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 submarine Gymnote (Q1) French submarine Gymnote (Q1) Gymnote was one of the world's first all-electric submarine and the first functional submarine equipped with torpedoes. Launched on 24 September 1888, she was developed in France following early experiments by Henri Dupuy de Lôme, and, after his death, by Gustave Zédé (1825–1891) and Arthur Krebs, who completed the project. For "Gymnote", Arthur Krebs developed the electric engine, the first naval periscope and the first naval electric gyrocompass. The name "Gymnote" refers to the Gymnotids, the "electric eels". The submarine was built with a steel single hull, a detachable lead keel, and three hydroplanes on each