The true story of the loss of submarine HMS Thetis is still shrouded in
mystery, even now, some seventy-five years after her tragic sinking. On
1 June 1939, HMS Thetis sank in Liverpool Bay on her maiden dive with
the loss of ninety-nine lives. It was the worst peacetime submarine
tragedy ever to be suffered by the Royal Navy. As soon as the impending
disaster was reported, a massive rescue operation was mounted by the
Royal Navy, but following a catalogue of misunderstandings, political
posturing, red tape and sheer incompetence, the operation ended in
abysmal failure with only four of the crew being rescued. There were
many ongoing recriminations and a number of legal battles following the
Royal Navy's private inquiry and the subsequent public inquiry. Even
after such a forensic examination, no one was held to be culpable for
the disaster. As a result of media coverage at the time, a number of
conspiracy theories were spawned, some gaining more credence than others
in light of the inconclusive findings of the official reports. In
Thetis: Submarine Disaster, David Paul, having studied the events
surrounding the tragedy of HMS Thetis for many years, examines the
issues which led to the disaster and draws some convincing and
devastating conclusions.
