British Submarines in the Cold War Era

by Norman Friedman

British Submarines in the Cold War Era shows how a combination of evolving strategic and tactical requirements and new technology produced successive types of submarines. It is based largely on unpublished and previously classified official documentation, and to the extent allowed by security restrictions, also tells the operational story - HMS Conqueror is still the only nuclear submarine to have sunk a warship in combat, but there are many less well-known aspects of British submarine operations in the postwar era. Although some of the Cold War activities of British submarines have come to light in recent years, this book will be the first comprehensive technical history of the submarines themselves, their design rationale, and the service which operated them.

384 pages, Hardcover

Published September 15, 2021

About the author

Norman Friedman is a prominent naval analyst and the author of more than thirty books covering a range of naval subjects, from warship histories to contemporary defense issues.

Reviews

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comparatively short, comparatively readable. Mostly the story here is that the Royal Navy was very tight on funds but looking to take on missions (to get funds). And after a little thrashing, wound up with a claim on ASW in the North Atlantic. Submarines were an excellent ASW weapon (because you get good sonar sensitivity underwater, and can sneak up on an enemy sub), and so this was good for the sub arm.

[Shrike58 · Rating 5 out of 5]

At this late date I'm not sure there's much more to be said about Norman Friedman's contributions to the study of naval history and defense policy, as it's one sustained career of excellence. As for this work, like Friedman's other studies related to the Royal Navy, there is the consideration of the constant tension between constrained resources, technological change, and strategic demands. If there is one trend that has come to be understated, it's how, until the rise of nuclear power, there was a sense that so-called "High Test Peroxide" would be the fuel of the future for submarines. Another trend is the chronic misunderstanding of the Soviet strategic agenda, and the means the Soviet state could deploy to attain those ends. Finally, there is a consideration of the hollowing out which post-Thatcher economic ideology has subjected the British military posture to, whether this ideology made sense or not. Highly recommended.