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H. M.
S. U T M O S T
B a t t l
e H o n o u r s
MEDITERRANEAN 1941 - MALTA CONVOYS 1941 -
42
Ordered with
HM Submarine USK in September 1939 this submarine was first
identified by her Pennant Number P41 and given the name for the
first use by the RN on launch in 1940. Some the survivors from HM
Submarine UNITY which had been sunk after a collision formed part of
the ship's company. After acceptance she was deployed for
anti-invasion patrols in the English Channel based at Portsmouth to
report German shipping movements with HM Submarines UPRIGHT and
TALISMAN. A few weeks later in October she took passage for service
in the Mediterranean but whilst off Cape St Vincent was rammed by HM
Destroyer ENCOUNTER and damaged.
After repair
in Gibraltar she was able to commence duty with the 10th Submarine
Flotilla in Malta. She had a most notable record of successful
attacks and her first was on patrol in February 1941 when she sank a
supply ship of the North African coast Further torpedo attacks that year in March, June
and July accounted for four more mercantiles. On later patrols she
sank another supply ship off Lampedusa in October and by surface gun
attack two more in the central
Mediterranean the next month. She also carried out an attack on the
Italian Cruiser TRIESTE on 24th November which caused damage to this
enemy warship. Before returning to UK in January 1942 this boat was
deployed off Taranto to carry out reconnaissance of Italian warship
movements in support of an important convoy (M41) to North Africa.
After refit in
UK she had returned to the Mediterranean by April 1942 to resume
service with the Flotilla for interception of shipping to and from
ports in North Africa. In the critical period between May and
October when the siege of Malta had been ended she was deployed for
patrols including the interception and observation of Italian
warships on passage to attack relief and return convoys. Another
supply ship was sunk in October 1942 and during the allied landings
in Algeria she was deployed off Messina to attack warships
attempting to interfere with the assault and follow-up convoys to
landing areas. She sailed for her last patrol from Malta on 17th
November 1942 for patrol off Bizerta and is known to have carried
out an attack on the Italian auxiliary cruiser BARLETTA off Cape
Blanc on 23rd and to have advised by signal that he was returning to
Malta. The anti-submarine operations by the escort failed to locate
this submarine which it is assumed then had taken her return
passage. Her loss is recorded as being by depth charge attacks from
the Italian destroyer GROPPO which had attacked a submarine on 25th
November 1942. The Commanding Officer on commissioning was
Lieutenant Commander R D Cayley, DSO*,
DSC* RN who destroyed almost 70,000 tons of shipping, before being
relieved by Lieut. J W D Coombe RN who had
not served on board long before the loss of the submarine with no
survivors. |
