HMS Oxley was originally commissioned as HMAS Oxley in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) before being transferred to the Royal Navy (RN). She was an Odin-class submarine, built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness, England. She was launched on 30 June 1926 and commissioned into the RAN on 1 April 1927.
Australian Service
Oxley and her sister submarine Otway were built specifically for Australia. In 1928 they undertook the longest unescorted voyage yet made by British-designed submarines, sailing from Britain to Australia. After delays due to engine defects discovered at Malta, the submarines finally arrived in Sydney on 14 February 1929.
The onset of the Great Depression made the submarines expensive to maintain. As a result, the Australian government decided to transfer both boats to the Royal Navy. Oxley was paid off from Australian service in April 1931 and recommissioned as HMS Oxley on 10 April 1931.
Royal Navy Service
After returning to British control, Oxley served with Royal Navy submarine flotillas in the Mediterranean and later in Home Waters. By 1939 she was attached to the 2nd Submarine Flotilla based at Dundee, Scotland.
When the Second World War began in September 1939, British submarines were deployed to patrol lines off the Norwegian coast to intercept German naval traffic. Oxley was one of the submarines assigned to the patrol line near Obrestad, Norway.
Loss by Friendly Fire
On the night of 10 September 1939, only seven days after Britain entered the war, a tragic accident occurred.
Another British submarine, HMS Triton, was operating nearby. Triton's commanding officer, Lt Cdr H. P. de C. Steel, sighted an unidentified submarine on the surface. Recognition signals were sent but no satisfactory response was received. Believing the submarine to be enemy, Triton fired torpedoes.
The target was actually HMS Oxley, which had drifted out of her assigned patrol area. The torpedoes struck and sank her. Of the 55 men aboard, 53 were killed. Only two survivors were rescued by Triton.
A subsequent Board of Inquiry concluded that Oxley was outside her correct position and that Triton's commanding officer had acted appropriately under the circumstances.
Historical Significance
HMS Oxley holds a unique place in naval history:
- She was originally an Australian submarine before serving in the Royal Navy.
- She became the first British submarine lost in the Second World War.
- Her sinking was caused by friendly fire from another Royal Navy submarine.
- For many years the true circumstances of the loss were kept secret for wartime security reasons.
Key Facts
- Name: HMS Oxley (formerly HMAS Oxley)
- Class: Odin-class submarine
- Commissioned (RAN): 1 April 1927
- Transferred to RN: 10 April 1931
- Lost: 10 September 1939 off Norway
- Cause: Friendly-fire torpedo attack by HMS Triton
- Casualties: 53 killed, 2 survivors
Pennant number: 29P during her Royal Navy service.
