*British, 1986, HM Submarine Spartan – Original Photograph*
Original Wire Photograph of HMS Churchill. This photograph originally formed part of the Lou Britton British Submarine Collection, which was acquired by the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport in 2007.
Approximate Dimensions: 25.4cm x 17.1cm
Written in pencil on the reverse: “Spartan entering 5 basin before going into 15 dock on Fri 10 October 1986. Will not come out of dock again until ready for trials in closing stages of refit. Thus spending about 18 months in dock. “
HMS Spartan was a nuclear-powered fleet submarine of the Royal Navy’s Swiftsure class. Launched on 7 April 1978 by Lady Lygo, wife of Admiral Sir Raymond Lygo, Spartan was built by Vickers Shipbuilding Group at Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. After serving for nearly three decades, she was decommissioned in January 2006.
During the Falklands War, Spartan was ordered to sail south just two days before the Argentine invasion on 30 March 1982. She was the first British vessel to reach the area, enforcing the 200-mile maritime exclusion zone imposed by the UK. Shortly after arriving, Spartan observed Argentine merchant ships mining the harbour at Stanley but was not instructed to attack, partly due to concerns about escalating the conflict too early and the potential impact on valuable targets, such as the Argentine aircraft carrier Veinticinco de Mayo. On 1 May, Spartan shadowed Veinticinco de Mayo just outside the 12-mile limit, but was ordered to disengage by Northwood fleet command, much to the frustration of Admiral Woodward, the task force commander, who argued for local control. This decision allowed the Veinticinco de Mayo to move unhindered and possibly launch an attack on British forces from a closer range. Although Spartan did not fire any weapons during the conflict, her role in providing vital reconnaissance on Argentine aircraft movements was crucial to the British Task Force’s operations.
In October 1989, Spartan ran aground off the west coast of Scotland, a fact later reported in Hansard in November 2010. Despite this incident, the submarine continued to serve and, in 1999, was upgraded to carry Tomahawk cruise missiles. This enhancement allowed Spartan to undertake more advanced strike operations before her decommissioning in 2006.
*Condition*
Excellent used condition. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
RQMAOXAH_5767195476
