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B
a t t l e H o n o u r s
SICILY
1943 - MEDITERRANEAN 1943 - ENGLISH
CHANNEL 1944
Identified
by her Pennant Number P51 until renamed in
early 1943 this submarine was first RN warship
to bear this name. Deployed in Home waters
until transferred to the Mediterranean in
October 1942 she took no part in direct
support of the allied landings in North Africa
apart from taking a US Army General to meet
resistance leaders to the Algerian coast
before the assault.
During
deployment with the 10th Submarine Flotilla
based in Malta she carried out patrols to
intercept ships on passage to and from
Tunisian ports. She sank three supply ships on
a patrol off Tunisia in January 1943 followed
by another in the Tyrrhenian Sea in February.
On return to patrol off
North Africa the next month she
continued her successes with two more sinkings.
Before deployment as a Navigational Beacon for
allied landings in Sicily she carried out a patrol
in the central Mediterranean and sank
two more supply ships. Her station during the
HUSKY landings was off the east coast of the Pachino
Peninsular for guidance of Ships of Force N to
the BARK EAST Sector. In August and September
she carried out patrols in the western
Mediterranean to attack ships evacuating
personnel from Sardinia and on 21st September
sank the German Minelayer BRANDENBURG followed
by the Night Fighter Direction Tender KRETA.
She continued service with the Flotilla when
it was transferred to Maddalena and carried
out patrols in 1944 for attacks on enemy ships
supporting military operations off the north
west coast of Italy and southern
France. Later in 1944 she was released from
Mediterranean duties and returned to UK,
presumably for refit
The
award of the Battle Honour ENGLISH CHANNEL may
have been made for interception of German
U-Boats during the evacuation of bases in
France. The Commanding Officer during
Mediterranean service was Lieutenant M L C
Crawford RN (later Captain, DSO*).
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