B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

EGYPT 1801 - MALTA CONVOYS 1941

Motto

 Fiducia non terrore : 'By trust and not by fear'

This name introduced for a 4th Rate in 1782 and previously used for a 1918 destroyer sold in 1936 was used for the 4th time when given to this submarine on launch in March 1941. One of the 2nd Group of the Class, she took passage to the Mediterranean in August 1941 and was deployed in Malta. One of her earliest patrols was in support of the passage of a Malta Relief convoy (Operation HALBERD) during September that year. Before being transferred to join the Eastern Fleet as part of the reinforcement of submarine strength she sank a supply ship off the Peloponnese.

First submarine to take passage to the East Indies from service in the Mediterranean she sailed to Singapore on 26th December 1941 and arrived there on 31st January before the naval base was abandoned in February. Her first patrols were carried out based at Sourabaya with US Navy and Dutch submarines. Following the occupation of Java by the Japanese the submarine was transferred to Ceylon for interception patrols in the Malacca Straits and off the coasts of Burma and Siam based at Colombo. Her sinkings included two supply ships off Penang in May 1942, a tanker in the Malacca Straits in July and in November another supply ship before being nominated for return to UK for an extensive refit.

Whilst deployed with the Eastern Fleet she sank or damaged 22,000 tons of enemy shipping. When this was completed she was deployed in Home waters for patrol operations to intercept enemy submarines and in March 1945 came under accidental fire by HM Canadian Destroyer HAIDA and HM Battleship RODNEY. No significant events can be traced during her Home Fleet service.