On this day in history : 15th September 1966 – The launch of HMS Resolution, Britain’s first nuclear ballistic missile submarine, at Barrow-in-Furness….and is attended by the Queen Mother….
It had been decided that Britain would have 4 Polaris submarines to carry the latest A-3 missiles…. The submarines were to be designed and built in Britain but the weapon systems, with the exclusion of the warheads, were to be purchased from the United States…. The warheads themselves would be manufactured in the UK…. The programme was authorised in February 1963 – and the Polaris submarine programme was then to take some 500,000 man-hours to complete…. A full scale wooden mockup model was built – to help determine where all the equipment should go and also to aid the placement of all the pipes and cables…. It was even possible for the crew to train on it….
The formal purchase order for Resolution was placed in May 1963, at a cost of £40.2m…. The 130m (425ft) long submarine was built by Vickers Armstrong – and her keel was laid down on the 26th of February 1964 by Director General Ships Sir Alfred Sims….
Resolution was commissioned on the 2nd of October 1967…. She underwent extensive trials which included the firing of the first Polaris missile on the 15th of February 1968 – followed by a second on the 3rd of April…. Her surface speed was 37km/h and when submerged 48km/h…. Her first patrol began on the 15th of June 1968 – she was soon joined by her sister ships Repulse, Renown and Revenge…. An order for a fifth submarine was placed but this was later cancelled….
The first Trident submarine was completed in 1992 and gradually the Resolution class of submarines were withdrawn from service…. After 61 patrols, the longest being 108 days, Resolution was de-commissioned on the 22nd of October 1994 and laid up at Rosyth Dockyard….
Cottage Capers 