HMS Poseidon.  Photos and history of HMS Poseidon, one of the Parthian Class Submarines of the Royal Navy.

HMS Poseidon collided with the Chinese Merchant ship Yula off Wai Hei Wai on the 9th of June 1931 at approximately 12:45pm and sank within four minutes. At 3:15pm, aided by the 'Davis Submarine Escape Apparatus' & Petty Officer Willis's cool courage, four more came to the surface after being two and a half hours in the submerged submarine.  

Displacement: 1,475 Tons, Full Load 2,040 TONS.  Speed: 167.5 Knots surface speed and  9 Knots submerged. Crew 53  Armament :One 4 -inch Gun  2 machine Guns  (20mm Oerlikon )Eight 21 inch Torpedo Tubes (Six in the Bow and two in the Stern) 

Ian Lyell has kindly sent in these two photographs of the loss of HMS Poseidon in 1931.  His grandfather was on HMS Berwick at the time.  The comments were on the back of the original photographs

HMS Poseidon.

A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available.  Order photograph here  ? Walker Archive. Order Code  PHS306

Scene of Poseidon Disaster 3? hours after she sank.  Spot marked X plainly shows air bubbles rising from her.  5 minutes after this was taken the T.I. Willis came to the surface with two men and one Chinese.  Taken from HMS Berwick. O - Ship which rammed her.

Poseidon Disaster 9th June 1931.  HMSub Perseus near the spot endeavouring to get into communication.  Note the air bubbles are getting weaker.  Taken from HMS Berwick.

The list of those lost on the Poseidon.

                W.H.H. Pike.  E.R.A.          H.J.Bagley.   Sto.          C.J. Beaumont.   Sto.         G.C.Hewes.     A.B.

                A.V. Paine.      E.R.A.          W.R. Pyne.   Sto.           P.T.A. Pointer.    Sto.         D. Collings.     A.B.

                S. Sherrocks   D. Sto.          R. Balshaw.  Sto.           A.R. Winter.       Sto.          R.C. Bowers.  A.B.

                E.G. Gaines.    L. Sto          W. Whitley.   Sto.           T.V. Grills.          P.O.         P.C. Tolliday.  A.B. 

                H. Cliff.            L. Sto.         A. Gray.        Sto.            P. Dowling.         L. Sea.     A.J. Lovock.   A.B.

A diagram of the collision between Yula and HMS Poseidon, probably sketched by a crew member of HMS Maidstone.