Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

Greek submarine ARGONAFTIS (formerly H.M.S. VIRULENT) found drifting in Bay of Biscay

   Fishermen on two Spanish fishing trawlers had the biggest catch of their lives when they found an unmanned Greek submarine in the Bay of Biscay, about 40 miles north of San Sebastian.

   The submarine, formerly H.M.S. VIRULENT, a V-class submarine of the Royal Navy had been on loan to the Royal Hellenic Navy of Greece since 1946 and had been renamed ARGONAFTIS by them.

   In November 1958 it was decided to scrap the submarine and, unmanned, she left Malta under tow by a tug to the ship breakers on the River Tyne, England.

   However, in the Bay of Biscay on 15^th December she broke away from the tug towing her and drifted ashore on the coast of northern Spain.    

   On 5^th January the Spanish trawlers found her drifting and, with the Spanish naval sloop HERNAN CORTES, the submarine was towed to Pasajes in Spain.

Additional note : In 1961 she was sold to a Spanish ship breaker and broken up at Pasajes in April 1961.