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Part of 1st
Group of T-Class Submarines and second of this Class ordered from
HM Dockyard, Chatham on 15th June 1938 and laid down on 21st
November 1938. This submarine was launched on 9th April 1940 as the
5th RN vessel to bear the name, introduced in 1693 for a 2nd Rate 80
Gun ship . The last to carry the name was a destroyer built in 1918
and transferred to Canada as HMCS CHAMPLAIN in 1928. Build was
completed on 14th January and Pennant Number for visual signalling
purposes had been changed to 79T. Acceptance Trials were carried out
in the Clyde After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign This boat was adopted by the
civil community of Paignton,
Devon in February 1942. This submarine which survived WW2 was
probably the most successful and best known off all Chatham built
submarines and had very extensive world wide
deployments.
B a t t l
e H o n o u r
s
VIGA 1702 -
VELEZ MALAGA 1704 - QUIBERON BAY 1759 - BELLE ISLE 1759 - ST KITTS
1782 - THE SAINTS 1782 - MEDITERRANEAN 1941-43 - ARCTIC 1942-43 -
SICILY 1943 - AEGEAN 1943 - ATLANTIC 1944 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1944 -
MALAYA 1945
H e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge: On a
field Gold, A bugle Blue, banded Red.
M o t t
o
Je maintendrai : 'I will
maintain'
S u m m a r
y o f W a r S e r v i c
e
1 9 4 1
January
Commissioned for trials as part of 2nd Submarine Flotilla
Passage to Clyde to carry out Acceptance Trials
Commanding Officer Lieut. Cdr A C C Miers, RN
February
On completion joined 3rd Submarine Flotilla based in Clyde
March
22nd Deployed with Flotilla and
carried out Bay of Biscay patrol for surveillance of
Nominated for service in Mediterranean with 1st Submarine
Flotilla.
Passage to Mediterranean to join Flotilla.
April
Joined Flotilla at Gibraltar
Carried out first patrol in Mediterranean
Attack on supply ship off Cape
Ferranto failed when only one torpedo of a salvo of three
ordered was discharged.
(Note: One source records that this was not successful, mainly due
to lack of drill.)
On completion took passage to Alexandria where Flotilla was based.
May.
Deployed for interception patrols in the Dardanelles and
Aegean.
June
1st Sank
caique
2nd Sank another
caique.
6th During
subsequent patrol off Cape Helles torpedoed Vichy French
tanker ALBERTA.
As the vessel did not
immediately sink she was later destroyed by gun fire.
10th . Carried out unsuccessful torpedo attack on
transport UTILITAS but sank Italian
tanker GUISEPPINI GHIRADI.
11th Sank
caique.
12th Sank schooner GESURE
E MARIA.
16th Returned to
Alexandria
28th Sailed Alexandria for
interception patrol in southern Aegean.
(Note: Other submarines in 1st Flotilla were:
TRUANT, TRIUMPH, TAKU, TERACH, REGENT, ROVER, OSIRIS,
OTUS
RORQUAL, CACHALOT, PARTHIAN, PERSEUS, PANDORA, and Greek
KATSONIS., PAPANICOLIS, NEREUS, TRITON and GLAVKOS.
July
During patrol carried out successful attacks sinking mercantile
CITTA DI TRIPOLI,
Italian submarine JANTINA and two caiques.
August
Sailed for interception patrol during which 120 British troops were
rescued from
Paxamadia off Crete.
12th Carried out
unsuccessful attack on convoy and under sustained depth charge
attacks by
escorting torpedo boat PARTENOPE.
16th Sank small sailing
vessel.
September
Carried out interception patrol during which two attacks in Aegean
failed.
October
14th Deployed with HM
Submarine TALISMAN to landed commando units for raid on
General
Rommel’s headquarters.
November
December
Sank 8 small sailing vessels during patrol.
15th Sank Italian
mercantile SEBASTIANO VENIER off North African coast
(Note: Regrettably this ship was carrying some 2,000 British PoW
and 309 lost their lives.
This ship had been damaged by HM Submarine PORPOISE on 10th
December.)
23rd Carried out attack on
Italian destroyer AVIERI IN Navarino Bay.
1 9 4 2
January
February
27th During attack on
convoy, missed tanker but later seriously damaged 1,243 ton
mercantile
March
Deployed for interception patrol
4th Attack on
destroyer failed.
5th After
sight a northbound convoy in the Ionian Sea entered Corfu Roads to
make a
torpedo attack. Fired torpedoes at supply ships which was
damaged despite continuous
depth charge
attacks. (Note: Lieut Cdr A C C Miers was
awarded the Victoria Cross for
this daring exploit.)
April
Nominated for return to UK to
refit.
9th Sank small
mercantiles off Corfu
11th Sank another small
mercantile off Taranto
(Note: This was the last patrol under command of Lieut Cdr
Miers.)
19th Sank small escort
after pursuit of a convoy.
May
On arrival in UK detached for temporary service with 5th Submarine
Flotilla at Portsmouth
to
Deployed for interception patrol in Home waters.
July
August
Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard Devonport.
to
October
November
On completion of post refit trials worked-up for operational service
with 3rd Flotilla in
Clyde. Commanding Officer, Lieut R J Clutterbuck RN.
December
Deployed with HM Submarines SEANYMPH, TAURUS and Polish submarine
SOKOL
for patrol off Bear Island to provide support for passage of Russian
Convoy JW51B to
Kola Inlet.
Nominated for return to Mediterranean
1 9 4 3
January
Passage to Mediterranean for service based at Algiers.
Deployed for patrol off Valencia.
February
Mediterranean deployment based at Algiers in
continuation..
to
March.
During patrol in Tyrrhenean Sea sank four mercantiles totalling
11,552 tons , including
LILLOIS of 3,681 tons.
One other mercantile was torpedoed and sustained damage.
April
Returned to Algiers from patrol during which one mercantile of 3,681
was sunk
18th. Sustained damage during an
air raid at Algiers.
Towed to Gibraltar for repairs.
May
Under repair by HM Dockyard Gibraltar.
to Nominated for support of planned allied landings in Sicily
July
Operation HUSKY)
August.
On completion of post repair trials resumed duties at
Algiers
Carried out patrol off Elba in support of HUSKY and sank one
mercantile of
2,609 tons.
September
Interception patrol based at Algiers in continuation.
October
Transferred to Beirut for support of operations in
Dodecanese.
16th. During patrol in Aegean
sank 1,925 ton German mercantile KARI.
(Note: Whilst on this patrol was subject to several depth charge
attacks.)
Transferred to Beirut
November
Interception patrols based at Beirut in continuation
to
Sank a Floating Dock, German mercantile RAINA.
December
Came under anti-submarine attack after sinking a sailing
caique
1 9 4 4
January
Beirut patrol deployment in continuation.
Deployed for interception patrols in Aegean with HM Submarines
SUCCESS, UNRULY,
UNSPARING, Polish submarines SOKOL, DZIK and Polish
DOLFIJN.
26th Carried out
unsuccessful torpedo attack on escorted transport LEDA off
Amorgos.
31st Sank sailing
caique south east of Lemnos.
February
Aegean deployment from Beirut in continuation.
Patrolled without any successes
Nominated for return to Home waters with SIBYL, SOKOL and
DZIK
March
Passage to Portsmouth
April
Under refit by HM Dockyard Portsmouth.
to
Nominated for service with 4th Submarine Flotilla after
work-up
July
August
Passage to Clyde for work-up with 3rd Flotilla based at Holy
Loch.
Commanding Officer, Lieut Cdr Norman DSO RN
September
On completion prepared for foreign service and took passage to
Trincomalee to join
to
Flotilla. Passage to Ceylon for service in East Indies Fleet.
December
1 9 4 5
January
Joined Flotilla for interception patrol and support of planned
operations.
to
Deployed with 4th Flotilla based at Trincomalee.
March
Carried out interception patrol off coast off Malacca and sank
coaster.
April
7th Carried
out patrol off western Sumatra.
(Note: Landed parties for beach reconnaissance
operations.)
21st Returned to
Trincomalee on release.
May
Embarked reconnaissance party from Ding Ding
Island.
June
During patrol in Malacca Strait sank coaster and two
junks.
July
East Indies Fleet patrol and support duties in
continuation.
to
August
P o s t W a r N o t e
s
HMS TORBAY
returned to UK in October and Paid-off. Placed in Reserve at
Portsmouth this
submarine was put on the Disposal List and sold to BISCO on 19th
December 1945 for demolition. by T W Ward at Briton Ferry. She
arrived at the breaker’s yard in tow on 29th January
1946. |
