*British, WW2, HMS Thule - Six Original Photographs and Large Triton Class WW2 Submarine Brass Model on Wooden Base*
Fantastic large brass model featuring an unnamed WW2 British submarine - likely T-Class, mounted on a wooden base. The model is accompanied by 6 original photographs of HMS Thule. These photographs originally formed part of the Lou Britton British Submarine Collection, which was acquired by the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport in 2007.
Model Dimensions:
Wooden Base: 48.5 cm long x 7cm wide x 1.5cm deep
Brass model: 41cm long x 4cm wide x 5cm tall
Photograph 1 - Dated 22nd Oct 1946
Photograph 2: Dated 1952, Wright & Logan. Used 27 Jan 1968
Photograph 3: Dated Jan 1955 - when she was holed, when she collided under water with the fleet tanker Black Ranger Off Portland Bill
Photograph 4: Ref the same accident. Daily Express, Glasgow. Used 19 Nov 1960.
Photograph 5: Ref the same accident. Daily Express, Glasgow. Used 16 Nov 1960
Photograph 6: Undated.
HMS Thule was a British third-group T-class submarine, built as P325 at Devonport Dockyard and launched on October 22, 1942. Named after the mythical northern island of Thule, she is the only Royal Navy vessel to bear the name.
During World War II, Thule served in the Far East, sinking numerous vessels, including 13 junks, two lighters, and five sampans in the Strait of Malacca during a 12-day period in December 1944. She also attacked a Japanese submarine, likely Ro-113, though the target escaped unharmed due to premature torpedo explosions. In addition, Thule sank five sailing ships, three coasters, and laid mines.
Post-war, Thule remained in service, training with the Royal Canadian Navy in 1951. On November 18, 1960, she was damaged during an exercise off Portland Bill when rammed by the RFA Black Ranger. Decommissioned in 1962, she was scrapped at Inverkeithing. Her first commander, Alastair Mars, documented her wartime operations in his book HMS Thule Intercepts.
The T-class submarines, designed in the 1930s, were the Royal Navy’s standard ocean patrol submarines. Of 53 built, they were active in the North Sea, Mediterranean, and Far East, despite limited opportunities to disrupt German shipping early in the war due to heavily mined waters and scarce targets.
*Condition*
Good used condition. Minor marks to the photographs and model commensurate with age and service. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
RQMFEOXABOO_3557192019
