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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.
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