B a t t l
e H o n o u r s
VELEZ MALAGA
1704 - ST VINCENT 1780 - THE SAINTES 1782 - NORWAY 1940 -
MEDITERRANEAN 1940
Motto
Vigilans de profundo: 'Watching from the
deep'
First submarine of the Class to be completed and commissioned
in 1938. Although this name had been used for several surface
warships after being introduced in 1702 for a French Sloop of this
name taken as Prize this was its first use for a submarine. During
WW1 it was carried by three naval auxiliaries one which was a Paddle
survey ship sold in 1919 for use at the Gravesend Sea School.
In September
1939 this submarine, commanded by Lieut
Cdr H P de C Steel, was deployed for patrol
off Norway. On 10th of the month she challenged HM Submarine OXLEY
off Stavanger and when no reply was given carried out a torpedo
attack which resulted in the sinking of HMS OXLEY, with only two
survivors. Her patrol deployment with the 2nd Submarine Flotilla
continued in the North Sea into 1940 and in an attack on a convoy
off Norway in April she carried out an attack on a convoy taking
German troops for the landings. Two transport ships and an escort
were sunk with loss of several hundred enemy personnel. The next
month during a separate patrol she attacked and sank another
transport off Norway.
Transferred to
the Mediterranean in September 1940 and under command of Lieutenant
E F Pizey she was deployed for
interception patrols based in Alexandria. Her successful career
continued by further sinkings off Genoa
soon after arrival and on a subsequent patrol in October. She also
carried shore bombardment at Vado and
Savona. This submarine sailed for patrol in the Straits of Otranto
on 28th November 1940 and never returned. She is believed to have
attacked the Italian mercantile OLIMPIA and escort off Durazzo on 6th December but this cannot be
confirmed. Her unexplained loss may have been due to counter attacks
on this occasion or by mine or attack by the Italian torpedo boat
CLIO on 18th unless by a mine during the interim period. Her
Commanding Officer, when she was lost without any survivors, was
Lieut Cdr G C I
St B S Watkins. |