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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2 - Summary
by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2006

 

HMS TALLY-HO - T-class Submarine

HM S/M Templar, sister-boat (Navy Photos, click to enlarge)

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B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

BISCAY 1943 - MALAYA 1943-4

 

The first RN use by a warship built for naval service although used by a hired trawler during WW1. After completion of work-up in Home waters she was deployed briefly for patrol in the Bay of Biscay for interception of U-Boats in transit to and from French bases. She was then deployed in the Mediterranean for attacks on ships taking stores and personnel in support of enemy military operations in North Africa.

 

In August 1943 this submarine was transferred to the Eastern Fleet for service with the 4th Submarine Flotilla with seven other submarines for interception patrols. An early success after her arrival was sinking of the mercantile KISOGAWA MARU followed by the Japanese cruiser KUMA which was torpedoed and sunk off Penang on 11th January 1944. The next month she attacked and sank the Ex Italian submarine GIULIANI (UIT230) in the Malacca Straits on 15th followed by a mercantile DAIGEN MARU six days latter. Whilst attacking a convoy on February 24th she was damaged by the Japanese Torpedo Boat KARI in a ramming attack. Following repair to Ballast tanks and forward planes, in May she carried out a minelay in the Malacca Straits (Operation ML05) and sank another supply ship. Before returning to base she carried out Air-Sea Rescue duty during air attacks on Sourabaya by Eastern Fleet ships including the US aircraft carrier SARATOGA (Operation TRANSOM). Further patrols off the coasts of Burma, Siam and Malaya were carried out in July and August 1944 during which three small ships were sunk by torpedo and a sailing vessel by gunfire. In September the Flotilla transferred from Colombo to Trincomalee but patrol areas remained unchanged and this submarine sank a supply ship and a Submarine Chaser in October.

 

On her final patrol before leaving for UK was particularly impressive. She carried out Air-Sea Rescue duty during air attacks by Eastern Fleet on Nicobar Islands including search for survivors from crashed aircraft and then took part in an operation to intercept Japanese submarines on passage from Penang to Singapore. She carried out an attack on one off Singapore which failed after which she landed an intelligence party During the rest of this patrol she sank an Auxiliary minelayer (Wa4) by torpedo and made successful attacks on 10 junks by surface gunfire. The boat returned to Trincomalee and took passage to UK on 23rd November 1944 with an outstanding reputation as a successful patrol submarine. Her Commanding Officer was Commander L W A Bennington RN.

 

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revised 30/11/10
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