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U-Class
coastal submarine ordered with HM
Submarine UMPIRE from HM Dockyard, Chatham
on 4th September 1939 and intended to be
identified as P32 was laid down on 7th May
1940. This submarine was launched on 10th
June 1941 after delay due to the increased
priority given for repair of ships damaged
during operations. Renamed UNA she was 1st
RN warship to carry the name. Build of
this new submarine was completed on 27th
September 1941 and she had been
commissioned for service with the 5th
Submarine Flotilla during Acceptance
Trials. The
name is taken from the character Truth in
Spenser’s FAERIE QUEEN.
B
a t t l
e H o n o u r s
BURMA
1945
(Note
: This award is recorded in
BATTLE HONOURS OF THE ROYAL NAVY
as
NOT being awarded to this submarine. It is
assumed therefore that it applies
to
another vessel deployed in the East Indies
in 1945. However no reference can
be
found in WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO) or THE
FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton.)
Heraldic
Data
Badge
:
On a Field Blue, a woman Proper habited
white resting her sinister hand
upon
a lion statant
guardant Gold.
S
u m m m
a r y o f W a
r S e r v i
c e
1
9 4 0
September
Pennant Number for visual signalling
purposes changed to N87.
27th
On completion of Acceptance Trials prepared
for service with 8th Submarine
Flotilla based at Gibraltar
Commanding Officer Lieutenant DSR Martin, RN
October
Nominated for Biscay Patrol with HM
Submarine P38 and on release to take
to
passage to join Flotilla.
November
December
4th
Commenced patrol and carried out
surveillance of German traffic.
5th
On release took passage to Gibraltar.
1
9 4 2
January.
Deployed in Mediterranean for interception
patrol with 8th Flotilla
Transferred to 10th Submarine Flotilla based
in Malta
February
Deployed with 10th Flotilla for support of
passage of relief Convoy MW9 to Malta
with HM Submarine UPHOLDER and P38,.
12th
Sank German merchant ship TRAPANI, 8106
tons, off Crotone
13th
Carried out torpedo attack off Crotone on
Italian tanker LUCANIA which was set on fire
and later sank
(Note : This vessel had been safe passage
and the sinking was subject to investigation
For details see MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman
and BENEATH THE
WAVES by AS Evans.)
13th
Sank sailing schooner MARIA IMMACOLATA of
248 tons by surface gunfire.
March
Flotilla duties in continuation
Transferred to 1st Flotilla.
April
During patrol carried out unsuccessful
torpedo attack.
to
(Note : Sinking of supply ship off Calabria
to be confirmed.)
May
June
Nominated with HM Submarines PROTEUS, THORN,
TAKU, P31, P34 , P35,
PORPOISE and THRASHER. for support of
passage of relief Convoy MW11
during passage to Malta from Alexandria.
8th
Sailed from Alexandria to take up station
off Taranto to intercept warships on
passage to attack convoys.
July
Transferred to Haifa with PROTEUS,
TURBULENT, TAKU AND TRAVELLER
of 10th Flotilla.
20th
Returned to Malta with submarines of 10th
Flotilla.
August
Nominated for support of passage of relief
Convoy from Gibraltar to Malta
(Operation PEDESTAL).
Embarked Commando party for passage to carry
out sabotage on airfield at
Catania in support of safe passage of ships
to Malta.
8th
Disembarked party..
(Note : This party was captured on 12th
August.)
September
Convoy attack failed.
October
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Norman
3rd
Torpedo attack on ship within harbour at
Lampedusa failed.
18th
Torpedo attack on tanker and escort failed.
November
Nominated for support of planned allied
landings in North Africa
(Operation TORCH)
Deployed with HM Submarine UTMOST and set up
patrol line
south of Messina Straits to intercept
warships n passage to interfere with
landings in western Mediterranean.
9th
On release from TORCH support took up
position with HM Submarine
UTMOST to carry out interception patrol
10th
Deployed off Navarino with HMS UTMOST to
attack three warships reported
by air reconnaissance. The attacks were
unsuccessful
11th
Attack with HM Submarine URSULA on
submarines failed.
November
During Flotilla deployment for attacks on
convoys with HM Submarines P45
UNITED, SERAPH, UTMOST and P219
(Note :Attacks made on 9th and 10th were
unsuccessful.)
December
Unsuccessful convoy attack off Martitimo
1
9 4 3
January
Deployed with Flotilla based in Malta.
February
Took part in interception operations against
enemy reinforcement convoys
between Sicily and Tunis or Bizerta.
Carried out torpedo attacks and sank two
ships totalling 5,535 tons.
Carried out surface gunfire attacks on two
schooners off Hammamet but
withdrew when under shore battery fire
March
Flotilla duties in continuation at Malta.
Nominated for refit and took passage to UK
(Note : This submarine had carried out
seventeen patrols in Mediterranean.
April
Under refit at Blyth
to
On completion of post refit trials nominated
for training duties in Clyde
August
September
Deployed for anti-submarine training of
escort ships.
to
December
1
9 4 4
January
Training deployment in continuation.
to
February
March
Nominated for detached service with Home
Fleet for patrols duties
in North Sea to intercept passage of
battleship TIRPITZ from Norway
to be repaired in Germany.
18th
Sailed from Lerwick with HM Submarines
TRUANT, TERRAPIN, STURDY,
SAFARI, UNBENDING, UNBROKEN and Dutch
submarine ZEEHUND to
carry out patrol of Norway.
20th
Returned to Lerwick when requirements for
operation were reduced.
April
Resumed training deployment
to
December
1
9 4 5
January
Training duties in continuation.
to
August
P
o s t W a
r N o t e s
HMS
UNA was placed in Reserve after the end of
hostilities with Japan and laid-up at Lishally,
Ulster. She was placed on the Sales
List in 1949 and sold to BISCO on 11th
April for demolition by E Rees at Llanelly.
The boat arrived at the breaker’s yard in
June that year.
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