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New frigate’s crew remember inspirational action by their forebears 80 years ago
7 February 2025
Crew of new frigate HMS Venturer honoured the unique heroic deed of their World War 2 namesake exactly 80 years ago – an action still relevant in the 21st Century Royal Navy.
On February 9 1945, the then HMS Venturer – a V-class submarine – torpedoed a German U-boat off the coast of Norway, scuppering a top-secret Nazi mission.
Although such actions are the mainstay of some Hollywood blockbusters – The Hunt for Red October, U-571, Hunter Killer – U-864 is the only vessel sunk by another submarine while both were submerged.
The action has never been repeated, but the tactics used by Venturer’s captain Lieutenant Jimmy Launders in 1945 – the Zero Gyro Angle (or 0GA in submariner speak), firing a ‘spread’ of torpedoes to allow for error/sea conditions (which can divert a torpedo’s track), the draught of the target and also any evasive action taken – are still taught to today’s submarine skippers.
Even though technology and weapons are vastly different – the torpedoes HMS Venturer carried were ‘fire and forget’ (today’s are wire guided, so they can be steered on to a target should it move or they stray off course) – there is much about Launders’ attack which make it a classic ‘kill’.
“There are a number of great submarine stories, especially from this era - this is one that the whole Submarine Service can be inspired and proud of,” said Rear Admiral Andy Perks, the head of the Silent Service.
“The Service is fortunate to have fantastic people operating and maintaining our submarines as much today as we did 80 years ago. The technology may have changed, but the ethos of striving for innovation and excellence endures.
“Lieutenant Launders’ legacy lives on and keeps us focused on those that make up with Submarine Service as much today as we did during his time.”
Whilst there was a degree of luck – or fate– in the encounter, most importantly Lt Launders placed himself in the best position to fire his salvo – today known as the optimum firing position.
We have enormous pride to have this incredible storey associated with the new Venturer. We also take inspiration of this action and try to use Jimmy’s ‘thinking differently’ approach with our work now, to make Type 31 the best it could be for the modern generation of sailor where technology and people are uniquely symbiotic
The story begins in January 1945 when U-864 left Kiel on a secret mission, codenamed Operation Caesar, to deliver advanced technology to Japan: Messerschmitt engine parts for jet fighters, guidance systems for V2 rockets plus 64 tonnes of mercury.
She might have made it to the Far East but for a mixture of luck, poor seamanship and British intelligence/ingenuity.
The boat was damaged while transiting the Kiel Canal – badly enough for her to put into Bergen in occupied Norway for repairs… which were subsequently delayed by an RAF raid on the U-boat pens.
By the time U-864 departed Norway, British intelligence had deciphered radio messages outlining the U-boat’s mission – and HMS Venturer was sent to intercept her.
On February 9 1945, Venturer’s hydrophones (‘underwater ears’) picked up the German submarine off the island of Fedje, just 30 miles north of Bergen.
The Brits trailed the U-boat for three hours, following its zig-zag course before Lt Launders decided to act, taking a calculated decision to fire a spread (series) of torpedoes at his foe at intervals of 17½ seconds, estimating where U-864 might be.
The Germans took evasive action and avoided the first three torpedoes… but not the fourth, which tore the boat in half, killing all the crew. U-864 was the second U-boat dispatched by HMS Venturer - one of 15 German vessels sunk by the British submarine.
Venturer was transferred to the Norwegian Navy post-war, while Jimmy Launders remained in the Service, rising to the rank of captain by the time he retired in the mid-70s.
He died in 1988, but his family have donated the submarine’s bell – marked HMS P68 (her pennant number) – among other effects to the crew of the new frigate.
That bell formed the centrepiece for a short service of remembrance at Rosyth, where the new Type 31 frigate is under construction, where the 20 crew assigned to the vessel were reminded of the 1945 encounter.
Today’s Venturer is the first of five Inspiration-class frigates being built for the Royal Navy by Babcock in Rosyth and is due to emerge from her assembly shed to undergo completion in dock later this year.
The names of the quintet were specifically chosen to honour deeds by vessels which resonate to this day in naval annals.
The ships will perform general duties on patrol around the globe when they enter service later this decade.