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.