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HMS Thetis

It is called a Thetis clip. Its a bit like the child locks I have on my Kitchen Cupboard doors. Only alows the doors to be opened a few inches before it is taken off. Don't forget many Laird's men were lost in that boat as well possibly even the man responsible for the duff paint job. She was rather crowded. A true tradgedy for all, but the important issue is that many lessons were learned. As for Thunderbolt, I believe the story about the tide mark. Some things are beyond explanation. Sailors always believed it was unluky to change a name. Perhaps Thetis should have stuck, after all it is difficult to be sunk twice. But of course now the name lives on in all our Boats. In that little clip.

(Watch the old film Morning Departure if you can't begin to imagine what it must have been like. Did it as a school play and was happy to be a Skimmer after that.)
 
Deckhead_Inspector said:
It is called a Thetis clip. Its a bit like the child locks I have on my Kitchen Cupboard doors. Only alows the doors to be opened a few inches before it is taken off. Don't forget many Laird's men were lost in that boat as well possibly even the man responsible for the duff paint job. She was rather crowded. A true tradgedy for all, but the important issue is that many lessons were learned. As for Thunderbolt, I believe the story about the tide mark. Some things are beyond explanation. Sailors always believed it was unluky to change a name. Perhaps Thetis should have stuck, after all it is difficult to be sunk twice. But of course now the name lives on in all our Boats. In that little clip.

(Watch the old film Morning Departure if you can't begin to imagine what it must have been like. Did it as a school play and was happy to be a Skimmer after that.)

Boats tubes were fitted with the test cock and reamer before the Thetis disaster. The current name was applied after the hole was found to have been painted over and blamed for the sinking.

Recently I have read a transcription of a court case in which two relatives of men lost on the boat tried to sue Pusser and Vickers for negligence and in particular alleged (a) the Torpedo Officer and his Forends L/S contibuted to the sinking by not using the reamer amongst other things and (b) Vicker were negligent by not inspecting the work of the sub contractors whose staff painted the insides of the tubes.

The relatives lost the case and the following appeal.

The transcript also revealed that the mechanical interlocks and indicators for the bow doors were not foolproof and that the operating personnel had to be knowledgable of the fact and trained in the operation and interpretation of the interlocks.

I think my mate downloaded the document from the web but I've had a quick search and can't find it.

Pol
 
polariod said:
Deckhead_Inspector said:
It is called a Thetis clip. Its a bit like the child locks I have on my Kitchen Cupboard doors. Only alows the doors to be opened a few inches before it is taken off. Don't forget many Laird's men were lost in that boat as well possibly even the man responsible for the duff paint job. She was rather crowded. A true tradgedy for all, but the important issue is that many lessons were learned. As for Thunderbolt, I believe the story about the tide mark. Some things are beyond explanation. Sailors always believed it was unluky to change a name. Perhaps Thetis should have stuck, after all it is difficult to be sunk twice. But of course now the name lives on in all our Boats. In that little clip.

(Watch the old film Morning Departure if you can't begin to imagine what it must have been like. Did it as a school play and was happy to be a Skimmer after that.)

Boats tubes were fitted with the test cock and reamer before the Thetis disaster. The current name was applied after the hole was found to have been painted over and blamed for the sinking.

Recently I have read a transcription of a court case in which two relatives of men lost on the boat tried to sue Pusser and Vickers for negligence and in particular alleged (a) the Torpedo Officer and his Forends L/S contibuted to the sinking by not using the reamer amongst other things and (b) Cammels were negligent by not inspecting the work of the sub contractors whose staff painted the insides of the tubes.

The relatives lost the case and the following appeal.

The transcript also revealed that the mechanical interlocks and indicators for the bow doors were not foolproof and that the operating personnel had to be knowledgable of the fact and trained in the operation and interpretation of the interlocks.

I think my mate downloaded the document from the web but I've had a quick search and can't find it.

Pol

Had a memory flash back re the above transcript. The test cock was situated halfway up the tubes Aft (inboard) door. Even if the reamer had been used to prove that the bore of the test cock was clear because of the cocks situation the tube could still be half full of oggin. There was no interlock connection (electical or mechanical) between the test cock and the Bow and Aft doors of the torpedo tube and therefore the cock could not indicate whether the Bow Door was open or shut.

The boat was having trouble diving and at some stage the Torpedo Officer went to the Control room and asked if the Fwd. tubes were flooded. He was told that they were empty and took this as gospel and did not use the reamer before opening the Aft door. Some minutes prior to the Aft door being opened the mechanical indicators had been checked and showed the Bow door to be shut. After this lapse of a few minutes the TO and his L/S carried out the drill to open the door and the disaster commenced.

Pol
 
polariod said:
Deckhead_Inspector said:
It is called a Thetis clip. Its a bit like the child locks I have on my Kitchen Cupboard doors. Only alows the doors to be opened a few inches before it is taken off. Don't forget many Laird's men were lost in that boat as well possibly even the man responsible for the duff paint job. She was rather crowded. A true tradgedy for all, but the important issue is that many lessons were learned. As for Thunderbolt, I believe the story about the tide mark. Some things are beyond explanation. Sailors always believed it was unluky to change a name. Perhaps Thetis should have stuck, after all it is difficult to be sunk twice. But of course now the name lives on in all our Boats. In that little clip.

(Watch the old film Morning Departure if you can't begin to imagine what it must have been like. Did it as a school play and was happy to be a Skimmer after that.)

Boats tubes were fitted with the test cock and reamer before the Thetis disaster. The current name was applied after the hole was found to have been painted over and blamed for the sinking.


Pol

Polaroid

I think you have little kowledge of the rear doors on torpedo tubes. Yes the test cock and reamer were fitted to the Thetis and all boats since and for years before. That is not a Thetis Clip.

What was fitted after this accident is a clip with a screw catch. This clip, on the opposite to the hinge allows the rear door to open about 1 to 2 inches. If water then pours in, a tommy bar put thru a ringbolt shaped bolt fitted to the screw allows you to tighten up the door against water pressure and then engaged the locking system to shut the rear door again. Hence the name "Thetis Clip"

Nutty
 
Nutty said:
polariod said:
Deckhead_Inspector said:
It is called a Thetis clip. Its a bit like the child locks I have on my Kitchen Cupboard doors. Only alows the doors to be opened a few inches before it is taken off. Don't forget many Laird's men were lost in that boat as well possibly even the man responsible for the duff paint job. She was rather crowded. A true tradgedy for all, but the important issue is that many lessons were learned. As for Thunderbolt, I believe the story about the tide mark. Some things are beyond explanation. Sailors always believed it was unluky to change a name. Perhaps Thetis should have stuck, after all it is difficult to be sunk twice. But of course now the name lives on in all our Boats. In that little clip.

(Watch the old film Morning Departure if you can't begin to imagine what it must have been like. Did it as a school play and was happy to be a Skimmer after that.)

Boats tubes were fitted with the test cock and reamer before the Thetis disaster. The current name was applied after the hole was found to have been painted over and blamed for the sinking.


Pol

Polaroid

I think you have little kowledge of the rear doors on torpedo tubes. Yes the test cock and reamer were fitted to the Thetis and all boats since and for years before. That is not a Thetis Clip.

What was fitted after this accident is a clip with a screw catch. This clip, on the opposite to the hinge allows the rear door to open about 1 to 2 inches. If water then pours in, a tommy bar put thru a ringbolt shaped bolt fitted to the screw allows you to tighten up the door against water pressure and then engaged the locking system to shut the rear door again. Hence the name "Thetis Clip"

Nutty

Your're bang on about the Thetis Clip Nutty but I dont think I mentioned it. I stuck to the test Cock and Reamer.

Pol
 
Deeps,

Mind me asking your Grandfathers name, who served on Thunderbolt and Ursula??

Im trying to collate a crew list for those drafted to Ursula (even if just for one patrol) from 1938-1944

aggyaggy (New member!)
 
Just a thought, provoked by this thread, but didn't the first new Upholder boat have a problem with the bow and rear door interlocks at first? We all said we´d not be too impresed going to sea in them!
 
The Thetis clip, always called that whatever Pusser had to say about it consisted of a simple screw bolt with a large eye nut on the end. See any current display O Boat, all have them fitted. After the test cock and reamer had been used and the main rear door clip opened the Thetis clip was unscrewed after a certain distance which would have allowed any flooding water to enter if present the screw bolt was swung up allowing the rear door to be opened. If the tube was flooded it was a simple job to insert an iron bar into the eye nut and screw it closed and shut the rear door.

These were not fitted until after this accident and specifically to prevent it happening ever again.

I hope that makes sense to the readers who do not understand what the clip actually did.

Nutty
 
Just had a look through my book of submarine ditties and found of copy of the Report of the Tribunal of Enquiry into the loss of HMS THETIS if anyone wants a copy. Very interesting read.
 
The 'Test Cock and Locking Bolt' is the correct terminology fella's and what you are referring to as the 'Thetis' clip was actually called the Safety Swing Bolt.

The test cock was pulled half way up and the reamer was used. If tested dry you would pull it all the way and the locking bolt will move out of the way of the tube locking ring. You would then open the tube by turning the ring. The safety swing bolt would be loosened but could not swing aside as there was a collar on the bolt which meant you couldn't fully open the door until you had cracked the seal. If ,of course, the tube was flooded you would know by now and shut the rear door. 8)
 

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