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Triton (N 15)

Built By: Vickers (Barrow)
Build Group: T 1
Fate: On 28 November 1940, Triton left Malta for a patrol in the southern Adriatic Sea. On 6 December, the Italian merchant Olimpia was torpedoed by a British submarine in the area. Her distress message was picked up by the Royal Navy, which assumed that the attack had been carried out by Triton.

The submarine was never heard from again, and was declared lost with all hands on 18 December. Olimpia was successfully towed to port by Italian escort units.

The Italian Navy claimed that Triton was sunk by torpedo boats, probably Confienza, possibly by Clio, but the date cited was several days after contact was lost.

British sources claimed that Triton was sunk by naval mines in the Strait of Otranto

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Triton in June 1939
Triton in June 1939
Commanders
1938: Lieutenant Commander  Hugh Patrick de Crecy Steele  
1939: Lieutenant Commander  Edward Fowle Pizey  
1940: Lieutenant  G C I Watkins  
Related Pages
Read
HMS Oxley sunk by HMS Triton

Lieutenant-Commander H P de C Steel, Royal Navy, HMS Triton testimony given at the Board of Inquiry into the circumstances of the loss of HMS Oxley

Roll of Honour
54
Died: 08-12-1940
Allen, David  C/J 73230
Able Seaman Born: 08-02-1902 Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 38
Beard, Albert George  DSM C/M 34733
Engine Room Artificer 1st Class Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 40
Beattie, Norman  C/KX 88650
Leading Stoker Born: 04-04-1904 Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 36
Bennett, Arthur Keith  C/J 109679
Leading Seaman Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 32
Burton, Albert James  C/KX 90533
Stoker 1st Class Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 22
Butcher, Charles Alfred  P/JX 133701
Petty Officer Telegraphist Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 26
Cain, William  P/KX 75485
Stoker 1st Class Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 33
Cave, Charles Joseph Reginald  MID
Lieutenant Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 27
Clark, Edward Charles  MID C/K 60084
Stoker Petty Officer Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 41
Codman, Herbert Cyril Percival  MID D/J 95711
Chief Petty Officer Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 37
Coleman, Harry Robert  P/J 111095
Yeoman of Signals Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 32
Day, John Robert  C/JX 126830
Able Seaman Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 30
Dean, Reginald Edward  (RNR) MID
Lieutenant Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 31
Dean, Wilfred Henry  CH/M 38747
Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 31
Down, Harold George  D/JX 146815
Able Seaman Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 21
Early, Arthur Henry  DSM D/MX 46013
Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 29
East, Clinton McChomb  D/JX 132670
Leading Telegraphist Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 28
Gardner, George Roland  P/MX 53031
Leading Cook Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 23
Hinde, Horatio John  DSM P/J 111862
Petty Officer Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 31
Jackson, Cyril Thomas  P/SSX 14946
Leading Telegraphist Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 26
Jones, John Francis  D/JX 150716
Leading Telegraphist Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 25
King, James Thomas  P/KX 78914
Stoker 1st Class Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 31
Lang, Alexander  P/K 91486
Stoker 1st Class Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 24
Lavers, Edgar James Boyce  MID P/MX 48545
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 25
Liddle, Frederick  C/KX 85208
Leading Stoker Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 24
Matthews, Frederick William  D/JX 173955
Ordinary Seaman Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 22
Milne, Ronald George  DSC (Ex.34504)
Warrant Engineer Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 37
Moore, Cyril Henry  C/KX 84519
Leading Stoker Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 26
Morgan, James  MID D/J 112487
Able Seaman Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 32
Orme, Samuel  P/KX 79732
Stoker 1st Class Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 33
Parramore, William Angus  C/KX 83734
Leading Stoker Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 25
Pettitt, George Robert  P/KX 88290
Stoker 1st Class Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 25
Pook, Ivor Leslie Roy  D/JX 144306
Leading Seaman Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 20
Quick, Gilbert  MID D/K 63664
Stoker 1st Class Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 35
Riley, James  D/KX 80160
Stoker Petty Officer Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 30
Risby, John Francis  D/J 78393
Able Seaman Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 40
Saunderson, Edward Percival  DSM C/J 111250
Petty Officer Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 31
Saxby, Thoms Reuben  C/J 84410
Able Seaman Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 39
Shears, Francis  P/KX 82888
Stoker 1st Class Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 26
Shimmin, James  D/JX 126301
Leading Seaman Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 30
Smith, Michael John Royston  MID
Lieutenant Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 23
Smyth, Thomas  D/LX 20229
Petty Officer Steward Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 36
Spite, Kenneth Frederick  (RNR) C/X 20796
Able Seaman Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 19
Stafford, Frederick Thomas  MID P/J 70907
Able Seaman Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 38
Stride, Christopher  D/JX 167556
Able Seaman Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 22
Temporal, Arthur  P/SSX 29474
Telegraphist Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 19
Thorne, William Frank  P/JX 129823
Petty Officer Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 30
Trench, James  D/KX 80844
Leading Stoker Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 29
Waters, William George Thomas  C/J 93606
Able Seaman Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 37
Watkins, Guy Claud Ian St.Barbe Sladen  MID
Lieutenant Commander Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 29
Commanding Officer
Watson, Donald Charles  DSM P/M 34432
Chief Engine Room Artificer Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 37
Westby, Jack  P/KX 84545
Stoker 1st Class Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 27
from Ohio  USA
Wilkinson, John Thomas  P/KX 77133
Stoker 1st Class Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 34
Wyatt, Herbert  P/MX 52150
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class Died: 08-12-1940 Aged: 26

Events

28-08-1936 Laid Down
04-10-1937 Launched
09-11-1938 Completed
10-09-1939 HMS Triton had the misfortune to torpedo accidentally HMS Oxley off Norway. Oxley was the first British submarine lost during the Second World War.

A Board of Enquiry found that Oxley was some way out of position and that Triton had acted correctly and was not culpable for the sinking. The cause of the disaster was kept a close secret until the 1950's.
08-04-1940 HMS Triton fires 10 torpedoes against the German cruisers Blecher, Lutzow and Emden off Skagen. All torpedoes missed their targets.
10-04-1940 While operating in the Kattegat HMS Triton torpedoes and sinks the German merchants Friedenau and Wigbert and the auxiliary patrol vessel V 1507/Rau 6.

Some 900 German army personnel were drowned, this was the worst disaster suffered by the Germans during the operation.
04-10-1940 HMS Triton torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Franca Fassio about 16 nautical miles north of Cape Noli near Genua.
08-10-1940 HMS Triton attacks the Italian merchant Spezia with torpedoes off Vado Ligure, Savona, Italy. All torpedoes missed.
08-12-1940 Lost

HMS Triton left Malta for a patrol in the lower Adriatic and the Straits of Otranto on 28th November 1940. At 0540 on 6th December an SOS from the Italian merchant vessel Olimpia was intercepted. Triton immediately set of to intercept her and seems to have made a successful attack before she was her self destroyed in a counter attack by two Italian Torpedo boats. There are also reports that the Italian Torpedo boat Clio may have sunk Triton. This attack is reported to have happened several days after Triton should have left the area and is therefore met with some scepticism
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