HMS Alliance

Second World War

The attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941 brought both the United States of America and Japan into the Second World War. This opened a new theatre of war and posed an operational issue. To combat this new Japanese threat the Royal Navy and its allies needed to be able to operate in the Pacific Ocean. For the submarine fleet the current S Class and T Class were not suited for the size and climate of the Pacific. In the end a new series of submarines were created, the Amphion Class, or A Class.

The construction of the new A class submarines was comparatively fast, nearly half that of the T Class. However, only two were actually completed prior to the end of the war in Europe, HMS Amphion and HMS Astute. HMS Alliance was finally launched in July 1945. Shortly after she was commissioned in 1947 HMS Alliance made headline news. The boat and her crew broke the World Record for the longest time a submarine had spent underwater, a full three weeks continually submerged. Alliance was at the cutting-edge of submarine technology, larger, faster and more advanced than previous designs.

As time progressed however Alliance didn’t fit with the changing role of the Submarine Service. Following the end of the Second World War, America’s mutual distrust of the Soviet Union and rising tensions gave way to the Cold War. 

The Cold War

This wasn’t a war of direct conflict, which was what Alliance had been built for. The focus now was on anti-submarine warfare and intelligence gathering. This necessitated a refit of Alliance from 1958 to 1960, adding sonar, making her more streamlined and removing the external torpedo tubes. 

In the 1960s Alliance was part of the Indonesian Confrontation, an often-forgotten conflict in the Cold War. Britain, backed by the Commonwealth nations, defended the newly independent Malaysia from Indonesia, backed by the Soviet Union. HMS Alliance took part in patrols and landed Royal Marines ashore. 

By 1973 Alliance had been outpaced by the newer Oberon and Porpoise class of submarines, taking inspiration from the U-boat designs that had been a thorn in the side of Allied forces during the war. Alliance was decommissioned and returned to HMS Dolphin, a shore establishment in Gosport. 

But her story didn’t end there, Alliance was kept as a display vessel and training ship for new recruits. Following years of service as a training ship it was decided Alliance should act as a memorial to the sacrifice of the Submarine Service, and so she was transferred on permanent loan to the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in 1978. 

Conservation 

HMS Alliance formally opened to the public in 1981, but being made of steel and exposed to the elements in Gosport meant that corrosion became an issue not long after. By the 2000s it was clear a large-scale repair project was necessary, and in 2011 a three-year £7 million National Lottery Heritage Fund conservation project began. She was already on concrete cradles, but a new hard standing was constructed to enable better access for visitors, and to make working on all areas of Alliance much easier. Extensive restoration was also completed on her bow and exterior casing, with the project being completed in 2014. The conservation of HMS Alliance is ongoing, to ensure she can live on as a memorial to the bravery of the Submarine Service. 

After 80 years of service HMS Alliance is still playing an important role, teaching visitors about life in the silent service, and serving as a memorial to those who never made it home. Today visitors to Alliance can also meet our excellent team of volunteers, many of whom are submariners, to learn more about this one-of-a-kind boat.