HMS Trafalgar (S107)

HMS "Trafalgar" (S107) is a Trafalgar class submarine of the Royal Navy.

After Operation Veritas, the attack on Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces following the 9/11 attacks in the United States, "Trafalgar" entered Plymouth Sound flying the Jolly Roger on 1 March 2002. She was welcomed back by Admiral Sir Alan West, Commander-in-Chief of the fleet and it emerged she was the first Royal Navy submarine to launch tomahawk cruise missiles against Afghanistan. [ [http://www.btinternet.com/~warship/News/afghan9.htm Trafalgar Returns ] ]

In November 2002, "Trafalgar" ran aground close to Skye, causing £5 million worth of damage to her hull and injuring three sailors. She was traveling 50 metres below the surface at more than 14 knots when Lieutenant-Commander Tim Green, a student in the "Perisher" course for new submarine commanders, ordered a course change that took her onto the rocks at Fladda Chuain, a small but well-charted islet.

Commander Robert Fancy, responsible for navigation, and Commander Ian McGhie, an instructor, both pleaded guilty at court-martial to contributing to the accident. On 9 March 2004 the court reprimanded both for negligence. Green was not prosecuted, but received an administrative censure. [ [http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/content_objectid=14033658_method=full_siteid=89488_headline=--pound-5M-CRASH-SKIPPERS-WERE-SUB-STANDARD-name_page.html Daily Record] ]

In May 2008 it was reported that the crash was caused by the chart being used in the exercise being covered with tracing paper, to prevent students marking it [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/may/23/military Guardian report] ] .

HMS "Trafalgar" is set to be decommissioned in 2008.

HMS Trafalgar is referenced in Tom Clancy's World War III Thriller, Red Storm Rising.

She was not launched with a pump jet propulsion system, but with a conventional propeller, unlike the rest of the Trafalgar Class boats that followed.

See HMS "Trafalgar" for other ships of the same name.

References

External links

* [http://royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.2497 Royal Navy official site]
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/submarines/pages/trafalgar_s107_page_1.htm MaritimeQuest HMS Trafalgar S-107 pages]