Type:

Oxley Class

Prototype

Pennant No.:

55.P

Laid Down:

24th August 1925.

Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness.

Commissioned:

22nd July 1927.

Not known at present.

Commander:

Apr. 1927 - Sept. 1928

Cdr. H.R. Marrack.

Jan. 1932 - Apr. 1934

Lt. Cdr. W.R. Fell.

May 1936 - July 1937

Lt. Cdr. D.C. Ingram.

1937

Lt. Cdr. R.T. Gordon-Duff.

Aug. 1939

Lt. Cdr. H.G. Bowerman.

Complement:

56

5 Officers and 51 Ratings.

Service Career:

1931 - 1936

Mediterranean

1937 - 1938

5th Flotilla, HMS Dolphin, Gosport.

1939

2nd Flotilla, HMS Forth, Dundee.

Fate:

Lost on her first 'War Patrol'.

Additional Information: Oxley was built for the Royal Australian Navy, one of two ocean going submarines ordered.   Oxley left the UK for Australia in the company of Otway in February 1928, they reached Malta some eleven days later where they were detained whilst modifications were made to the engines.
Whilst at Malta they were reduced to a RESERVE state and were unable to leave Malta until November of 1928.

Both boats were paid off into Immediate Reserve in May 1930.  Both were recommissioned into the Royal Navy at Sydney in April of 1931.

Sank by HM Submarine Triton September 10th 1939 in error.
She was the first British vessel to be lost in WWII.

During the war years the loss was attributed to an accidental explosion.
According to official publications in 1947 the sinking was also attributed to an accident.

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