My previous story of a Reindeer travelling by submarine led me to dig into the history of the Commanding Officer of HMS Trident Commander Sladen.


Here is a short version of the life of Geoffrey Mainwaring Sladen.Sources are Unithistories and Uboat.net

Education: RN Colleges, Osborne & Dartmouth
15.09.1922-(01.1925)
HMS Hawkins (cruiser) (China)

14.02.1927-(07.1927)
HMS L 14 (submarine) (for duty with "M" submarines in reserve at Portland)

(08.1929) no appointment listed

10.08.1929-(04.1930)
First Lieutenant, HMS H 27 (submarine) (Portsmouth)

15.04.1930-(02.1931)
HMS Rodney (battleship) (Atlantic Fleet)

08.09.1931-(09.1932)
First Lieutenant, HMS L 54 (submarine) (Portsmouth)

01.12.1933-(01.1934)
HMS Titania (submarine depot ship) (for submarines)

23.03.1935-(02.1937)
staff, RN College, Dartmouth [HMS Britannia]

09.07.1937-(10.1938)
Commanding Officer, HMS Shark (submarine)

21.01.1939-(08.1939)
Commanding Officer, HMS Thames (submarine) (Portsmouth)

(04.1940)


HMS Oswald (submarine) *
18.04.1940-(03.1942)
Commanding Officer, HMS Trident (submarine)

22.03.1942-(06.1942)
HMS Dolphin (submarine depot) (for submarines)

12.06.1942-(02.1943)
Commanding Officer, HMS Titania (submarine depot ship)

30.03.1943-(12.1943)
Executive Officer, HMS Sheffield (cruiser)

(04.1944)-(06.1944)
no appointment listed

20.02.1945-(07.1945)
Commanding Officer, HMS Musketeer (destroyer)

(1945?)


HMS Matchless (destroyer)

27.08.1945-(04.1946)
Executive Officer, 5th Submarine Flotilla [HMS Dolphin (submarine depot)] (for Fort Blockhouse)

28.10.1947-(07.1948)
Commanding Officer, & Flag Captain, HMS Forth (submarine depot ship)

(05.1950)


HMS President *

(05.1953)


no appointment listed

* indexed, but not listed as such
Played rugby for England (1929).

Geoffrey Sladen developed the rubber suit used by British frogmen who rode the human torpedoes (Chariots) in WW2.Early in 1942, submariner Commanders Geoffrey Mainwaring Sladen (of Sladen 'Clammy Death' diving suit fame) and William Richard Fell commenced training with Chariot two-man human torpedoes at Horsea. Initially, a wooden mock-up Chariot nicknamed 'Cassidy' was towed up and down the lake by a small motor boat. In May 1942, Lt P C A Browning RNVR was the first Chariot casualty when he failed to surface after a routine dive. Chariot training was moved to Scotland a couple of months later.

Events related to this officer

Submarine HMS Trident (N 52)

25 Apr 1940
HMS Trident (Lt.Cdr. G.M. Sladen, RN) fires two torpedoes against the German merchants Palime (2863 GRT) and Pelikan (3464 GRT) about 30 nautical miles south-west of Lindesnes, Norway in position 57º30'N, 06º10'E. Both torpedoes missed their targets.
2 May 1940
HMS Trident (Lt.Cdr. G.M. Sladen, RN) attacks and damages the German merchant Cläre Hugo Stinnes (5295 GRT) with torpedoes and gunfire off the Björn fjord, Norway.
23 Jun 1940
HMS Trident (Lt.Cdr. G.M. Sladen, RN) fires four torpedoes at the German oiler Dithmarschen (10816 GRT) north of Frohavet in position 64º21'N, 09º12'E. The torpedoes however miss their target.
8 Oct 1940
HMS Trident (Lt.Cdr. G.M. Sladen, RN) attacks the German submarine U-31 with torpedoes in the Bay of Biscay about 15 nautical miles south of Lorient, France in position 47º28'N, 03º25'W. All torpedoes fired missed their target.
27 Dec 1940
HMS Trident (Lt.Cdr. G.M. Sladen, DSC, RN) fires five torpedoes against a darkened ship that entered Punta Delgada, Azores. All five torpedoes missed their target.
19 Aug 1941
HMS Trident (Cdr. G.M. Sladen, DSC, RN) damages the German merchant Levante (4769 GRT) east of Havoysund, Norway in position 71º01'N, 24º34'E.
22 Aug 1941
HMS Trident (Cdr. G.M. Sladen, DSC, RN) torpedoes and sinks the German merchant Ostpreußen (3030 GRT) in the Kvaenangenfjord, Norway in position 70º12'N, 21º05'E.
30 Aug 1941
HMS Trident (Cdr. G.M. Sladen, DSC, RN) torpedoes and sinks the German merchants Donau II (2931 GRT) and Bahia Laura (8561 GRT) in Lopphavet, Norway in position 70º35'N, 21º45'E.
3 Sep 1941
While returning to base at Polyarnoe, Russia, HMS Trident (Cdr. G.M. Sladen, DSC, RN) is fired upon but missed by the German submarine U-566.
30 Sep 1941
HMS Trident (Cdr. G.M. Sladen, DSC, RN) fires three torpedoes against the German hospital ship Birka (1000 GRT) in the Breidsundet about 4 nautical miles north-west of Havøysund, Norway in position 71º03'N, 24º34'E. All three torpedoes missed their target.
3 Nov 1941
HMS Trident (Cdr. G.M. Sladen, DSC, RN) torpedoes and sinks the German auxiliary submarine chaser UJ 1213 / Rau IV (354 GRT) in the Porsangerfjord in position 70º58'N, 26º08'E. The German merchant Altkirch (4713 GRT) is missed in the same attack.
7 Nov 1941
HMS Trident (Cdr. G.M. Sladen, DSC, RN) fires three torpedoes against the German minesweeper depot ship MRS 3 / Bali north of the Laksefjorden in position 71º06'N, 26º57'E. The torpedoes missed their target.
23 Feb 1942
HMS Trident (Cdr. G.M. Sladen, DSO, DSC, RN) fires 7 torpedoes against the German heavy cruisers Prinz Eugen and Admiral Scheer west of Kristiansund, Norway in position 63º12'N, 07º00'E. Prinz Eugen is hit in the stern with one torpedo but Admiral Hipper is missed.


Sladen played Rugby for the Navy with J.W.Linton and also represented his country at the sport .His Rugby career for England is summarised below(from scrum.com):

	Mat	Start	Sub	Pts	Tries	Conv	Pens	Drop	Won	Lost	Draw	%
overall	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	33.33	Profile

Career summary

Grouping	Mat	Start	Sub	Pts	Tries	Conv	Pens	Drop	Won	Lost	Draw	%
v Ireland	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.00
v Scotland	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.00
v Wales	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	100.00
in England	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	50.00
in Scotland	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.00
home	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	50.00
away	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.00
year 1929	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	33.33
*R Cove-Smith	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	50.00
*HG Periton	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.00
is not captain	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	33.33
won match	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	100.00
lost match	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0.00
Five/Six Nations	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	33.33