Submarines

This 45p stamp from 2001 celebrates a centenary of Royal Navy submarines. It shows the Unity submarine from 1939.

Having introduced the U-boat during the First World War, Germany again put submarines to devastating effect in World War 2. The Battle of the Atlantic attempted but ultimately failed to cut off Britain's supply routes. The ‘Ultra’ intelligence, gleaned from the cracked code of the Enigma machines, was vital in turning the tide of the battle at sea. Daring missions to sinking U-boats gathered essential papers which allowed Enigma to be deciphered.

The Unity was part of the Undine, or U class of sub. With its fellows Undine and Ursula, Unity was originally commissioned from Vickers as an unarmed target for anti-submarine vessels. However, since placing the order for the vessels in 1936, policy had changed and the first three Undine class were modified during their construction to carry torpedoes, moving them from target practice to real warfare. 

From their first sea trials, the three boats demonstrated excellent manoeuvrability despite their relatively low cost production. Indeed, one of the most successful British subs of the war was a U class: the Upholder, under the command of Malcolm Wanklyn, VC. Unity itself was lost following a collision with a Norwegian vessel in 1940.

The Submarine stamp issue featured subs from different decade of service, as well as two flags. Subs featured included the Swiftsure class from 1973, the Vanguard class from 1992, and the earliest ‘Holland’ type from 1901. The flags were the White Ensign, the Union Jack, the flag of the Chief of Defence Staff, and the Jolly Roger flown by the HMS Proteus submarine. The stamps were designed by D Davis.

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