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Upholder (N99)

Built By: Vickers (Barrow)
Build Group: U1
Fate: Depth charged by Italian TB Pegaso off Tripoli on 14 April 1942
Upholder 1940
Upholder 1940

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The Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross

Ex P37

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Lieutenant Commander Malcolm David Wanklyn

On the evening of 24th May, 1941, whilst on patrol off the coast of Sicily, Lieutenant Commander Wanklyn, in command of His Majesty's Submarine Upholder, sighted a southbound enemy troop convoy, strongly escorted by Destroyers. The failing light was such that observation by periscope could not be relied on but a surface attack would have been easily seen. Upholder's listening gear was out of action. In spite of these severe handicaps Lieutenant Commander Wanklyn decided to press home his attack at short range.

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Upholder Sank 129,529 Tons Of Axis Ships

The name of Her Majesty's Submarine Upholder is inseparably linked to the name of her Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander W. D. Wanklyn VC DSO and 2 Bars RN. Upholder, under Wanklyn's command, was perhaps the most successful British submarine of the Second World War Lt. Cdr. Wanklyn was Upholder's captain throughout the whole of her short life, from her completion at Barrow in 1940 until she was lost on April 14, 1942.

Roll of Honour
33
Died: 14-04-1942
Allen, Peter Russell Hay 
Lieutenant Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 20
Anderson, William Eric  DSM* D/JX 136036
Petty Officer Telegraphist Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 26
Blake, Leopold  DSM P/JX 142985
Leading Telegraphist Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 22
Board, Norman Douglas  DSM P/MX 55599
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 27
Brown, Thomas Cyril  MID C/JX 125029
Able Seaman Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 31
Burgoyne, Charles Llewelyn  DSM C/MX 51007
Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 31
Davidson, Robert Wallace  DSM P/JX 143409
Leading Seaman Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 22
Foster, George John  MID P/J 113636
Able Seaman Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 32
Ex.J43636
Frame, Frederick James  DSM* D/M 38773
Chief Engine Room Artificer Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 32
Gregory, Edmond  MID C/JX 211752
Ordinary Telegraphist Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 25
Gregory, Frederick William  DSM* C/KX 80267
Stoker Petty Officer Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 30
Heath, Alfred Thomas  MID C/KX 75161
Leading Stoker Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 34
Hughes, Gwilym  MID C/JX 208360
Able Seaman Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 23
Lane, Seiriol Francis  MID D/JX 208153
Able Seaman Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 26
Martin, Frederick James  MID D/JX 134305
Petty Officer Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 27
Miller, David Andrew  DSM* D/JX 164988
Petty Officer Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 36
Ex.J106129
Munday, Edward  C/SKX 1599
Stoker 2nd Class Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 20
Newlands, Patrick McCann  MID P/SSX 28994
Telegraphist Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 24
Norman, John Harsant  (RNVR) MID
Sub Lieutenant Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 23
Parker, Charles Alfred  (Royal Marine) 5950711
Lance Corporal Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 22
2 Commando
Partleton, John Edward  DSM C/J 108856
Leading Seaman Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 34
Perkins, Frederick William  MID P/KX 84691
Leading Stoker Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 26
Rowe, John  MID P/KX 84337
Leading Stoker Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 25
Ruck-Keene, Francis  DSC
Lieutenant Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 23
Saunders, Lambert  MID* D/JX 14794
Leading Seaman Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 21
Self, Ernest Edward  MID D/KX 80123
Stoker 1st Class Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 30
Simmonds, Rex  DSM* P/J 108490
Leading Signalman Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 34
Smith, George Edward Richardson  D/JX 203092
Able Seaman Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 21
Smith, James  C/JX 208095
Able Seaman Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 24
Swainston, John George  DSM* P/JX 125082
Petty Officer Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 31
Topping, Fred  P/KX 84500
Leading Stoker Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 30
Turner, William Robert  DSM* D/J 110765
Petty Officer Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 33
Wanklyn, Malcolm David  VC DSO**
Lieutenant Commander Died: 14-04-1942 Aged: 30
from Kolkata  India
Commanding Officer

Events

30-10-1939 Laid Down
08-08-1940 Launched
31-10-1940 Completed
28-01-1941 HMS Upholder torpedoes and damages the German transport Duisburg south of the Kerkennah Shallows.
30-01-1941 HMS Upholder attacks the Italian merchant Motia and the Italian tanker Delfin west of Tripoli, Libya. All torpedoes missed and Upholder was depth charged by the Italian torpedo boat Aldebaran.
12-04-1941 HMS Upholder was out of torpedoes, but still achieved a minor success by persuading an enemy convoy to turn round by firing a star-shell.
25-04-1941 HMS Upholder torpedoes and sinks the Italian Antonietta Lauro, near Kerkennah Buoy #3, Tunisia.
26-04-1941 HMS Upholder attacked the wreck of the German merchant ship Arta, which had run aground on the sand-banks off Kerkennah in Tunisia. A party was sent aboard and documents were retrieved from the captain's safe, which was blown open using explosives. The party then destroyed the wreck with demolition charges.
27-04-1941 HMS Upholder attempted to get close to the grounded wreck of the Italian destroyer Lampo, but ran aground herself before she could reach her.
01-05-1941 HMS Upholder torpedoes and sinks the German merchants Arcturus and Leverkusen off Kerkennah, Tunisia.
20-05-1941 HMS Upholder fires four torpedoes at the Italian tanker Utilitas off Capo dell'Armi but miss the target.
23-05-1941 HMS Upholder torpedoes a damages the French merchant Capitaine Damiani east of Tunisia.
24-05-1941 Whilst on patrol off the coast of Sicily, Lieutenant Commander Wanklyn, in command of HMS Upholder, sighted a southbound enemy troop convoy, strongly escorted by Destroyers. The failing light was such that observation by periscope could not be relied on but a surface attack would have been easily seen. Upholder's listening gear was out of action. In spite of these severe handicaps, Lieutenant Commander Wanklyn decided to press home his attack at short range and sank the Italian liner Conte Rosso

Subsequently, the King was graciously pleased to approve of the grant of the Victoria Cross for great valour and resolution in command of HMS Upholder to Lieutenant Commander Malcolm David Wanklyn, DSO.
03-07-1941 HMS Upholder torpedoes in sinks the Italian merchant Laura C off Saline Ioniche, Calabria
24-07-1941 HMS Upholder torpedoes and damages the Italian merchant Dandolo 2.5 nautical miles north-west of Barone, eastern Sicily.
28-07-1941 While on patrol near Marettimo island, off the western tip of Sicily HMS Upholder fired 4 torpedoes at an Italian task force, damaging the light cruiser Giuseppe Garibaldi.
20-08-1941 HMS Upholder torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Enotria 5 nautical miles off Cape San Vito, Italy.
22-08-1941 HMS Upholder torpedoes and sinks the German transport Lussin about 2 nautical miles north-west of Cape San Vito, Sicily, Italy.
24-08-1941 HMS Upholder fires two torpedoes at the Italian light cruiser Luigi di Savoia Duca Delgi Abruzzi off the north-west tip of Sicily but miss the target.
31-08-1941 HMS Upholder fires torpedoes from long range against the Italian troop transports Oceania and Neptunia off the Tunisian coast. All torpedoes missed.
18-09-1941 HMS Upholder sinks the Italian troop ships Neptunia and Oceania; 384 people are drowned
08-11-1941 HMS Upholder attacks an Italian submarine with torpedoes some 60 nautical miles south-east of Capo Passero, Sicily, Italy but the target was not hit.
09-11-1941 HMS Upholder torpedoed and sank the Italian destroyer Libeccio east of Siracusa, Sicily.
04-01-1942 HMS Upholder torpedoed and damaged the Italian steamer Sirio 4 nautical miles north-west of Cefal, Sicily.
05-01-1942 Italian submarine R.Smg. Ammiraglio Saint Bon is sunk by a torpedo from submarine HMS Upholder north of Milazzo, Sicily. The Italian submarine is enroute to Libya carrying 155 tons of gasoline and ammunition. The torpedo hits on the starboard side causing the gasoline to explode. There are only three survivors
27-02-1942 HMS Upholder torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Tembien about 25 nautical miles north of Tripoli, Libya.
18-03-1942 HMS Upholder torpedoes and sinks the Italian submarine Trichecoeast off Brindisi in the southern Adriatic.
19-03-1942 HMS Upholder sinks the Italian auxiliary minesweeper B.14/Maria with gunfire, about 20 nautical miles south of Brindisi, Italy.
14-04-1942 On the 12th April HMS Upholder was ordered to form a patrol line with HMS Urge and HMS Thrasher to intercept a convoy. It is not known if this signal was received and the submarine failed to return to harbour on her due date. A number of theories exist as to the fate of Upholder, the most likely is that she fell victim to a depth charge attack by the Italian anti-submarine vessel Pagaso on 14th April east of Tripoli although no debris was seen and the position of the attack would have put Upholder some 100 miles out of position, however, this can be explained by the submarine changing position to find richer pickings.

A second theory is that the submarine struck a mine near Tripoli on the night of 11th April, supported by the fact that a submarine was sighted approaching a minefield.
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