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Part
of 1st Group of T-Class Submarines and second
of this Class ordered from HM Dockyard,
Chatham on 15th June 1938 and laid down
on 21st November 1938. This submarine was
launched on 9th April 1940 as the 5th RN
vessel to bear the name, introduced in 1693
for a 2nd Rate 80 Gun ship . The last to carry
the name was a destroyer built in 1918 and
transferred to Canada as HMCS CHAMPLAIN in
1928. Build was completed on 14th January and
Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes
had been changed to 79T. Acceptance Trials
were carried out in the Clyde After a
successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings
campaign This boat was adopted by
the civil community of Paignton, Devon
in February 1942. This submarine which
survived WW2 was probably the most successful
and best known off all Chatham built
submarines and had very extensive world wide
deployments.
B
a t t l e H o n o u r s
VIGA
1702 - VELEZ MALAGA 1704 - QUIBERON BAY 1759
- BELLE ISLE 1759 - ST KITTS 1782 - THE
SAINTS 1782 - MEDITERRANEAN 1941-43 - ARCTIC
1942-43 - SICILY 1943 - AEGEAN 1943 -
ATLANTIC 1944 - ENGLISH CHANNEL 1944 -
MALAYA 1945
H
e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge:
On a field Gold, A bugle Blue, banded Red.
M
o t t o
Je
maintendrai : 'I will maintain'
S
u m m a r y o f W a
r S e r v i c e
1
9 4 1
January
Commissioned for trials as part of 2nd Submarine
Flotilla
Passage to Clyde to carry out Acceptance Trials
Commanding Officer Lieut. Cdr A C C Miers, RN
February
On completion joined 3rd Submarine Flotilla
based in Clyde
March
22nd
Deployed with Flotilla and carried out Bay of
Biscay patrol for surveillance of
Nominated for service in Mediterranean with 1st
Submarine Flotilla.
Passage to Mediterranean to join Flotilla.
April
Joined Flotilla at Gibraltar
Carried out first patrol in Mediterranean
Attack on supply ship off Cape Ferranto failed
when only one torpedo of a salvo of three
ordered was discharged.
(Note: One source records that this was not
successful, mainly due to lack of drill.)
On completion took passage to Alexandria where
Flotilla was based.
May.
Deployed for interception patrols in the
Dardanelles and Aegean.
June
1st
Sank caique
2nd
Sank another caique.
6th
During subsequent patrol off Cape Helles
torpedoed Vichy French tanker ALBERTA.
As the vessel did not immediately sink she was
later destroyed by gun fire.
10th . Carried out
unsuccessful torpedo attack on transport
UTILITAS but sank Italian
tanker GUISEPPINI GHIRADI.
11th
Sank caique.
12th
Sank schooner GESURE E MARIA.
16th
Returned to Alexandria
28th
Sailed Alexandria for interception patrol in
southern Aegean.
(Note: Other submarines in 1st Flotilla were:
TRUANT, TRIUMPH, TAKU, TERACH, REGENT, ROVER,
OSIRIS, OTUS
RORQUAL, CACHALOT, PARTHIAN, PERSEUS, PANDORA,
and Greek
KATSONIS., PAPANICOLIS, NEREUS, TRITON and
GLAVKOS.
July
During patrol carried out successful attacks
sinking mercantile CITTA DI TRIPOLI,
Italian submarine JANTINA and two caiques.
August
Sailed for interception patrol during which 120
British troops were rescued from
Paxamadia off Crete.
12th
Carried out unsuccessful attack on convoy and
under sustained depth charge attacks by
escorting torpedo boat PARTENOPE.
16th
Sank small sailing vessel.
September
Carried out interception patrol during which two
attacks in Aegean failed.
October
14th
Deployed with HM Submarine TALISMAN to landed
commando units for raid on General
Rommel’s headquarters.
November
December
Sank 8 small sailing vessels during patrol.
15th
Sank Italian mercantile SEBASTIANO VENIER off
North African coast
(Note: Regrettably this ship was carrying some
2,000 British PoW and 309 lost their lives.
This ship had been damaged by HM Submarine
PORPOISE on 10th December.)
23rd
Carried out attack on Italian destroyer AVIERI
IN Navarino Bay.
1
9 4 2
January
February
27th
During attack on convoy, missed tanker but later
seriously damaged 1,243 ton mercantile
March
Deployed for interception patrol
4th
Attack on destroyer failed.
5th
After sight a northbound convoy in the Ionian
Sea entered Corfu Roads to make a
torpedo attack. Fired torpedoes at supply
ships which was damaged despite continuous
depth charge attacks. (Note: Lieut Cdr A C
C Miers was awarded the Victoria Cross for
this
daring exploit.)
April
Nominated for return to UK to refit.
9th
Sank small mercantiles off Corfu
11th
Sank another small mercantile off Taranto
(Note: This was the last patrol under command of
Lieut Cdr Miers.)
19th
Sank small escort after pursuit of a convoy.
May
On arrival in UK detached for temporary service
with 5th Submarine Flotilla at Portsmouth
to
Deployed for interception patrol in Home waters.
July
August
Taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard
Devonport.
to
October
November
On completion of post refit trials worked-up for
operational service with 3rd Flotilla in
Clyde. Commanding Officer, Lieut R J Clutterbuck
RN.
December
Deployed with HM Submarines SEANYMPH, TAURUS and
Polish submarine SOKOL
for patrol off Bear Island to provide support
for passage of Russian Convoy JW51B to
Kola Inlet.
Nominated for return to Mediterranean
1
9 4 3
January
Passage to Mediterranean for service based at
Algiers.
Deployed for patrol off Valencia.
February
Mediterranean deployment based at Algiers in
continuation..
to
March.
During patrol in Tyrrhenean Sea sank four
mercantiles totalling 11,552 tons , including
LILLOIS of 3,681 tons.
One other mercantile was torpedoed and sustained
damage.
April
Returned to Algiers from patrol during which one
mercantile of 3,681 was sunk
18th.
Sustained damage during an air raid at Algiers.
Towed to Gibraltar for repairs.
May
Under repair by HM Dockyard Gibraltar.
to
Nominated for support of planned allied landings
in Sicily
July
Operation HUSKY)
August.
On completion of post repair trials resumed
duties at Algiers
Carried out patrol off Elba in support of HUSKY
and sank one mercantile of
2,609 tons.
September
Interception patrol based at Algiers in
continuation.
October
Transferred to Beirut for support of operations
in Dodecanese.
16th. During
patrol in Aegean sank 1,925 ton German
mercantile KARI.
(Note: Whilst on this patrol was subject to
several depth charge attacks.)
Transferred to Beirut
November
Interception patrols based at Beirut in
continuation
to
Sank a Floating Dock, German mercantile RAINA.
December
Came under anti-submarine attack after sinking a
sailing caique
1
9 4 4
January
Beirut patrol deployment in continuation.
Deployed for interception patrols in Aegean with
HM Submarines SUCCESS, UNRULY,
UNSPARING, Polish submarines SOKOL, DZIK and
Polish DOLFIJN.
26th
Carried out unsuccessful torpedo attack on
escorted transport LEDA off Amorgos.
31st
Sank sailing caique south east of Lemnos.
February
Aegean deployment from Beirut in continuation.
Patrolled without any successes
Nominated for return to Home waters with SIBYL,
SOKOL and DZIK
March
Passage to Portsmouth
April
Under refit by HM Dockyard Portsmouth.
to
Nominated for service with 4th Submarine
Flotilla after
work-up
July
August
Passage to Clyde for work-up with 3rd Flotilla
based at Holy Loch.
Commanding Officer, Lieut Cdr Norman DSO RN
September
On completion prepared for foreign service and
took passage to Trincomalee to join
to
Flotilla. Passage to Ceylon for service in East
Indies Fleet.
December
1
9 4 5
January
Joined Flotilla for interception patrol and
support of planned operations.
to
Deployed with 4th Flotilla based at Trincomalee.
March
Carried out interception patrol off coast off
Malacca and sank coaster.
April
7th
Carried out patrol off western Sumatra.
(Note: Landed parties for beach reconnaissance
operations.)
21st
Returned to Trincomalee on release.
May
Embarked reconnaissance party from Ding Ding
Island.
June
During patrol in Malacca Strait sank coaster and
two junks.
July
East Indies Fleet patrol and support duties in
continuation.
to
August
P
o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS
TORBAY returned to UK in October and Paid-off.
Placed in Reserve at Portsmouth this
submarine was put on the Disposal List and
sold to BISCO on 19th December 1945 for
demolition. by T W Ward at Briton Ferry. She
arrived at the breaker’s yard in tow on 29th
January 1946.
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