Top
Home → Boats → Submarines → S Class → Syrtis

Syrtis (P 241)

Built By: Cammell Laird (Mersey)
Build Group: S3
Fate: Syrtis left Lerwick on 16th March 1944 for a patrol off the Norwegian Coast in Latitude 63° 36’ North. On 20th March 1944 the Submarine was ordered to an area in the vicinity of Bödo. records indicate that she carried out attacks on enemy vessels in the area on 22nd March.

Syrtis was ordered to leave her Patrol Area on 28th March 1944 but failed to return to Lerwick as expected on 30th March 1944. An air search was carried out but no sign of the Submarine was found.

Mines are now known to have been laid in the area in which HMS Syrtis was working and it is almost certain that HMS Syrtis was lost with all hands by striking a mine off Bödo sometime between 22nd and 28th March 1944.

Upload An Image Of This Boat

Syrtis (P 241)
Syrtis (P 241)
Related Pages
Operation Source - September 1943

In September 1943 six in X-Craft were towed by six Submarines to attack German Capital Ships in the Kaa Fjord in Norway. In all (apart from the Towing Submarine Crew) forty-two X- Craft personnel took part in Operation Source, eighteen Passage Crew Members and twenty-four Operational Crew Members.

Roll of Honour

49
Died: 07-02-1944
Blythe, Charles  (RNR)
Lieutenant Died: 07-02-1944 Aged: 33
from Berwick-on-Tweed
HMS Syrtis was towing the X-Craft X22 in the Pentland Firth in bad weather when the Submarine was pooped and the First Lieutenant was washed overboard and was lost.

On 7th July 1941 he was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS Medway (1st Submarine Flotilla) at Alexandria, Egypt for Submarines. He returned home with an appointment to HMS Dolphin for Submarines on 25th July 1941.

His next appointment was to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS Cyclops for Submarine HMS Otway as Navigating Officer to date 9th March 1942.

This was followed by an appointment to HMS Dolphin for Submarine HMS Shakespeare completing and as Navigating Officer on Commissioning to date 6th June 1942.

On 15th October 1942 he was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS Forth at the Holy Loch for Submarine P614 as First Lieutenant and then to HMS Forth for Submarine HMS Syrtis as First Lieutenant.
Died: 28-03-1944
Ainslie, John MacPherson  (RNVR)
Lieutenant Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 21
Aitken, Robert  P/KX 83273
Leading Stoker Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 29
Alexander, Percy  P/KX 158563
Stoker 1st Class Born: 10-03-1925 Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 19
RN DoB 10/03/1924
Allam, Harold Richard  C/JX 156270
Petty Officer Born: 15-04-1918 Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 25
Ashton, George Charles  D/J 107365
Leading Seaman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 36
Beardsley, Albert  P/JX 159090
Able Seaman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 21
Blackley, James Hamilton  C/MX 504341
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 19
Boyd, Richard Loudon  C/JX 359213
Telegraphist Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 19
Burgess, George William  D/KX 148044
Stoker 1st Class Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 21
Denne, Bernard Herbert  C/KX 97606
Stoker 1st Class Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 23
Forsyth, Hugh Gemmell  C/SSX 25989
Able Seaman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 23
Fowler, Hugh Messer  MID C/JX 152175
Petty Officer Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 28
Fyson, Donald Alexander  (RNR)
Lieutenant Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 23
Goldsmith, Bernard John  P/MX 98856
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 20
Green, John  P/SSX 24927
Able Seaman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 24
Hagerty, John Patrick  C/JX 224730
Telegraphist Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 21
Hallworth, John Bancroft  P/JX 361955
Able Seaman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 21
Harris, William Charles  MID C/SSX 19504
Able Seaman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 24
Henshall, Geoffrey  D/SSX 22749
Leading Seaman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 24
Hill, Royston Henry  D/KX 153006
Leading Stoker Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 20
Holder, Frank  D/KX 159521
Stoker 1st Class Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 19
Hosie, Andrew  D/MX 64044
Leading Cook Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 24
Hull, Leslie  P/KX 137032
Leading Stoker Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 21
Jamieson, William  P/MX 88769
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 21
Jupp, Michael Hugh  DSC*
Lieutenant Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 24
Kay, John Matthew  D/JX 564161
Ordinary Seaman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 19
Lynch, Denis Henry  DSM (Ex. M45637)
Warrant Engineer Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 34
Mackenzie, Donald  D/J 107897
Chief Petty Officer Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 36
Malley, Leslie  C/KX 82455
Stoker Petty Officer Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 29
McAllister, William  P/KX 92004
Leading Stoker Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 27
McCarthy, Ronald Dowler  P/JX 161391
Signalman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 20
O'Carroll, Thomas Christopher  D/SSX 28087
Able Seaman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 23
Osman, Fred  P/JX 130488
Petty Officer Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 32
Page, Sidney Edwin  C/MX 53249
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 22
Parker, William Thomas  P/SSX 33340
Leading Telegraphist Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 23
Picknell, William George  C/JX 154405
Leading Seaman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 22
Powell, Robert Howard  D/JX 145188
Petty Officer Telegraphist Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 24
Readman, John Henry  P/JX 193267
Able Seaman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 23
Richardson, Arthur  D/JX 158363
Able Seaman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 21
Shields, Thomas Henry  C/JX 407347
Ordinary Seaman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 18
Spratt, Frederick Edward 
Lieutenant Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 22
Steel, Sydney  C/JX 193464
Able Seaman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 26
Storey, Frederick Arthur  P/JX 367602
Able Seaman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 20
Stubbs, George John  DSM P/MX 49527
Chief Engine Room Artificer Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 26
Willcocks, Arthur Charles Percy  P/MX 98380
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 23
Wilson, Leslie Edmund  P/JX 217680
Able Seaman Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 24
Woodards, Frederick Charles  C/KX 140770
Stoker 1st Class Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 19
Young, William  P/KX 145666
Stoker 1st Class Died: 28-03-1944 Aged: 21

Events

14-10-1941 Laid Down
04-02-1943 Launched
23-04-1943 Completed
22-03-1944 HMS Syrtis sank Norwegian SS Narvik near Sleipnesodden, Helgeland with gunfire
28-03-1944 Mined & sunk

HMS Syrtis left Lerwick on 16th March 1944 for a patrol off the Norwegian coast. On 20th March she was ordered to an area near Bodo, some 70 miles inside the Arctic Circle. Two days later she sank the steamer Narvik with gunfire. On the 28th a signal was sent to Syrtis ordering her to return to Lerwick. This signal was never acknowledged and the submarine failed to return. German reports indicate the sinking of a submarine in the Bodo area at the time by shore batteries, but the most likely cause of her loss is a mine.
Add A Comment (click to open)

This form is for you to comment on, or add additional information to this page. Any questions will be deleted. If you wish to ask a question contact the Branch or the Webmaster using the Contact Us page or ask your question on our Facebook Page

Name E-Mail
Your email will not be shown, but is required
Anti Spam: Type the following code exactly as shown into the box below.

i4zx    
Note: All submissions are subject to approval prior to appearing on the page. As a SPAM prevention measure, any comments containing links to other sites will be automatically discarded.

Surf (P 239) Shalimar (P 242)