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Thunderbolt (N25)

Built By: Cammell Laird (Mersey)
Build Group: T Group 1
Fate: Depth charged by by Italian MA/SB Cicogna north of Sicily 14 Mar 1943
Thunderbolt returns from patrol
Thunderbolt returns from patrol

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Adoption

By Dr Peter Schofield

Warship Week plaque presented to Frome Rural District Council by the Admiralty
Warship Week plaque presented to Frome Rural District Council by the Admiralty
Plaque presented by Frome to HMS Thunderbolt
Plaque presented by Frome to HMS Thunderbolt

An identical plaque was presented to Frome Urban District.

The presentation plaque was mounted on wood and hung in the Parish Church after the loss of HMS Thunderbolt. It is now in the foyer of Frome Memorial Theatre.

Roll of Honour

Name Rank Number Hons Age
Bird, Ernest William  Petty Officer Cook  P/MX 49264    29
Blane, Thomas Tonar  Leading Telegraphist  P/JX 159608    20
Boulton, Thomas Aldous  Stoker Petty Officer  D/KX 81414  DSM  30
Bradley, William Michael McKinlay  Able Seaman  C/JX 204483    33
Brister, David  Able Seaman  C/KX 92825    24
Cale, James Alfred  Petty Officer  P/SSX 26425  DSM  22
Cannon, Martin  Stoker 1st Class  D/KX 120019    22
Cook, Stanley  Engine Room Artificer 4th Class  C/MX 51807    23
Cooper, Samuel  Leading Stoker  D/KX 92324    24
Crane, Charles Henry Arthur  Petty Officer  P/JX 149527    23
Crouch, Cecil Bernard  Lieutenant Commander    DSO**  33
Curry, Thomas  Petty Officer  C/JX 138437  MID  26
Curtis, George William  Chief Engine Room Artificer  P/M 39537  DSM*  38
Daly, Michael Alphonsus  Stoker 1st Class  C/KX 103259    23
Daly, Michael Alphonsus C/KX 103259 CWGC has Daly, Michael Alphonsas
Doughty, William George  Stoker 1st Class  C/KX 102107    30
Doughty, William George C/KX 102107 DoB 08/01/1914 Age 30 CWGC has Age 34
Downham, Albert Edward  Engine Room Artificer 4th Class  D/MX 74036    26
Edgar, John  Lieutenant      23
Elliott, Charles Stanley  Petty Officer  D/JX 139568    25
Freeman, Stanlet Reginald  Petty Officer Telegraphist  P/JX 141452    25
Galloway, William Thomas  Able Seaman  C/JX 136132  MID*  33
Galloway, William Thomas C/JX 136132 DoB 29/09/1909 Age 33 CWGC has Age 39
Gilroy, Stanley  Able Seaman  P/JX 187751    23
Golding, William Henry  Stoker 1st Class  P/KX 108144    21
Harris, Victor Randolph  Able Seaman  D/SSX 17882  MID  23
Heathcote, Eric  Leading Seaman  P/JX 157069    27
Hines, Victor White  Leading Stoker  C/KX 91278    24
Hines, Victor White C/KX 91278 DoB 11/02/1919 Age 24 CWGC has Age 29
Horlick, Gerald Peter  Lieutenant      21
Hughes, John Kenneth  Able Seaman  P/JX 173883    23
Hussey-Yeo, Leslie David  Able Seaman  D/JX 134450  DSM  28
Japp, Alexander William  Telegraphist  D/JX 157609    20
Johnson, Sidney Leslie  Able Seaman  C/JX 186158    22
Keenan, Ronald W  Able Seaman  C/JX 155544    20
Kelsey, Raymond  Able Seaman  C/JX 161166    20
King, Reginald Stanley  Leading Signalman  C/JX 155965    21
Lee, James Augustus  Petty Officer  D/JX 143469    23
Lowe, Fred  Stoker Petty Officer  D/KX 82007  MID  28
Lynch, Roderick  Chief Engine Room Artificer  C/MX 51374  DSM  30
Macleod, Daniel Archibald  Stoker 1st Class  C/KX 112961    28
Maw, Edmund Philip  Lieutenant (RNVR)      28
McGow, Edward  Stoker 1st Class  P/KX 126874    27
McNally, Daniel  Stoker 1st Class  P/KX 116725    24
Mitchell, Richard Edwin  Able Seaman  P/JX 221806    27
Moore, Leonard Jack  Able Seaman  C/JX 179027  DSM  23
Murray, George Nicholas  Leading Telegraphist  D/JX 159124    21
Newcombe, James Edward  Able Seaman  P/MX 58510    23
Newman, Frederick Charles  Stoker 1st Class  D/KX 129348    22
Newton, Richard  Leading Stoker  D/KX 90151    27
Norwood, Ronald John  Stoker 1st Class  C/KX 133877    22
Preece, Douglas John  Able Seaman  P/JX 162089  MID  20
Preece, Douglas John P/JX 162089 DoB 23/10/1922 Age 20 CWGC has Age 26
Prince, Frederick Walter  Stoker 1st Class  P/KX 132450    20
Rice, Samuel  Able Seaman  P/KX 214984    21
Ringham, Fred  Chief Petty Officer  P/J 97099    39
Saunders, Frank  Able Seaman  C/JX 190657    26
Spice, Ronald Wilfred  Engine Room Artificer  C/MX 76114    23
Stanley, Clifford  Stoker 1st Class  D/KX 118463    21
Trayler, William Joseph  Ordinary Seaman  P/JX 353799    20
Trayler, William Joseph P/JX 353799 CWGC has Trayler, William Josepeh
Walters, Harold Percy  Chief Petty Officer  P/J 98724  DSM*  38
Walters, Harold Percy P/JX 98724 DoB 08/09/1904 Age 38 CWGC has Age 19
Webb, Reginald Peter  Lieutenant      27
Whitbread, Henry James Webb  Petty Officer  C/JX 106284  DSM*  36
White, Donald Harvey  Able Seaman  P/JX 179118    25
Wilson, Horace Dent  Able Seaman  D/JX 287111    22
Woodcock, Dudley Abel Montague  Warrant Engineer  (Ex.M39367)    33
York, Thomas  Petty Officer Steward  C/LX 21793    28

Events

21-12-1936 : Laid Down
29-06-1938 : Launched
01-10-1940 : Sto1 Joseph McKee D/KX 79944 died in an incident at the end of the repair work after the recovery of HMS Thetis, and nine days before the submarine was due to join the 2nd Submarine Flotilla based on HMS FORTH at the Holy Loch for a Work

The full circumstances of his death are not established.
01-11-1940 : Completed
15-12-1940 : At 1017 hours the Italian submarine Capitano Tarantini was torpedoed and sunk south-west of the Gironde Estuary near Bordeaux, France.
15-06-1941 : HMS Thunderbolt fires torpedoes at the German submarine U-557 in the North Atlantic. The torpedoes miss.
07-09-1941 : HMS Thunderbolt torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Sirena about 50 miles west of Benghasi, Libya.
10-09-1941 : HMS Thunderbolt sinks the Italian auxiliary patrol vessel V 224/Svan I with gunfire in the Gulf of Syrte off Marsa el Auegia.
11-09-1941 : HMS Thunderbolt torpedoes and sinks the German merchant Livorno about 35 nautical miles west-south-west of Benghazi, Libya.
14-09-1941 : HMS Thunderbolt fires three torpedoes against the German merchant Tinos about 30 nautical miles north-west of Benghazi, Libya. All torpedoes missed.
10-10-1941 : HMS Thunderbolt sinks the Italian sailing vessel Citta di Simi with gunfire some 12 miles north-east of Cape Sidero, Crete.
25-11-1941 : HMS Thunderbolt sinks the German sailing vessel L VII with gunfire off Kythera, Greece.
02-01-1942 : HMS Thunderbolt torpedoes and damages the Italian merchant Anna Capano off Argostoli, Keffalonia Island, Greece.
04-01-1942 : HMS Thunderbolt sinks the Italian auxiliary minesweeper R 195/Nuovo San Pietro with gunfire west off Keffalonia Island, Greece.
30-01-1942 : HMS Thunderbolt fires four torpedoes against the Italian torpedo boat Solferino in the Ionian Sea.
01-02-1942 : HMS Thunderbolt torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Absirtea about 6 nautical miles off Cape Dukato, Greece.
03-02-1942 : HMS Thunderbolt damages the Italian auxiliary submarine chaser AS 80/Lanciotto Piero with gunfire off Gheregambe.
06-03-1942 : HMS Thunderbolt attacks the German submarine U-431 south-west of Crete. The German submarine escapes unharmed.
13-02-1943 : HMS Thunderbolt sinks the Italian auxiliary minesweeper No.112/Mafalda with gunfire off Isola Lungha.
18-02-1943 : HMS Thunderbolt damages the Italian auxiliary patrol vessel F 95/San Giorgio with gunfire north-west of Pola.
20-02-1943 : HMS Thunderbolt sinks an Italian sailing vessel with gunfire off Bari.
12-03-1943 : Torpedoed the Italian merchant ship Esterel two miles north of Capo San Vito.
14-03-1943 : At 2210 on Friday 12th March the Italian merchant ship Esterel was torpedoed two miles north of Capo San Vito. Following the attack the torpedo boat Libra was ordered to seek out the submarine responsible - HMS Thunderbolt.

The Libra made contact with the Thunderbolt that night and carried out seven depth charge attacks with no result.

On Sunday 14th March the Italian corvette Cicogna obtained a contact and shortly after 0734 a periscope was sighted 2000 yards off the corvettes bow. At 0845 the periscope was again sighted, this time less than 10 feet away. Depth charges were launched at once and the corvette increased it speed and turned for another attack when an explosion lifted the submarines stern out of the sea at an angle of 90 degrees. The submarine sank through a discharge of air and oil. A further two depth charges were dropped resulting in air bubbles, oil and smoke appearing on the surface were the submarine had sunk. The Cicogna remained on station for an hour but no further contact was made.
Comments

2 comments

Please note Stanley Cook was an Electrical Artificer
   Andrew Barnes,formerly Cook Tue, 5 Nov 2019
My Grandfather told me that he was amongst several Allied soldiers who escaped from Crete and were taken by boat to the Thunderbolt after the island fell. They were taken to Alexandria by the submarine. He called it the Thetis/Thunderbolt.
   Alix Griffiths Sun, 13 Dec 2020

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Thetis (N25)Thrasher (N37)