Navy | The Royal Navy |
Type | Submarine |
Class | O |
Pennant | 55 P |
Mod | Oxley Group |
Built by | Vickers Armstrong (Barrow-in-Furness, U.K.) |
Ordered | 19 May 1925 |
Laid down | 24 Aug 1925 |
Launched | 29 Jun 1926 |
Commissioned | 1 Apr 1927 |
Lost | 10 Sep 1939 |
Loss position | 58° 30'N, 5° 30'E |
History | HMS Oxley (Lt.Cdr. Harold Godfrey Bowerman, RN) was torpedoed and sunk in error by HMS Triton (Lt.Cdr. H.P. De C. Steele, RN) about 28 nautical miles south-south-west of Stavanger, Norway in position 58º30'N, 05º30'E. HMS Triton picked up two survivors. Oxley was 4 nautical miles inside Triton's area due to a navigational error. Lt.Cdr Steel of Triton made 3 challenges which went unanswered then fired a green signal grenade which also produced no response. He therefore had to assume the sub was hostile and fired 2 torpedoes, sinking Oxley.
The puzzling lack of response from Oxley was explained by Lt.Cdr Bowerman, who survived the sinking with one of the bridge watch: he stated he was called to the bridge following the sighting of Triton's signal grenade, but when he tried to answer, his grenade malfunctioned. |
Former name | OA 1 |
Commands listed for HMS Oxley (55 P)
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
Commander | From | To | |
1 | Lt.Cdr. Harold Godfrey Bowerman, RN | 2 Aug 1939 | 10 Sep 1939 |
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Notable events involving Oxley include:
The page for this submarine was last updated in October 2015.
25 Aug 1939
HMS Oxley (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Bowerman, RN) departed Portsmouth for Dundee. (1)
28 Aug 1939
HMS Oxley (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Bowerman, RN) arrived at Dundee. (1)
4 Sep 1939
HMS Oxley (Lt.Cdr. H.G. Bowerman, RN) departed Dundee for her 1st war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the South-West coast of Norway near Stavanger. (1)
Media links
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Sources
- ADM 199/373
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.
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