Being the United Kingdom's contribution to NATO's strategic. nuclear deterrent, at least one Polaris submarine was to be constantly on patrol, sailing submerged 'one knew not where', but always carrying her deadly 'cargo' of two-stage ballistic missiles. The nickname given to the missile compartment housing these 16 missiles, which are 31 feet long, 4┬╜ feet in diameter and weigh 28 000 pounds, was 'Sherwood Forest'. Fired from the submerged submarine, the multiple nuclear warheads could soar into the stratosphere and devastate a target 2500 nautical miles away. One Polaris submarine carried more destructive potential than the total amount of explosives expended by all sides in the Second World War.
When a Polaris submarine headed out into the open sea, the crew settled down to a life of routine, where days passed relatively quickly, but time seemed to stand still. Their main activities were devoted entirely to ensuring that the secrecy of their position was preserved, and that the deadly missiles were always ready to fulfil their ultimate purpose. To make the fullest use of Polaris submarines, each had two crews - known as Port and Starboard - which took turn and turn-about in the two-month patrol cycle.
Food assumed an importance beyond its intrinsic value, and played a large part in influencing the morale of those onboard. From the small galley of a Polaris submarine, three cooked meals a day were prepared for the 143 officers and men - in an eight-week patrol, the equivalent of feeding a family of four for five years.
The primary source of power for Polaris submarines was a pressurized water nuclear reactor which provided steam for the propulsion turbines and turbo-generators. Systems for every-day running ranged from high and low voltage electrical power, steam, hydraulic, pneumatic, lubricating oil and water for essential ship's services, to freshwater, air-conditioning and refrigeration for domestic purposes. A network of communications and control systems was used for the transmission of information, for direction of remote services, and for round-the-clock monitoring of conditions throughout the ship.
MAINTAINING THE PEACE
Polaris submarines were designed to carry, and maintain in a state of readiness to fire, 16 Type A-3 Polaris missiles in addition to their conventional torpedo armament. The Admiralty believed that if the missiles were ever employed they would have failed in their purpose of preventing war. But to quote Vice-Admiral Sir Hugh Mackenzie (ex Chief Polaris Executive): 'It is no use pretending to be able to do the job. The stakes are too high to rely on bluff'.
Such was the fearsome capability of the 7500-ton HMS Resolution, Renown, Repulse and Revenge that, even in peacetime, the 'opposition' was never able to subscribe to that proverbial saying 'Out of sight, out of mind'. And when the Polaris boats were eventually withdrawn from service in the mid to late 1990s, having performed their role admirably for 30 years, four even more awesome 16000-tonne Vanguard Class ballistic missile submarines built at Barrow and armed with sixteen 6500 n mile range Trident II D5 ballistic missiles entered service, thus maintaining the eternal vigilance role and the protection afforded by the UK's strategic nuclear deterrent since 1969.
