RN Subs

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Turbulent (N98)

Built By:	Vickers (Barrow)
Build Group:	T Grp2

Fate:

Presumed mined off Sardinia 14 March 1943

Roll of Honour

 

Commander John Wallace Linton

John Linton was born in Newport in Monmouthshire on 15th Oct 1905 and he was the son of Edward Maples Linton and Margaret Gertrude Linton. On leaving School he joined the Royal Navy. After service in the Cruiser HMS Dauntless in the Mediterranean and then his Lieutenant's Courses at Greenwich and Portsmouth he joined Submarines on 25th July 1927 when he was appointed to HMS Dolphin 'for the Submarine Course'. He was appointed to the Submarine Tender HMS Ross (Experimental Half Flotilla) at Portsmouth 'for Submarine L22 as 3rd Hand' on 21st Nov 1927. This was followed by an appointment to HMS Dolphin (5th Submarine Flotilla) 'for Submarine HMS OBERON as 3rd Hand' on 15th Apr 1928). He returned to the Submarine Tender HMS Ross and the Experimental Half Flotilla on 12th Aug 1929 'for Submarine H43 as First Lieutenant'. John Linton was sent to the Far East on 16th Jan 1932 when he was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS Medway (4th Submarine Flotilla) at Hong Kong initially 'for Submarines' and then 'for Submarine HMS Oswald as First Lieutenant'.

On his return home from the Far East John Linton was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS Alecto (attached to the 5th Submarine Flotilla) at Portsmouth 'for the Commanding Officers Qualifying Course' on 31st Dec 1934.

On successful completion of the 'Perisher' he was appointed to HMS Dolphin (5th Submarine Flotilla 'for Submarine L21 in Command' on 3rd May 1935 and this was followed by 'Submarine HMS Snapper in Command' on 15th August 1935. He returned to General Service for his 'Big Ship' time in the Battle Ship HMS Iron Duke on 11th May 196. Two years later returned to the Far East on 15th Oct 1938 with an appointment to HMS Medway 'for Submarine HMS Pandora in Command'. After the outbreak of WWII HMS Pandora was transferred to the Mediterranean and was based with the 8th Submarine Flotilla at Gibraltar. John Linton was awarded the DSC - see London Gazette dated 6th May 1941 for the sinking of two Italian supply ships.

He returned home on 1st Aug 1941 with an appointment to HMS Dolphin (5th Submarine Flotilla) 'for Submarines' and on 15th Aug 1941 'for Submarine HMS Turbulent - standing by whilst completing' at the Vickers Armstrong Shipyard at Barrow in Furness 'and in Command on Commissioning'. HMS Turbulent was completed on 2nd Dec 1941 and, after 'Commissioning' and 'Work Up' the Submarine was sent to the Mediterranean to join the 1st Submarine Flotilla based on HMS Medway - now based at Alexandria in Egypt. On 29th May 1942 John Linton was awarded the DSO - see London Gazette dated 15th Sep 1942 for the sinking of the Italian Destroyer Emanuele Pessagno on 29th May 1942.

On 3rd Feb 1943 HMS Turbulent sailed from Algiers for a patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Turbulent did not respond to any further messages and did not return when expected on 23rd March. It is thought that Turbulent fell victim to a mine off La Maddalena, Sardinia.

John Linton was awarded the Victoria Cross on 25th May 1943. Unusually the award was not for any one specific incident but for sustained effort.

The citation read as follows:

Commander Linton has been in command of submarines throughout the War. He has been responsible for the destruction of 1 cruiser, 1 destroyer, 20 merchant vessels, 6 schooners and 2 trains. A total of 81,000 tons of enemy shipping sunk. From 1st Jan 1942 to 1st Jan 1943 he spent 254 days at sea, including 2,970 hours diving. During this period he was hunted 13 times and had 250 depth charges dropped on him.

His career has been one of conspicuous gallantry and extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy.

On Saturday 6th of July 2013 a Blue Plaque was unveiled by the Submariners Association President, Admiral Sir James Perowne KBE, at St Joseph's Convent in Newport Gwent. The building is the birthplace of Commander John Wallace (Tubby) Linton VC, DSO, DSC.

Commander Linton's Victoria Cross and his other medals are on display in the Ashcroft Gallery in the Imperial War Museum in London.

Postscript

As a very sad postscript to the story of 'Tubby' Linton his son (Sub Lieutenant William Linton) also joined the Royal Navy and volunteered for Submarine Service. His 'Officer Training Class' was sent to sea in HMS Affray in 1951. HMS Affray, as we all know, was lost with all seventy five hands in the Hurd Deep in the English Channel in somewhat controversial circumstances overnight 16th/17th April 1951.

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Events

15-03-1940 :	Laid Down
12-05-1941 :	Launched
02-12-1941 :	Completed
02-03-1942 :	HMS Turbulent sinks the Greek sailing vessels Prodromos and Aghios Apostolos with gunfire in Saloniki Bay.
03-03-1942 :	HMS Turbulent sinks the Greek sailing vessels Aghios Yonizov, Aghios Dyonysios and Evangelista with gunfire in Saloniki Bay.
13-03-1942 :	HMS Turbulent sinks the Greek sailing vessel Aghia Traio with gunfire off Mykonos Island, Greece.
07-04-1942 :	HMS Turbulent sinks the Italian merchant Rosa M. with gunfire south of Cattaro, Yugoslavia.
12-04-1942 :	HMS Turbulent makes a torpedo attack on a submarine off Fiume. The target is not hit.
14-04-1942 :	HMS Turbulent sinks the Italian sailing vessel Franco with gunfire off Sebenico, Yugoslavia.
16-04-1942 :	HMS Turbulent torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Delia off Brindisi, Italy.
14-05-1942 :	HMS Turbulent sinks the Italian sailing vessel San Giusto with gunfire 10 miles east of Apollonia, Greece.
18-05-1942 :	HMS Turbulent torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Bolsena west of Bengasi, Libya.
29-05-1942 :	HMS Turbulent torpedoes and sinks the Italian destroyer Emanuelle Pessagno and the Italian merchant Capo Arma about 70 nautical miles north-west of Bengasi, Libya.
02-06-1942 :	HMS Turbulent twice attacks the German submarine U-81. All 7 torpedoes miss the target.
24-06-1942 :	HMS Turbulent torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Regulus in the Gulf of Sirte about 5 nautical miles west of Ghemines.
04-07-1942 :	While on patrol off Benghazi, Libya HMS Turbulent fires torpedoes at the Italian transport Nino Bixio and the German transport Ankara. The torpedoes miss.
06-08-1942 :	HMS Turbulent torpedoes and sinks the wreck of the Italian destroyer Strale off Cape Bon.
17-08-1942 :	HMS Turbulent torpedoes and damages the Italian transport ship Nino Bixio 12 nautical miles south-west of Navarino, Greece. This ship is loaded with some 2000 POW's, over which over 300 perish as a result of this attack.
19-08-1942 :	HMS Turbulent torpedoes and damages the Italian tanker Pozarica off Antikythera, Greece.
08-10-1942 :	HMS Turbulent sinks the German Kreta with gunfire near Ras al Hilal, Libya.
11-11-1942 :	HMS Turbulent torpedoes and sinks the German auxiliary submarine tender Bengasi about 10 nautical miles north-east of Capo Carbonara, Sardinia, Italy.
29-12-1942 :	HMS Turbulent torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Marte east of Cape Ferrato, Sardinia, Italy.
11-01-1943 :	HMS Turbulent torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Vittoria Beraldo near Cattaro, Yugoslavia.
01-02-1943 :	HMS Turbulent torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Pozzuoli off Cape San Vito, Sicily, Italy.
05-02-1943 :	HMS Turbulent torpedoes and sinks the Italian tanker Utilitas off Palermo, Sicily, Italy.
01-03-1943 :	HMS Turbulent sinks the Italian merchant San Vincenzo off Paola, Italy.
14-03-1943 :	HMS Turbulent was lost, presumed mined IT is believed by a variety of sources that Turbulent was actually sunk whilst transiting a minefield. Her Captain Tubby Linton V.C. heard a message about a possible target that was not intended for him. He was on an interception course and forgot to check for any info on minefield disposition. (Source the Fighting Tenth) On 23rd February 1943 HMS Turbulent sailed from Algiers for a patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea. On 1st March she attacked and sank the Italian steam ship Vincenz. On the 11th she is known to have attacked the mail ship Mafalda. The following morning the anti-submarine trawler Teti II sighted the periscope and conning tower of a submarine and attacked, it is believed, without success. Turbulent did not respond to any further messages and did not return when expected on 23rd March.
25-05-1943 :	The King was Graciously pleased to approve of the grant of the Victoria Cross for great valour in command of HM Submarines to Commander John Wallace Linton, DSO, DSC, Royal Navy

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2 comments

The wreck has not been found and the mining has been discredited. She was peobably lost in an engagememt by the Italian navy ship Ardito.    Christopher Morgan-Jones Fri, 8 Apr 2016

HMS TURBULENT COULD BE ONE OF THE EIGHT SUBMARINES THAT HAVE BEEN SONAR LOCATED OFF TABARKA , TUNISIA IN 2015 . THIS WILL BE ASCERTAINED THIS SUMMER 2016 . THE AREA IS NOW KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN A NAVAL MINEFIELD PLANTED BY THE GERMAN 3S.FLOTILLA , DEC 1942.    JEAN-PIERRE MISSON Fri, 22 Apr 2016