B a t t l
e H o n o u r s
SICILY 1943 - MEDITERRANEAN 1943
In early 1943
the Pennant Number P54 was replaced by this name as part of the
policy change to give all submarines a Name and it was one not
previously used by the RN. Attached to the Home Fleet in June 1942
this submarine was deployed off Bear Island in support of the
passage of the ill-fated Russian convoy PQ17 to provide additional
defence against German submarine attacks. Later in August during an
interception patrol against coastal shipping off Norway she sank a
supply ship.
Transferred
for service in the Mediterranean with the 10th Submarine Flotilla
she carried out a patrol off Oran to intercept Italian warships
attempting to attack ships taking part in the allied landings in
Algeria (Operation HUSKY). Patrol duties from Malta in 1943 were
carried out to intercept supply ships on passage in support of
military operations in Libya and Tunisia. She sank one mercantile
during March that year and on 28th April torpedoed and sank the
Italian torpedo boat CLIMENE which was hit amidships and broke in
two. Her success continued the next month during a patrol in the
central Mediterranean when she sank another supply ship. This
submarine was deployed in the Adriatic off Taranto in June 1943 to
carry out attacks in Italian warships which took passage after the
allied landings in Sicily (Operation HUSKY) and later after the
landings sank another supply ship. Patrol duties after the landings
in Sicily and Italian mainland and submarines were deployed to
attack shipping in eastern and western Mediterranean and some the
10th Flotilla were released from service in Malta and returned to
UK.
After refit
this submarine rejoined the Home Fleet and carried out patrols to
intercept German submarines attacking convoys in the North Sea and
on passage to the Atlantic from Norwegian bases. In addition patrols
were continued off Norway to intercept shipping carrying supplies to
the German garrison. In April 1944 she attacked and sank a supply
ship off Lister Light during a coastal patrol. Home waters
deployment continued until the end of hostilities without any
notable successes. The Commanding Officer during Mediterranean
service was Lieutenant J Whitton DSC
RN. |