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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 TRIUMPH (i) - T-class Submarine

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

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B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

ARMADA 1588 - DOVER 1652 - PORTLAND 1653 - GABBARD 1653 - SCHEVENINGEN 1653 - LOWESTOFT 1665 - FOUR DAYS BATTLE 1666 - ORFORDNESS 1666 - SOLEBAY 1672 - SCHOONVELD 1673 - TEXEL 1673 - CORNWALLIS RETREAT 1795 - CAMPERDOWN 1797 - DARDANELLES 1915 - MALTA CONVOYS 1941 - MEDITERRANEAN 1941 - KOREA 1950*
(* Awarded to later ship of this name)

Motto

'We shall triumph'

 

This name has been borne by RN ships since 1561 and this first warship, a galleon., fought against the Spanish Armada. First used by a submarine in 1938 it was last borne by a battleship purchased from Chile during build at Barrow in 1903 and sunk off Gallipoli in 1915, although used by auxiliaries during WW1 and WW2.

 

This submarine carried out North Sea patrols off Norway until December 1939 when she was badly damaged by a mine. After repair lasting over six months she resumed patrol duties off Norway in August before being transferred to the Mediterranean in January  1941 for interception of supply traffic to and from North Africa.

 

During patrol in February 1941, commanded by Commander W J W Woods RN (Later Admiral Sir William) she landed commandos for a raid on the Appulian coast. Whilst on patrol in May that year she sank two ships off Calabria and in May sank the Italian Auxiliary RAMB 3 off Benghazi. Her successes continued in June when she sank the Italian submarine SALPA off Mersa Matruh by torpedo after a surface gun action Whilst on patrol in July she attacked and sank a 500 ton freighter being escorted by the Italian gunboat DANTE DE LUTTI which was then sunk in a surface action. Some damage requiring repair was carried in Malta. On return to duty in August she attacked and damaged the Italian cruiser BOLZANO. During an Adriatic patrol in September she sank another mercantile and damaged two other in surface gun attacks. The next month she sank a transport in the Aegean and on return to deployment off North Africa, she carried out an attack on a coastal convoy sinking one of its ships.

 

Her outstanding record came to an end during a patrol in the Aegean when she was sunk by a mine in the Gulf of Athens on 20th January 1942. Her Commanding Officer after July was Lieutenant J S Huddart RN.

 

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revised 28/11/10
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