B a t t l
e H o n o u r s
MEDITERRANEAN
1942-44 - ATLANTIC 1944
Motto
Nilhil sine labore : 'Nothing without hard work'
Identified by
her Pennant Number P34 this submarine was renamed in early 1943
during her operational service in the Mediterranean where she was
deployed in 1941 after completion of work-up in Home waters.
Part of the
10th Submarine Flotilla based in Malta she carried out patrols to
intercept Italian warships attempting to attack relief convoys to
Malta and also supply ships to and from North African ports. During
a patrol in January 1942 to intercept Italian Convoy M43 she was
unable to carry out a torpedo attack although she sighted the convoy
but did sink a supply ship later during February. The next month she
attacked and sank the Italian submarine AMMIRAGLIO MILO during
patrol off Sicily. Her service in June 1942 was for patrol off
Taranto to intercept and report movements of Italian warships
attempting to attack Malta relief convoy MW11 during passage in
eastern Mediterranean (Operation VIGOROUS). Similar duties were
carried out in August for the PEDESTAL Malta relief convoy which
arrived safely. This submarine then returned to UK for refit and
resumed service in the Mediterranean during October 1943 and during
passage carried out an attack on the German submarine U73 which
failed although initially credited as sinking of U431.
Her
Mediterranean deployment in 1944 includes sinking of three supply
ships and a bombardment of Crete during allied operations to recover
islands occupied by enemy forces during May. Transferred with the
Flotilla for operations based at Maddelena, Sardinia during June that year she
carried out patrols of south France sinking five large mercantiles.
The next month her successes included a submarine chaser and two
ferries. The remainder of her war service was not remarkable. Her
commanding officer was Lieutenant Kett in
1942-43 who was much decorated for his continued success as a
submarine commander. |