HMS Splendid (S106)

HMS "Splendid" (S106) was a Royal Navy nuclear powered fleet submarine of the Swiftsure class. HMS "Splendid" was launched at Barrow on 5 October 1979, by Lady Ann Eberle, wife of Admiral Sir James Eberle, then Commander-in-Chief Fleet. The boat was built by Vickers Shipbuilding Groups and was under the command of Cdr. R.C. Lane-Nott.

Since her launch in 1979, she has taken part in many conflicts involving British forces around the globe.

Her first major conflict came in 1982 when Argentine forces invaded the British held Falkland Islands. "Splendid" was one of the first submarines to reach the islands, arriving mid April, after sailing from Faslane. Unlike HMS "Conqueror", "Splendid" did not fire in anger, she did however provide valuable reconnaissance to the British Task Force on Argentine aircraft movements. Splendid's presence also ensured that the Argentine Navy would not dare leave its port.

In the late 1990s, HMS "Splendid" became the first British ship to be armed with American-built Tomahawk cruise missiles. "Splendid" fired these in anger against Serbian targets in Belgrade during the Kosovo War. She again fired these weapons against Iraqi targets in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Her action in the Iraq War was the subject of a BBC documentary, entitled "HMS Splendid", which followed the personal stories of Commander Paul Burke and his crew.

In July 2003, HMS "Splendid" returned to her home at Faslane Naval Base on the River Clyde in Scotland. She was decommissioned in HMNB Devonport, Plymouth in 2004 due to defence cuts. Commander Burke was later awarded the OBE for his leadership of HMS "Splendid" in the Gulf.

Sources

* http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/3075011.stm
* http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/3608737.stm

External links

* [http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000B73HDO/ BBC documentary "HMS Splendid" on DVD]