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 11 December 1939, the battleship "Dunkerque" departed with a cargo of 100 tonnes of gold for Canada, escorted by "Gloire" and "Mogador", "Volta", "Le Triomphant", "Le Terrible" and "Valmy". On 23 April 1940, the 8th Large Destroyer Division conducted a sweep to fend off German anti-submarine ships in the Skagerrak strait. In the early morning of the next day, they encountered the German trawlers "Memel" and "Guido Mohring", which served as auxiliary patrol boats "Vp.702" and "Vp.709", who managed to break off. The Destroyer Division also located and attacked "U-26", who escaped. "Le Triomphant" was damaged at her port propeller