HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant submarine collision HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant submarine collision The submarines HMS "Vanguard" and "Triomphant" collided in the Atlantic Ocean in the night between 3–4 February 2009. Both are nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. The Royal Navy's and the French Navy's both sustained damage, but no injuries or radioactivity releases were reported. At the time of the collision, both vessels were submerged and, according to the UK Ministry of Defence, moving "at very low speed"; both are equipped with active and passive sonar, although only the latter is used on an operational patrol. HMS "Vanguard" was on a routine patrol in the Eastern
French destroyer Le Triomphant Indochina. On 6 March 1946, under Captain Jubelin, she took part in landing operations near Haiphong. She sustained 20mm fire from Chinese troops, killing 8 sailors and wounding 20. "Le Triomphant" retaliated by firing her 138 mm guns, which ignited ammunition stores and resulted in the surrender of the 28,000-strong Chinese forces. "Le Triomphant" was decommissioned on 19 December 1954 and was scrapped in Bizerte in 1960. French destroyer Le Triomphant Le Triomphant ("The triumphant one") was a "Le Fantasque" class destroyer of the French Navy Built in Dunkerque from 1931, "Le Triomphant" was launched in 1934. At the outbreak