description HMS Thetis Overview
HMS Thetis was a British T-class submarine that sank in Liverpool Bay during diving trials on 1 June 1939. An open torpedo-tube door allowed seawater to enter, trapping the vessel on the seabed and killing 99 of the 103 people aboard in Britain's worst peacetime submarine disaster. The submarine was later salvaged, repaired, and commissioned as HMS Thunderbolt before being sunk during the Second World War.
help HMS Thetis FAQ
How did the HMS Thetis submarine sink during its sea trials?
HMS Thetis sank in Liverpool Bay on 1 June 1939 during diving trials because an open torpedo-tube door allowed seawater to flood the vessel. A tragic miscommunication regarding the status of the tube's bow cap caused the fatal intake of water.
How many people died in the HMS Thetis disaster?
The sinking killed 99 of the 103 people aboard, marking Britain's worst peacetime submarine disaster. The death toll was unusually high because the submarine was carrying a large number of naval contractors and observers for the trials, far exceeding its normal crew complement.
Where did the HMS Thetis sink and was it recoverable?
The submarine sank to the seabed in Liverpool Bay, coming to rest with her stern protruding from the shallow water. The vessel was eventually salvaged, repaired, and recommissioned into the Royal Navy under the new name HMS Thunderbolt.
Why couldn't the crew of the HMS Thetis escape the sunken submarine?
The crew and passengers were trapped on the seabed for days, and the extreme pressure differential made escaping through the hatches nearly impossible. Tragically, a decision was made not to use the emergency escape apparatus immediately, and by the time rescue attempts began, most had succumbed to chlorine gas and carbon dioxide poisoning.
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