HMS Oxley

HMS Oxley was an O-class submarine serving in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) (as HMAS Oxley) and the Royal Navy (RN).

Construction
Oxley was laid down by Vickers-Armstrong Limited at Barrow-in-Furness, England in March 1925. She was launched on 29 June 1926, completed on 22 July 1927, and commissioned into the RAN on 1 April 1927.

Australia
Oxley and sister ship HMAS Otway departed England for Malta on 8 February 1928, where the submarines were based until November 1928. The submarines then sailed to Australia, arriving in Sydney on 14 February 1929. Oxley remained in New South Wales waters for the remainder of her RAN career, and was paid off into Reserve on 10 May 1930. Oxley underwent diving exercises every second week until 9 April 1931, when the submarine was paid off in full prior to transfer to the RN.

United Kingdom
Oxley was recommissioned into the RN on 10 April 1931. On 29 April, Oxley and Otway (which had also been recommissioned into the RN) left Sydney for Malta. During 1939, the submarine was based at Portsmouth as part of the 5th Submarine Flotilla. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Oxley was assigned to patrol duties off the coast of Norway.

Loss
On 10 September 1939, HMS Triton (N15) was also patrolling in the area. The two submarines had been in regular contact, and when Triton spotted an unidentified submarine in the area, it was initially assumed that this was Oxley. Recognition codes sent by signal light to the unknown boat were not responded to, causing Triton's commander to assume that she was an enemy submarine and fire two torpedoes. Oxley was the submarine; both torpedoes hit and sank her with only two survivors, which were recovered by Triton. A Board of Enquiry found that Oxley was some way out of position and that Triton had acted correctly and was not culpable for the sinking. As HMS Oxley was operating from Dundee with the 2nd Submarine Flotilla when she was lost, her crew are all commemorated on Dundee International Submarine Memorial.