Ursula (N59)
| Built By: | Vickers (Barrow) |
| Build Group: | U Group 1 |
| Fate: | Scrapped in May 1950 at Grangemouth. |
Adoption
By Dr Peter Schofield
 Adoption plaque presented by the Lords Commissioners of The Admiralty to Chorley Rural District (Lancs) to commemorate the adoption of HMS Ursula during Warship Week, Feb 7th 1942 |
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| Plaques held at Astley Hall, Chorley | |
Liverpool Echo, Tuesday 20 April 1943
HMS Ursula has been adopted by Chorley, Withnell and Adlington in Lancashire. She has also been 'unofficially adopted' by the staff of a large laundry firm at Rhyl, North Wales, who's war comforts committee of 200 girls, all employed on Government work, have already exchanged greetings with the crew, and supplied them with woollen clothing, sportswear and a darts board.
Lancashire Evening Post, Tuesday 20 April 1943
The Mayor of Chorley has sent the following telegram to the Admiralty: On behalf of the inhabitants and district of their adoption, I ask you to please convey to the officers and men of HM submarine Ursula congratulations on a safe return home from their hazardous exploits.
Chorley and District held their Warship Week from 31 January to 7 February 1942 when £387,354 was raised in National Savings to adopt HMS Ursula.
Events
| 19-02-1937 : | Laid Down |
| 16-02-1938 : | Launched |
| 20-12-1938 : | Completed |
| 09-09-1939 : | British HMS Ursula fired the first British submarine torpedoes of the war when attacking German U-35. The U-boat escaped |
| 14-12-1939 : | HMS Ursula was on patrol in the estuary of the Elbe and through her periscope her captain, Lt Cdr GC Phillips, sighted a German K?ln-class cruiser, the Leipzig, escorted by six destroyers. Though the waters of the Elbe estuary are shallow and to dive deep is a dangerous undertaking involving the risk of getting stuck on a sandbank, Phillips had either to take the risk or to miss his attack. His decision was instantaneous and he took the Ursula down to dive beneath the destroyer screen and get within range of the cruiser. They were anxious moments, but fortunately the depth of water was just enough. On coming up again to periscope depth, Phillips found himself within point-blank range of the cruiser. He fired a salvo of six torpedoes and the two resulting explosions were so close that the Ursula herself was badly shaken. A quick glance through the periscope showed no sign of the cruiser that had been attacked, but it did reveal four of her escorting destroyers closing in at high speed to attack. One small escort, F9, had been hit and was sinking. Once again, risking the sandbanks, the Ursula went deep and by skillful manipulation of his boat, Phillips managed to evade the inevitable depth charges. Of the cruiser, Leipzig, no further trace was ever seen, but when Phillips brought the Ursula back to look for evidence, two of the destroyers were still in the area and engaged, apparently, in a search for survivors. Phillips was awarded the DSO and promoted |
| 21-03-1940 : | HMS Ursula torpedoes and sinks the German merchant Heddernheim in the Skaggerak about 10 nautical miles east-north-east of Skagen, Denmark. |
| 22-02-1941 : | HMS Ursula torpedoes and damages the Italian merchant Sabbia about 20 nautical miles east of Susah, Tunisia. Ursula was damaged by depth charges during a counter-attack by the Italian torpedo boat Generale Carlo Montanari. |
| 06-05-1941 : | HMS Ursula attacks the German transport ships Brook and Tilly L.M. Russoff Tripoli, Libya but the ships escape. |
| 18-09-1941 : | HMS Ursula fires three torpedoes against the Italian troop transport Vulcania off Tripoli, Libya. All torpedoes missed. |
| 18-10-1941 : | HMS Ursula torpedoes and damages the Italian tanker Beppe some 45 nautical miles west of Lampedusa Island. |
| 11-11-1942 : | HMS Ursula attacks but misses the German submarine U-73 off Cabo de Gata, Spain. |
| 01-12-1942 : | HMS Ursula sinks the Italian auxiliary submarine chaser V 135/Togo with scuttling charges some 15 miles south of Cape Mele, Corsica, France. |
| 03-12-1942 : | HMS Ursula torpedoes and sinks the German merchant Sainte Marguerite II near San Remo, Italy. |
| 28-12-1942 : | HMS Ursula torpedoes and sinks the German merchant Odysseus about 12 nautical miles north-west of Marettimo Island, Italy. |
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