Royal Navy: Historic submarine may have been discovered underneath park in Dartmouth

Scientists from the University of Winchester believe they’ve confirmed an urban legend of more than 80 years by ‘finding’ a Royal Navy submarine buried in a Dartmouth park.

The vague outline of what is thought to be HMS E52 can be made out on scans – as well as a second object, a German torpedo boat, longer but also more narrow.

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The findings were made by Dr Simon Roffey, reader in archaeology, and Dr David Ashby, who manages the University of Winchester’s soil laboratory.

The pair were intrigued by the research of Lieutenant Tom Kemp, who last year put a name to the submarine locals had talked about for years.

After extensive research in the archives, serving submariner Tom – who teaches navigation at Britannia Royal Naval College overlooking the town – identified the craft as HMS E52.

Dr Roffey said: ‘The ‘submarine under the park’ is a local legend, and it could make a wonderful tourist attraction if we could identify its exact location.

‘We know that there was a torpedo boat there but everyone assumed that it had been moved. Maybe it was stuck fast in the mud and they just left it there.’

To compound the challenge of identifying the submarine is another Dartmouth urban legend, which suggests that US troops who camped in the park in the latter stages of the Second World War buried some of their kit in the park rather than ship it home when they left.

The team is seeking permission from the local authority to dig small bore holes in the park to hopefully identify a piece of equipment or metal unique to the navy submarine.

Lt Kemp said: ‘It’s been my personal hobbyhorse for the better part of the past year.

‘Confirming the final resting place of one of His Majesty’s submarines – and a pretty successful one at that – would serve to remind and reiterate that our naval heritage is all around us and can often be clawed back from obscurity. Our time and energy could scarcely be better spent.’