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P311

Built By: Vickers (Barrow)
Build Group: T Group 3
Fate: Mined north of Corsica on or about 2 Jan 1943.
Practice torpedo is loaded onto P311 at Holy Loch, Scotland, 1942 alongside HMS Forth
Practice torpedo is loaded onto P311 at Holy Loch, Scotland, 1942 alongside HMS Forth
P311
P311

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Ex P91

Submarine P311 (which was the only un-named T Class submarine - although the name of HMS Tutankhamen was to have been allocated but was never officially adopted - was taking part in an Operation to take Chariots to attack Italian shipping at the port of La Maddelena in Sicily. Submarine P311 was allocated three Chariots for this task. P311 had completed the passage through the Sicilian Channel (which was reported at 0130 on 31st December 1942).

No further reports were received from the Submarine and P311 was presumed lost in a minefield near La Maddelena on (or about) 2nd January 1943. There were no survivors from the crew of the Submarine. Also lost were the three Chariots - including Nos. X & XVIII, the three Chariot Crews (six personnel in all) and the team of four Dressers.

The date of the loss of the crew of Submarine P311 and her passengers is taken as 8th January 1943 which is the date that the submarine was due to arrive back at Malta.

Related Pages
P311 FoundChariots
Read
In November 1942 His Majesty's Submarine P311 slipped quietly from her moorings in Malta. She was never to return. Now, 73 years after her disappearance en-route to Sardinia, the vessel and her entombed 71 man crew have apparently been found gently resting on the seabed, off the Italian island of Tavolara
 
Read
No history of submarine warfare in World War Two could be complete without a mention of the "Human Torpedo" or "Chariot". The sheer drama of their story, which could not be revealed at the time, introduced a unique level of selectivity into naval warfare.
 

Roll of Honour

Name Rank Number Hons Age
Adams, Andrew  Petty Officer Telegraphist  D/JX 147935    22
Anderson, Robert  Seaman (RNR)  D/X 18907     26
Charioteer on passage
Auty, Leonard  Able Seaman  P/JX 237486    26
Bennett, Donald Barry  Ordinary Seaman  D/JX 305625    19
Blackwell, Harry Herbert  Stoker 1st Class  P/KX 132332    30
Bond, Leslie James  Stoker 1st Class  D/KX 136201    20
Bonnell, Charles Ernest  Lieutenant (RCNVR)    DSC  33
Charioteer on passage
Brock, Charles Edward William  Able Seaman  D/JX 138882    26
Brown, James Malcolm  Leading Telegraphist  P/JX 139969    24
Bruce, Wilfred  Stoker 1st Class  C/KX 118719    20
Buckley, Cecil  Lieutenant (RNVR)      27
Bulford, Thomas William  Stoker 1st Class  P/KX 88120    26
Burton, William Henry  Able Seaman  P/SSX 22991    21
Carr, Cecil Ernest  Petty Officer  C/JX 144742    29
Cayley, Richard Douglas  Commander    DSO**  36
Cheeseman, Bernard George  Telegraphist  C/JX 236264    21
Clark, James  Able Seaman  C/SSX 23951    22
Clarke, Robert Warner  Able Seaman  P/JX 321879    19
Cooney, William  Able Seaman  D/SSX 28081    21
Cross, Bernard  Able Seaman  C/JX 157739    19
Donohue, Patrick John  Stoker Petty Officer  P/KX 84220    27
Down, Percival Leo James  Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class  D/MX 53618    27
Dye, William Edward  Petty Officer  C/JX 126605    32
Evans, Cecil William  Able Seaman  P/JX 164117    19
Feltham, Desmond Arthur Jack  Able Seaman  P/SSX 32278    22
Foulkes, Richard John  Able Seaman  D/JX 212864    22
Foundling, Wilfred  Stoker 1st Class  C/KX 132645    21
Foxon, Henry Reginald  Stoker 1st Class  P/KX 114941    27
French, Thomas William  Stoker 1st Class  C/KX 95964    22
Gee, John  Stoker 1st Class  D/SKX 1266    20
Gee, John D/SKX 1266 DoB 21/02/1922 Age 20 CWGC Age 29
Gordon, John Hudson  Engineer Lieutenant      28
Goss, George Gilbert  Sub Lieutenant (RNVR)      29
Charioteer on passage
Griffiths, John Norbert  Stoker 2nd Class  D/KX 144769    19
Hillyard, Harry  Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class  P/MX 60318    25
Hunt, Edmund George  Engine Room Artificer 4th Class  C/MX 77300    28
Iddiolis, Christopher  Petty Officer  C/J 100591    37
Johns, Robert William  Able Seaman  D/SSX 21077    23
Kerr, Kenneth Stewart  Lieutenant (Royal Marine)  156102   
Royal Scots Charioteer on passage
Key, Arthur  Able Seaman  P/JX 275312    22
Kimberley, Cyril  Chief Engine Room Artificer  D/M 38795    33
King, James Crisp  Petty Officer Steward  P/LX 22336  MID  23
Lee, Arthur Stephen Kingston  Chief Petty Officer  P/J 113433  DSM  33
Lord, George  Able Seaman  D/JX 287256    21
Lord, Jim  Leading Telegraphist  D/JX 161659    19
Lyth, John Leslie  Engine Room Artificer 4th Class  P/MX 66284    22
MaCrae, Ian Norman  Lieutenant      24
Mapplebeck, Paul  Able Seaman  R/JX 180968    22
Charioteer on passage
Martin, Reginald Charles William  Engine Room Artificer 4th Class  P/MX 55884    32
McClure, John  Stoker Petty Officer  P/KX 80404  MID  32
McLean, Walter  Ordinary Seaman  P/JX 362264    19
McShane, Thomas Neil  Stoker 1st Class  P/KX 130669    33
Meyerhuber, John  Leading Telegraphist  P/JX 155251    20
Milligan, John Vernon  Stoker Petty Officer  P/KX 86292    27
Moon, Thomas Harold  Yeoman of Signals  C/JX 133998  DSM  28
Nesbitt, William Frederick  Able Seaman  C/J 99511    39
Nesbitt, William Frederick C/J 99511 DoB 25/07/1903 Age 39 CWGC Age 45
Newton, Alfred Stanley  Able Seaman  D/SSX 13847    29
Pridham, Ronald William Buller  Stoker 1st Class  D/KX 145916    21
Charioteer on passage
Quinn, Mathew  Stoker 1st Class  D/SKX 1238    20
Redman, John William  Leading Seaman  C/JX 132535    29
Ribbands, Richard  Ordinary Seaman  P/JX 338299    20
Ribbands, Richard P/JX 338299, Leith, Midlothian CWGC has Hounslow, Middlesex
Rickwood, Bertie George Sidney  Leading Seaman  P/SSX 25205    22
Charioteer on passage
Rudge, Clarence Howard  Able Seaman  P/JX 276519    19
Sargent, Jack  Lieutenant (RNVR)      28
Charioteer on passage
Short, Henry Charles  Leading Stoker  P/KX 97695    22
Silver, Richard Hele Spencer  Lieutenant      22
Skippon, Geoffrey Leonard  Leading Cook  D/MX 69037    22
Squire, Arthur James  Chief Stoker  D/KX 75929    35
Stretton-Smith, Guy  Lieutenant (RNVR)      26
Charioteer on passage. Born Smith, Guy. Served as Stretton-Smith, Guy
Sutherland, William Frank  Able Seaman  C/SSX 23885    22
Trevethan, Bernard  Able Seaman  P/JX 149522    23
Charioteer on passage
Vokins, Charles Henri  Leading Stoker  P/KX 85119    27

Events

25-04-1941 : Laid Down
05-03-1942 : Launched
07-08-1942 : Completed
31-12-1942 : HMS P311, only unnamed T-class boat, was due to have been named Tutenkhamen. Fitted to carry human torpedoes (Chariots). Lost while engaged in Operation Principal, a chariot attack on Italian cruisers at La Maddalena.

Left Scotland in November 1942 with sister-boats Thunderbolt and Trooper after addition of human torpedo deck-mounted watertight containers direct for Malta. From there, sailed with Chariots for Operation Principle. Last signal on 31st December. Probably sunk by Italian mines in the approaches to Maddalena. Lost with all hands
Comments

1 comment

22 May 2016 a Italian shipwreks hunter found the P311 at a deep of 90 meters in front Tavolara Island (near Maddalena)... the sub is virtual intact with only the bow damaged by a possible mine explosion (seem confirmed that run into a Italian minefield).
This is the link to the press news
http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=&to=en&a=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.repubblica.it%2Fcronaca%2F2016%2F05%2F24%2Fnews%2Ftavolara_a_cento_metri_di_profondita_sommergibile_fantasma_inglese-140522713%2F%3Fref%3DHREC1-12
   Gianluigi Tue, 24 May 2016

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Turbulent (N98)Trespasser (P312)