Submarine Insignia & Submarine Services of the World

W. M. Thornton

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
• Year: 1996
• Print ISBN: 9780850525366
• eBook ISBN: 9781473818705
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: 19th Century History
• Index: History

This is the first comprehensive guide to the 57 nations that have submarines as part of their fighting force.

CONTENTS

Foreword

Abbreviations

Classifications

Early Submarine Types

Albania

Algeria

Argentina

Australia

Austria-Hungary

Belgium

Brazil

Bulgaria

Canada

Chile

China, People’s Republic

Colombia

Croatia

Cuba

Denmark

Ecuador

Egypt

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany, Empire

Germany, 1918–45

Germany, Federal Republic

Greece

India

Indonesia

Iran

Israel

Italy

Japan

Korea, Democratic People’s Republic (North Korea)

Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

Latvia

Libya

Malaysia

Netherlands

Norway

Pakistan

Peru

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Russia, Monarchy

USSR & Post-Communist Russia

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

South Africa

Spain

Sweden

Syria

Taiwan

Thailand

Turkey

Ukraine

United Kingdom

United States of America

Venezuela

Yugoslavia

Acknowledgements

Bibliography

FOREWORD

In this book an attempt has been made to depict all the insignia that have been worn and are being worn by qualified submariners world-wide. No doubt readers will come across insignia that do not appear but these will, for the most part, be variation in manufacture, size and material. This reference should therefore, at the very least, serve to identify the country of origin and give relevant background information. New insignia will be produced as new submarine forces are formed. Hopefully these will be included in a revised volume to follow at some later date.

Various insignia have been produced, the authenticity of which, at this stage, cannot be verified. These are shown for information, and in some cases, assumptions made.

As an additional aid to identification, unofficial designs, if actually worn, are included. Some of these were the fore-runners of authorized insignia that were to follow.

Where actual examples of the insignia are not available, or where the illustrations are not suitable for reproduction, the author has prepared drawings for identification purposes. Note that the illustrations are not to scale.

ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE TEXT

SS	Conventionally powered(diesel/electric) submarine
SSC	Conventionally powered (diesel/electric) small coastal submarine
SSK	Conventionally powered (diesel/electric) submarine with antisubmarine warfare capability
SSB	Conventionally powered (diesel/electric) ballistic missile submarine
SSG	Conventionally powered (diesel/electric) cruise missile submarine
SSN	Nuclear powered hunter-killer attack submarine
SSBN	Nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine
SSGN	Nuclear powered cruise missile submarine
SDV	Swimmer delivery vehicle (The above refer only to post-1945 construction)
SLBM	Submarine launched ballistic missile
SSM	Surface to surface missile
USM	Underwater to surface missile
A/S	Anti-submarine
ASW	Anti-submarine warfare
ICBM	Intrecontinental ballistic missile
NM	Nautical miles

SOVIET SUBMARINE CLASSIFICATION

NATO terminology is used in the text for most Soviet or ex-Soviet submarine classes.

SS	Quebec
	Whiskey
	Romeo
	Zulu
	Foxtrot
SSK	Tango
	Kilo
SSN	November
	Victor
	Alpha
	Sierra
	Mike
SSB	Golf
SSG	Juliet
SSBN	Hotel
	Yankee
	Delta
	Typhoon
SSGN	Echo
	Charlie
	Papa
	Oscar

EXPLANATION OF
EARLY SUBMARINE TYPES

Early submarine types were usually known after their inventors, some of these were:

Holland Simon Lake Fulton	}	USA
Laubeuf Dupuy de Lôme Gustave Zédé Bertin	}	French
Lauenti Pullino Cavallini Bernardi	}	Italian
Nordenfelt		Swedish
Germania^*		German
Whitehead		British

^* This is named after the shipyard.

Note that early submarines were termed submarine torpedo boats, consequently they are always referred to as boats, rather than ships.

ALBANIA

SUBMARINE SERVICE

The Albanian submarine branch was formed in 1960 with the transfer of two Whiskey Class submarines (SS) from the USSR. When in 1961, after the split with Albania, the Soviet Union attempted to withdraw from its bases two further Whiskey Class submarines, then in Albanian ports, these were seized, thus doubling the Albanian submarine strength.

One submarine was deleted in 1976 and shortly thereafter another one relegated to harbour service. The remaining boats, which are the only significant vessels in the navy, are assumed to be operational.

SUBMARINE INSIGNIA

Very little information is available from Albania. In line with their Chinese Communist patrons, all ranks and insignia, apart from the red star cap badge, were abolished about 1966 and an universal Chairman-Mao style uniform adopted. Later, following the Chinese lead, the Navy changed to a more traditional uniform based almost entirely on the Chinese style.

After the collapse of Communism in March, 1992, more conventional uniforms and insignia of rank were introduced. A submarine badge made its appearance about early 1993. It consisted of the image of a conventional submarine measuring 92mm × 18mm facing the wearer’s right. It was crudely embroidered in light grey thread on a dark blue background which usually followed the profile of the submarine. Further details are, at this stage, unavailable.

Albanian submarine insignia introduced early 1993.

ALGERIA

SUBMARINE SERVICE

The Algerian Submarine Force was formed in January, 1982, with the delivery of a Soviet Romeo Class submarine (SS). A second submarine of the same class was delivered the following year. Both boats were on loan for a five year period and were subsequently returned to the Soviet Union. In 1987 a Kilo Class submarine (SSK) was purchased from the Soviet Union and was followed by a second one in 1988. These two modern submarines are likely to constitute the Algerian submarine force for the foreseeable future.

SUBMARINE INSIGNIA

In 1992 official sources indicated that no formal insignia was authorized. Since then various unsubstantiated reports have rumoured that a submarine badge has been ‘seen’ but no details have emerged.

ARGENTINA

SUBMARINE SERVICE

Though experiments with a small electric powered vessel were reported in 1906/7, it was not until 1927 that Argentina ordered its first submarines. The new vessels, three in number, with a surface displacement of 775 tons, were purchased from Italy, and were based on the Italian Navy’s Mameli Class. Named Salta, Sante Fé and Santiago del Estero after Argentine provinces, these became traditional names for Argentinian submarines. They served for nearly three decades; the Salta, the last to be withdrawn, served until 1960.

In the same year as Salta was decommissioned the United States transferred two wartime-built Balao class submarines (SS), of 1,816 tons surface displacement, to Argentina. They became the Sante Fé and Santiago del Estero. Eleven years later both were replaced by two modernised Balao Class submarines (Guppy 1A and Guppy 11). The names adopted were the same as the names of the two submarines that they had replaced. The Sante Fé was later to gain notoriety when she became the first war loss in the Falklands conflict. She was disabled off South Georgia on the 26 April, 1982, by missiles fired from a Lynx helicopter from HMS Brilliant, and was subsequently beached to become a total los...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Full Title
• Copyright Page
• Contents