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 away and took onboard 823 Chinese and 232 Europeans. She subsequently undertook refit in Sydney, which took most of 1942. On 8 February 1943, at 2:30 am, the BHP Shipping iron ore carrier was hit by a torpedo fired by "I-21". She went to the bottom, bow first, in only two minutes, claiming 36 lives. "Le Triomphant" picked up the 14 survivors on a raft 10 hours later. She attempted to locate "I-21" for a day, before returning to Sydney the next day. On 26 November 1943, "Le Triomphant" departed Fremantle to escort a convoy comprising the American oil tanker