not being equipped with specialised escape compartments or flooding valves, eight of the crew managed to leave the forward end of the boat, although two failed to reach the surface and one died later. Twenty-two crew died in total.
A consequence of the successful escape of part of the crew was to change Admiralty
policy from advising crews to wait for the arrival of assistance to attempting to escape from the submarine as soon as possible. This policy was announced in the House of Commons
in March 1934.
The Ministry of Defence
has not received an answer to what became of the remains of the crew.
Parthian class submarine
The Parthian class submarine or P class was a class of six submarines built for the Royal Navy in the late 1920s. They were designed as long-range patrol submarines for the Far East. These ships were almost identical to the Odin class, the only difference being a different bow...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
designed and built by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering in Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
for the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, launched on 22 August 1929.
She spent most of her short career assigned to the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
region.
At about 12:45 on 9 June 1931, whilst exercising on the surface with the submarine tender
Submarine tender
A submarine tender is a type of ship that supplies and supports submarines.Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally do not have the ability to carry large amounts of food, fuel, torpedoes, and other supplies, nor to carry a full array of maintenance equipment and...
20 mi (32.2 km) north of the vessels' base at Weihai
Weihai
Weihai is a city in eastern Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. It is the easternmost prefecture-level city of the province and a major seaport. Between 1898 and 1930, the town was a British colony known as Weihaiwei or the Weihai Garrison , and sometimes as Port Edward...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and despite excellent visibility Poseidon collided with the Chinese merchant steamer
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
SS Yuta.
Thirty-one of the submarine's crew managed to scramble into the water before the submarine sank to the seabed 130 ft (39.6 m) below within a few minutes. Aircraft carrier HMS Hermes
HMS Hermes (95)
HMS Hermes was an aircraft carrier built for the Royal Navy. The ship was begun during World War I and finished after the war ended. She was the world's first ship to be designed and built as an aircraft carrier, although the Imperial Japanese Navy's was the first to be commissioned...
, heavy cruiser HMS Berwick
HMS Berwick (65)
HMS Berwick was a Royal Navy County class heavy cruiser, of the Kent subclass. She was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company , with the keel being laid down on 15 September 1924...
and sister submarine HMS Perseus
HMS Perseus (N36)
HMS Perseus was a British built in 1929 and lost in 1941 during the Second World War. This class were the first to be fitted with Mark VIII torpedoes....
led the rescue operations. Poseidon was equipped with Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus
Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus
The Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus , was an early type of oxygen rebreather invented in 1910 by Sir Robert Davis, head of Siebe Gorman and Co. Ltd., inspired by the earlier Fleuss system...
which had come into service two years earlier. This was a closed circuit underwater breathing system which provided the wearer with a supply of pure oxygen and a canvas
Canvas
Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame...
drogue
Drogue
A drogue is a device external to the boat, attached to the stern used to slow a boat down in a storm and to keep the hull perpendicular to the waves. The boat will not speed excessively down the slope of a wave and crash into the next one nor will it broach. By slowing the vessel in heavy...
to slow the rate of ascent. Despite the submarine not being equipped with specialised escape compartments or flooding valves, eight of the crew managed to leave the forward end of the boat, although two failed to reach the surface and one died later. Twenty-two crew died in total.
A consequence of the successful escape of part of the crew was to change Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
policy from advising crews to wait for the arrival of assistance to attempting to escape from the submarine as soon as possible. This policy was announced in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in March 1934.
Salvage
The secret salvaging of the submarine in 1971 by China's then newly formed underwater recovery units was discovered by a reference to it in a 2005 issue of a Chinese magazine titled "Modern Ships".The Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
has not received an answer to what became of the remains of the crew.