HMS DREADNOUGHT

The Voyages Of HMS Dreadnought ( Not complete) This information was supplied by the RN Sub Museum, it is not accurate, for instance it said Dreadnought had visited Kiel twice , it did not as I was on there at the time. There is also a large period between November 1974 and 1980 when the boat finally paid off after the cancellation of the refit at Devonport. If you have any information please advise to info@hmsdreadnought.co.uk

21^st October 1960, Launched on schedule 18 months after the first steel plates were delivered to the yard. The Launching by Queen Elizabeth the 2^nd was watched by over 11,00 ticket holders and up to 30,000 onlookers.

She was the 295^th Submarine launched at Barrow, on the 155^th anniversary of The Battle Of Trafalgar.

11^th November 1962. Dreadnought entered the floating dock for preliminary trials

10^th December 1962  Trials continued in Morecambe Bay.

10^th January 1963     Dreadnought made her first dive in Ramsden Dock.

17^th April 1963 Dreadnought completed and Commissioned, her first Commanding Officer was Commander BFP Sambourne. Dreadnought then joined the 3^rd S/M Squadron at Faslane based on the Depot Ship HMS Maidstone.

11^th September 1963 The Dreadnought then took part in Exercise Unison with HMS Hermes, HMS Tiger,HMS Hampshire 5 escorts and 5 Frigates. 3^rd to 11^th December 1963 Dreadnought took part in Exercise Lime Jug with HMS/M Olympus, HMS/M Porpoise, HMS Hermes, HMS Hampshire, 5 escorts and 5 Frigates.

14th December 1963. Dreadnought arrived at Rosyth for docking and A’s & A’s. !0thMay 1964 Docking completed and she departed for trials in the Gibraltar areas. On completion of trials sailed for Rosyth and Faslane and then onto the North Western Approaches.

10^th to 12^th May 1964 Carried out trials in the Clyde area and Loch Fyne and then took surface passage to Portsmouth via the Irish Sea. In Portsmouth she was visited by C-in-Sea-Portsmouth.

16^th to 20^th May 1964 dived passage to Gibraltar,

20^th May to 12^th June 1964, Torpedo Discharge trials in the Gibraltar areas.

1

30th June Surface passage through the Gibraltar Straits and when over the 100 fathom mark dived for passage to Norfolk Virginia.

24^th June.1964 Sailed from Norfolk for a short VIP cruise, she then sailed on a 36 hour exercise with USS/M Dace and USS/M Hardhead. This trial was shortened as FOSM had issued instructions that Dreadnought should not allow a direct comparison her Type 2001 Sonar and Dace’s BQS6 Sonar, neither submarine completed an attack although Dreadnought was aware at all times of the Dace’s position.

27^th June 1964. Arrived at Exuma Sound Range for sound trials.

29^th June 1964 Dreadnought sailed for Bermuda,

1^st July 1964 Dreadnought arrived Bermuda and docked astern of HMS Tartar in Island Dockyard.

4th July 1964 Dreadnought sailed for a dived passage to Gibraltar. On arrival Gibraltar Dreadnought had steamed 8,926 miles of which 7,931 were submerged since the torpedo discharge trials in Gibraltar.

4^th-7^th August 1964. Dived passage to Portsmouth.

8^th-10^th August passage to Faslane where she remained carrying out maintenance until the 14th September.

14^th -18^th September. Work-up in the Clyde area with HMS Eskimo, anchoring each evening in Lamlash Bay, then passage to Exercise TEAMWORK with HMS/m’s Osiris,Alaric,Onslaught, Finwhale,Grampus,Opposum,Otus,Rorqual and Totem, 12 minesweepers,1 Minehunter,13 Costal minesweepers, 1 Coastal minelayer,2 Coastal Store Carriers, 1 Escort Vessel and 7 Frigates. Try mustering that number today!!

2^nd-3^rd October. Passage to Faslane.

6th October sailed for SONAR trials in the Clyde.

9^th-12^th October at Faslane.

12^th-20^th October in the Western Approaches.

22^nd-26^th October. Visiting Portsmouth.

27^th-30^th October Exercising in the Londonderry area.

31^st October to 1^st November On passage to and at Faslane.

2^nd November Passage to Gibraltar.

7^th-8^th November. At Gibraltar for trials.

9^th November -4^th December Sonar trials off Gibraltar.

5^th  December. Passage to Faslane.

9^th to 11^th December passage to Rosyth for Docking.

1965

19^th February 1965 Docking completed.

23^rd February “Work-up” passage to Faslane with a visit to ARTE Dounreay.

27^th February-2^nd March. At Faslane.

3^rd-6^th March. Exercises in the Londonderry area.

7^th March. At Faslane.

8^th-12^th March Excercises in the Clyde area.

13^th -20^th March. Maintenance at Faslane.

21^st-22^nd April. “Workup” in the Clyde area

23^rd-25^th April. At Faslane preparing for Captain 3^rd Submarine Squadron inspection.

26^th April. Harbour inspection and sailed for sea inspection in Londonderry area.

27th April. Sea Inspection.

28^th-29^th Passage to Exercise RED KNIGHT with HMS/m’s Ocelot,Olympus,Cachalot,Oppossum, Otus. And 1 Escort.

13^th-17^th May. At Faslane.

18^th-19^th May. Passage to Southampton.

19^th-22^nd May. At Southampton.

22^nd-26^th May. At Portsmouth.

26^th-29^th May. Passage to Gibraltar and on to Malta. Denied Entry to Malta by Chicken Dom Mintoff.

29^th-30^th May. At Gibraltar for visit to Fleshpots.

31st May-10^th June OPEVAL (Palmas Bay 5-6^th June)

19^thJune-4^th July. Daily Sea trials off Gibraltar.

5^th-9^th July. Passage to Rotterdam.

9^th-14^th July Visit to Rotterdam with HMS Maidstone

15^th -17^th July. At Portsmouth.

17^th-19^th July. Passage to sound range for trials.

19^th-24^th July. Sound range and Noise trials.

26^th-30^th July. Trials off Londonderry

31^st July-6^th August. Faslane Sports. Dreadnought teams beat them all to shit.

7^th-11^th August. The Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Princess Anne Lord Louis Mountbatten and a multitude of hangers on visited Dreadnought during the Fleet Review at the Tale of the Bank on the Clyde.

12^th-13^th August. Passage to Rosyth

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14^th August-2^nd February 1966. Docking at Rosyth.

1966

2^nd-4^th February. Sailed for Trials.

4^th Februar-23^rd May. Rosyth for Maintenance and repairs.

23^rd-27^th May. Sea Trials and passage to Faslane.

27^th May-1^st June. At Faslane.

2^nd-4^th June. Exercise with HMS/m Osiris.

4^th-7^th June. Passage to Gibraltar.

8^th-13^th June. At Gibraltar for well earned visit to fleshpots.

14^th-17^th June. On Exercise.

17^th-20^th June Faslane and passage to Loch Fyne.

27^th-30^th June. Passage to Rosyth.

30^th June-25^th July. Docked at Rosyth.

26^th July. Sailed for trials. Returned to Rosyth 29^th July.

30^th July 1966 to 25^th January 1967 Docking and repairs at Rosyth.

1967

26^th January-8^th February. “Workup” in Londonderry and Clyde areas.

9^th February. Passage to Faslane

10^th-13^th February. At Faslane.

14^th-16^th February. Torpedo trials in Clyde area.

17^th-19^th February. At Faslane.

20^th February. Passage to Loch Fyne.

21^st-28^th February. Trials in Loch Fyne.

1^st March. Passage to Faslane.

3^rd March. Passage to Rosyth.

6^th -29^th March. Docked at Rosyth for maintenance and repair.

29^th March. Passage to Faslane.

4^th April. Passage to Forth area to exercise.

5^th-25^th April. Exercise QUICK PURSUIT with HMS/m’s Otter, Porpoise, Grampus, Olympus and Truncheon.

26^th-27^th April. Passage to Rosyth.

1^st-25^th May. Docked at Rosyth for survey.

8^th June. Arrived at Faslane.

8^th June, Left Faslane on passage to Gibraltar with various exercises on the way.

19^th-21^st June. Docked in Gibraltar.

22^nd June. Ordered out of Dock to sink Essberger Chemist which was a hazard to shipping off the Azores. Fired 4 torpedoes along the breadth of the target with a 68 second delay, 3 torpedoes struck, the 4^th going past. Vessel was eventually sunk by gunfire from HMS Salisbury.

28^th June-4^th July. Docked at Gibraltar

4^th-14^th July. On exercise in Atlantic and Gibraltar areas.

17^th-21^st July. Sailed for UK with HMS/m Alliance.

22^nd-26^th July. In Loch Fyne.

26^th July. Sailed for Faslane

27^th July-6^th August. Squadron sports at Faslane. Dreadnought won (of course)

7^th-12^th August. Exercise and on passage to tropical Rosyth.

14^th August. Arrived Rosyth Due Docking and Survey.

18^th September. Completed maintenance.

19^th Sept. Left Faslane for high speed run to Singapore. The round trip finished as 4,640 miles on the surface and 26,545 dived.

21^st-23^rd September. Clyde areas.

23^rd-26^th September. Arrived Faslane and sailed for Gibraltar.

26^th Sept. Stayed overnight at Gibraltar.

27^th Sept. Sailed from Gibraltar for Singapore.

16^th October. Surfaced in the Andaman Sea for trip to Langkawi Island.

17^th October Arrived Langkawi.

17^th Oct-3^rd Nov. Trials and Ex’s in Bay of Bengal completed on Nov 1^st.

3^rd -20^th Nov. Arrived and at Singapore.

20^th-30^th Nov. Under Construction?

Dec 67. Excercised with HMAS Yarra and HMAS Stuart in Malacca Straits and passage to Faslane.

15^th Dec. Arrived Faslane.

19^th-20^th Dec. Sailed Faslane for Rosyth.

21^st Dec. Arrived at Rosyth. For maintenance.

1968

Completed 6^th Feb 1968.

7^th-8^th Feb. Passage to Faslane.

9^th-11^th Feb. At Faslane.

12^th-16^th Feb. Sailed Faslane for Kiel.

16^th -22^nd Feb at Kiel.

22^nd Feb-3^rd March. Sailed Kiel for Gibraltar.

3^rd-8^th March. At Gibraltar.

8^th March. Sailed from Gibraltar.

9^th-15^th March On passage and exercise to UK.

16^th Mar. Faslane to embark torpedoes and pick up Capt (S)

17^th March. Sailed Faslane for Captain (S) sea inspection.

18^th-20^th March. On exercise and Sea Inspection.

21^st March. Arrived Faslane.

22^nd-29^th March At Faslane for Harbour Inspection.

29^th-30^th March. Sailed Faslane for Rosyth.

31^st March. For the first time wives and families were allowed to go to sea on Dreadnought. A third of the ships complement were disembarked to make way for 30 Adults and 10 Children. She dived off May Island for over an hour in the Firth of Forth. It was Dreadnought’s last day at sea before docking at Rosyth for her first core change. The docking took place behind electrified electric wire barriers. In the last 5 years she had sailed a distance equivalent to nearly six times round the world and her reactor core had reached the end of its designed life.

12^th Sept. Lunch at the North British Hotel in Edinburgh for selection of Officers and Crew with the underwriters  of Essberger Chemist. The plane carrying the underwriters was delayed by Fog and until they arrived the drinks were free.  “Lunch” eventually finished at 17:30 and some of the underwriters came back to the Narvik for an evening out at the Ugly Bugs Ball in Inverkeithing.

1969

6^th February 1969. Finished re-fuelling.

 Dreadnought encountered serious problems at Rosyth Dockyard which delayed the refit by nearly 10 months.

1970

10^th September 1970. Dreadnought Re-Commissioned.

25^th September . Completed her first major refit during which her reactor core was changed and her ballast tank  valves were changed to reduce noise.

28^th Sept. Departure delayed from Rosyth due to an air leak on one of the air systems. (Already a year behind schedule in a 2.5 year refit)

2^nd October. Sailed Rosyth for Forth and Clyde areas.

6^th-13^th. Clyde areas.

14^th Oct. Berthed at Faslane.

15^th-19^th Oct. Trials.

19^th Oct. Rana-range.

20^th-23^rd Oct. Trials

24^th Oct-5^th Nov. Maintenance at Faslane.

6^th-14^th Nov. Loch Striven for trials.

15^th Nov. At Faslane.

17^th-22^nd November; Clyde Area

1971

11th-17^th February: Arrived at Lerwick for Exercise “Creaky Nut”

17^th-20^th At Faslane.

20^th-21^st February: In the Clyde Area

23^rd Feb-3^rd :March.On Exercise.

3^rd March 1971. Dreadnought became the first British Submarine to surface at the North Pole. When reaching the pole they had to search for 9 hours using, Sonar, periscope, upward looking echo sounder and floodlights before they could break through the Ice.  The Ice was 2 ft thick when she emerged through the Ice. Spending 7 Days under the ice and surfacing 6 times, she sustained minor damage during her 1,500 mile voyage under the Arctic ice.  Two small dents noted on her bow and a panel of fibre Glass was torn from the fin by the sea when she surfaced outside the Arctic circle. She travelled 5,200 miles in 19 days passing under the ice early on 28^th February. They surfaced through the ice 3 times on her way to the Pole and once there some of the crew had a “Jolly” time on the ice. No Polar Bears were spotted although a rifleman was positioned to keep watch.

11th March. Returned to Faslane in the Gareloch.

11^th-12^th March. In the Clyde areas.

12^th March-24^th October: Programme unknown.

25^th October. Sailed for Southampton.

28^thOct-1^st November: At Southampton.

3^rd-5^th November: Clyde areas for Exercises.

5^th-8^th Nov “Exercise JMC163” with HMS/m Onyx and HMS/m Opportune and the GM Destroyer Antrim and 3 frigates.

9^th-10^th November. Clyde Exercise area.

10^th-27^th November. Faslane for maintenance.

1972

7^th-18^th January: “Exercise Vendetta” with HMS/m’s Osisris, Aeneas, Oppossum and Ocelot.

18^th-19^th January. At Faslane and exercising in the Clyde areas.

25^th January. Departed Clyde area.

1^st-3^rd February. “Exercise Linex” with HMS London,Dido and Jupiter.

4^th-14^th February. “Exercise Lantreadex” with HMS Ark Royal.

29^th February-2^nd March. British Virgin Islands.

3^rd-8^th March. Mayport Florida USA.

17^th March. Arrived Faslane for maintenance.

9^th July. Completed maintenance.

17^th July. Departed Faslane.

24^th July. Operational.

2^nd-10^th August. CANMARCOM operations.

10^th-15^th August. Visit to Halifax Nova Scotia for exercise with the Royal Canadian Navy.

15^th-21^st August. Canmarcom operations.

24th August. Arrived Faslane for maintenance.

25^th August-3^rd September. Under maintenance.

4^th-10^th September. On trials.

11^th-12^th September. Exercise “Highland Fling” with HMS Frigate, Bildeston and Iveston.

14^th-18^th September. Exercise “Strong Express” with HMS/m’s Conqueror, Oberon, Alliance,Grampus,Rorqual and Walrus. HMCS/m Onondaga from the Canadian Navy and the surface ships, HMS Ark Royal, Fearless, Albion, Blake, Fife, Norfolk 6 Frigates, 6 Mine countermeasure vessels, 1 ME officers training ship, 3 store ships, 1 elicopter support ship and the CanadianSupport ship HMCS Margaree.

30^th September. Arrived Faslane.

4^th October. Sailed for Chatham for A’s & A’s.

1973

16^th February. Completed A’s & A’s. and sailed for Faslane.

19^th February. Clyde areas.

12^th March. Sailed for Gibraltar.

17^th March arrived Gibraltar.

9^th April. Sailed for Faslane.

14^th April. Arrived Faslane for maintenance.

11^th June. Sailed for Gibraltar.

15^th-18^th June. At Gibraltar and sailed for Penang. Dreadnought made an underwater passage of 10,000 miles to Penang, Malaysia.

3^rd-9^th July. At Simonstown, South Afirca.

22^nd-27^th July. Arrived at Penang. During the passage Dreadnought rescued 35 crewmen from the merchant vessel Carnation which had been in a collision with the Anchor Ansen

27^th July. Arrived Singapore and berthed alongside HMS Forth in the Johore Straits.

23^rd-31^st August. Exercise “Green Light” with HMS Tiger, Rhyl , Hermione and the RFA’s Tidespring and Regent.

31^st August- 5^th September. At Subic Bay in the Philipines.

11^th-25^th September at Guam.

5^th-22nd October. Singapore.

22^nd October. Sailed for Mauritius.

6^th-9^th November. At Mauritius.

16^th-26^th November. At Simonstown, South Africa.

26^th-30^th November. Exercise “Capex” with HMS Tiger.

21^st December. Returned to Faslane at the end of a 194 day deployment during which tie she had travelled 38,273 miles .

1974

18^th February. Exercise “Stem Turn” with HS/m’s Courageous and  HMS Valiant.

6th-12^th March. Trials off Campbeltown.

12^th March. Sailed for Faslane.

22^nd March. Arrived Faslane.

25^th-27^th March Trials in the Clyde areas.

30^th March-2^nd April. At Faslane.

4^th-7^th April. At Southampton

8^th April-22^nd October. At Chatham .Departed Chatham after maintenance after trials.

25^th-30^th October. Excercising in the Clyde areas.

30^th October. Arrived Faslane. 

25^th November. Trials at Faslane.

Very little Details available for the period 25^th November 1974 until 1^st December 1980 when the decision was made to take her out of Service due to cracking in the Hull and secondary cooling system.

March 76 to Feb 78 ( Details provided by Arthur (Tanzy) Lee ) who joined Dreadnought as a Junior RO in March 1976.

Mar 1976 to Oct 1976      Back end of refit in Chatham
Oct 1976                        Surface passage to Faslane
Jan 1977 to Mar 1977      Safety and Operational Workups (approximate dates)
Apr 1977                        23 day operational deployment (Operation Paved I think it was called)
Aug 1977                     Group 6 Deployment to Far East - Gibraltar, Salonika (Greece) got as far as the Suez Canal before being turned                           back, while the rest of theTask Group went through (HMS Tiger was the  flagship)

Nov 1977                        visit to Lisbon, then Gibraltar to stock up for Operation Journeyman.
Nov 1977 to Jan 1978      Operation Journeyman to Falkland Islands in company with HMS Phoebe and Alacrity, RFAs Resource and Olwen.

Feb 1978                       (approximate date) visit to Augusta in Sicily - also Gibraltar.
Feb 1978                        Visit to Liverpool (Seaforth Docks)