HMS Poseidon.  Photos and history of HMS Poseidon, one of the Parthian Class Submarines of the Royal Navy.

HMS Poseidon collided with the Chinese Merchant ship Yula off Wai Hei Wai on the 9th of June 1931 at approximately 12:45pm and sank within four minutes. At 3:15pm, aided by the 'Davis Submarine Escape Apparatus' & Petty Officer Willis's cool courage, four more came to the surface after being two and a half hours in the submerged submarine.  

Displacement: 1,475 Tons, Full Load 2,040 TONS.  Speed: 167.5 Knots surface speed and  9 Knots submerged. Crew 53  Armament :One 4 -inch Gun  2 machine Guns  (20mm Oerlikon )Eight 21 inch Torpedo Tubes (Six in the Bow and two in the Stern) 

Ian Lyell has kindly sent in these two photographs of the loss of HMS Poseidon in 1931.  His grandfather was on HMS Berwick at the time.  The comments were on the back of the original photographs

HMS Poseidon.

A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available.  Order photograph here  © Walker Archive. Order Code  PHS306

The sinking of HMS Poseidon, 9th June 1931.

From HMS Hermes.  Submarine HMS Perseus next to the oil patch where the Poseidon went down.  Behind Perseus is HMS Marazion, the submarine tender, and a destroyer (H.05).  To the right is what appears to be an Odin class submarine.  Twenty seconds after this photo was taken, four men appeared on the surface.

A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available.  Order photograph here  © Walker Archive. Order Code  PHS334

Survivors being brought to HMS Hermes.

A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available.  Order photograph here  © Walker Archive. Order Code  PHS335

Survivors being brought aboard HMS Hermes.

A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available.  Order photograph here  © Walker Archive. Order Code  PHS336

Close up of one of the survivors coming aboard HMS Hermes.

A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available.  Order photograph here  © Walker Archive. Order Code  PHS337

Laying black flags to mark the position of the sunken HMS Poseidon.

A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available.  Order photograph here  © Walker Archive. Order Code  PHS338

Scene of Poseidon Disaster 3½ hours after she sank.  Spot marked X plainly shows air bubbles rising from her.  5 minutes after this was taken the T.I. Willis came to the surface with two men and one Chinese.  Taken from HMS Berwick. O - Ship which rammed her.

Poseidon Disaster 9th June 1931.  HMSub Perseus near the spot endeavouring to get into communication.  Note the air bubbles are getting weaker.  Taken from HMS Berwick.

The list of those lost on the Poseidon.

                W.H.H. Pike.  E.R.A.          H.J.Bagley.   Sto.          C.J. Beaumont.   Sto.         G.C.Hewes.     A.B.

                A.V. Paine.      E.R.A.          W.R. Pyne.   Sto.           P.T.A. Pointer.    Sto.         D. Collings.     A.B.

                S. Sherrocks   D. Sto.          R. Balshaw.  Sto.           A.R. Winter.       Sto.          R.C. Bowers.  A.B.

                E.G. Gaines.    L. Sto          W. Whitley.   Sto.           T.V. Grills.          P.O.         P.C. Tolliday.  A.B. 

                H. Cliff.            L. Sto.         A. Gray.        Sto.            P. Dowling.         L. Sea.     A.J. Lovock.   A.B.

We have since discovered the name of one of the survivors was Vincent Nagle.

A diagram of the collision between Yula and HMS Poseidon, probably sketched by a crew member of HMS Maidstone.

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