B a t t l
e H o n o u r s
MEDITERRANEAN 1941-42 - MALTA CONVOYS 1941-42 - BISCAY
1942
First use of the name by the RN and launched under this name
instead of Pennant Number P33. Deployed in Home waters after
work-up this submarine took passage to the Mediterranean in February
1941 and carried out patrol from Gibraltar before joining the 10th
Submarine Flotilla in Malta during April.
Her initial
patrols were uneventful as far as sinking records relate although in
July she took part in a joint operation to intercept an Italian
troop convoys including several large liners. Her torpedo attack on
the liner OCEANIA failed. The next month during patrol off Augusta
she sank a supply ship and during a joint operation with other
submarines of the Flotilla sighted another important troop convoy in
the eastern Mediterranean, As a result HM Submarine UPHOLDER carried
out successful attacks sinking the liners OCEANIA and NEPTUNIA. This
submarine was the deployed to carry out patrols to intercept Italian
warships on passage to intercept the HALBERD relief convoy to Malta
In December 1941 she was deployed to intercept an Italian supply
convoy M41 against which units of the Mediterranean Fleet were also
carrying out a major search operation. In January she carried out
patrol in the western Mediterranean and on 12th of that month
sighted the German submarine U374 off Catania, Sardinia which she
attacked and sank.. She rescued the sole
survivor. Three months later she sank a supply ship off Tunisia and
on 17th March the Italian submarine GUGLIEMOTTI. On return to Malta she was damaged
during an air raid whilst part submerged in Lazaretto Creek. A stick
of bombs exploded near enough to cause serious damage to her torpedo
tubes rendering them unusable. Despite this disability she was
deployed for a special duty to collect an army officer from HM
Submarine UPHOLDER after which she was released from Mediterranean
service and returned to UK for repair to her damaged torpedo tubes.
She was
deployed in Home waters on completion and sailed from the Clyde for
patrol in the Bay of Biscay on 23rd October 1942. After landing an
intelligence agent near Vigo she began her
anti-submarine patrol and on 6th November was ordered to intercept
a enemy blockade runner known to be on
passage from the Far East to France. This ship had earlier been
under air attacks and her interception position was reported. The
submarine was then ordered to meet another submarine with a convoy
in the Bishops Rock area and foiled to arrive. Her loss may have
been caused by depth charges from an RAF WELLINGTON aircraft which
reported an attack on a submarine on 12th November. This has never
been fully established. The Commanding Officer was Lieutenant
Commander EA Woodward RN during her outstanding Mediterranean
service and by Lieutenant D E O Watson at the time of her loss.
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