*British, WW2, HMS Totem – Original Photograph and Large Brass Model of Triton Class Submarine On Wooden Base with Two Fish*
A large unnamed WW2 brass model of a Submarine, likely Triton Class, mounted on a wooden base and ornamented with 2 brass fish. Accompanied by an original photograph of HMS Totem a British T-class submarine. 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 Measurements:
Wooden Base: 29cm x 8cm x 3cm tall
Brass Model: 23.7cm x 2.5cm wide x 3.2cm tall
Photograph 1: 25.4cm x 16.3cm
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.
HMS Totem
HMS Totem, a Group 3 T-class submarine, joined the Royal Navy in the closing months of World War II. She remains the only Royal Navy vessel to carry the name. In 1945, the Cowichan Tribes gifted Totem a totem pole, which was mounted on her bridge while in harbor. However, the pole was stolen during a visit to Halifax, Canada, in the 1950s.
After the war, most earlier T-class submarines were scrapped, but Group 3 boats like Totem—constructed with welded hulls—were retained. These submarines were modified for Cold War duties, focusing on intercepting Soviet submarines. Between 1951 and 1953, Totem underwent a “super T-conversion” at Chatham Dockyard. This included streamlining the hull, removing the deck gun, adding an extended bridge fin, installing updated radar and sonar, and equipping additional electric motors. The modifications increased her underwater speed to over 18 knots.
In 1953, Totem participated in the Fleet Review for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. During “Operation Defiant” in early 1955, she conducted a six-week patrol in the Barents Sea to gather intelligence on Soviet naval forces, surviving depth charge attacks and evading pursuit. After a refit in Malta (1961–1963), she returned to home waters and joined the 1st Submarine Flotilla at Gosport.
INS Dakar
In 1965, Totem was sold to Israel alongside two other T-class submarines, Truncheon and Turpin. She was commissioned into the Israeli Navy as INS Dakar (דקר, Grouper) on November 10, 1967. Modifications for her new role included an airlock for deploying naval commandos.
On January 9, 1968, Dakar departed Portsmouth for Haifa with a crew of 69, exceeding her typical capacity of 60. After a brief stop in Gibraltar, she proceeded underwater across the Mediterranean using her snorkel mast. Her final position report came on January 24, 1968, near Crete, with routine transmissions ceasing shortly after midnight on January 25. Despite extensive searches, no trace of Dakar was found until February 1969, when her emergency buoy washed ashore near Gaza.
The wreck was discovered on May 24, 1999, at a depth of 3,000 meters. Evidence suggests the submarine exceeded her maximum depth, resulting in a catastrophic hull collapse. On October 11, 2000, Dakar’s bridge and forward sail were recovered and now serve as a memorial at the Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum in Haifa.
*Condition*
Good used condition. Marks & scratches to the model commensurate with age and service. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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