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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
Triton in June 1939
Triton in June 1939

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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
 
Allen, David  C/J 73230 Born: 8th Feb, 1902. 
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Able Seaman Aged: 38
Beard, Albert George  DSM C/M 34733
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Engine Room Artificer 1st Class Aged: 40
Beattie, Norman  C/KX 88650 Born: 4th Apr, 1904. 
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Leading Stoker Aged: 36
Bennett, Arthur Keith  C/J 109679
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Leading Seaman Aged: 32
Burton, Albert James  C/KX 90533
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Stoker 1st Class Aged: 22
Butcher, Charles Alfred  P/JX 133701
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Petty Officer Telegraphist Aged: 26
Cain, William  P/KX 75485
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Stoker 1st Class Aged: 33
Cave, Charles Joseph Reginald  MID
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Lieutenant Aged: 27
Clark, Edward Charles  MID C/K 60084
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Stoker Petty Officer Aged: 41
Codman, Herbert Cyril Percival  MID D/J 95711
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Chief Petty Officer Aged: 37
Coleman, Harry Robert  P/J 111095
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Yeoman of Signals Aged: 32
Day, John Robert  C/JX 126830
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Able Seaman Aged: 30
Dean, Reginald Edward  (RNR) MID
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Lieutenant Aged: 31
Dean, Wilfred Henry  CH/M 38747
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class Aged: 31
Down, Harold George  D/JX 146815
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Able Seaman Aged: 21
Early, Arthur Henry  DSM D/MX 46013
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class Aged: 29
East, Clinton McChomb  D/JX 132670
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Leading Telegraphist Aged: 28
Gardner, George Roland  P/MX 53031
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Leading Cook Aged: 23
Hinde, Horatio John  DSM P/J 111862
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Petty Officer Aged: 31
Jackson, Cyril Thomas  P/SSX 14946
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Leading Telegraphist Aged: 26
Jones, John Francis  D/JX 150716
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Leading Telegraphist Aged: 25
King, James Thomas  P/KX 78914
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Stoker 1st Class Aged: 31
Lang, Alexander  P/K 91486
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Stoker 1st Class Aged: 24
Lavers, Edgar James Boyce  MID P/MX 48545
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class Aged: 25
Liddle, Frederick  C/KX 85208
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Leading Stoker Aged: 24
Matthews, Frederick William  D/JX 173955
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Ordinary Seaman Aged: 22
Milne, Ronald George  DSC (Ex.34504)
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Warrant Engineer Aged: 37
Moore, Cyril Henry  C/KX 84519
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Leading Stoker Aged: 26
Morgan, James  MID D/J 112487
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Able Seaman Aged: 32
Orme, Samuel  P/KX 79732
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Stoker 1st Class Aged: 33
Parramore, William Angus  C/KX 83734
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Leading Stoker Aged: 25
Pettitt, George Robert  P/KX 88290
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Stoker 1st Class Aged: 25
Pook, Ivor Leslie Roy  D/JX 144306
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Leading Seaman Aged: 20
Quick, Gilbert  MID D/K 63664
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Stoker 1st Class Aged: 35
Riley, James  D/KX 80160
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Stoker Petty Officer Aged: 30
Risby, John Francis  D/J 78393
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Able Seaman Aged: 40
Saunderson, Edward Percival  DSM C/J 111250
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Petty Officer Aged: 31
Saxby, Thoms Reuben  C/J 84410
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Able Seaman Aged: 39
Shears, Francis  P/KX 82888
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Stoker 1st Class Aged: 26
Shimmin, James  D/JX 126301
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Leading Seaman Aged: 30
Smith, Michael John Royston  MID
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Lieutenant Aged: 23
Smyth, Thomas  D/LX 20229
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Petty Officer Steward Aged: 36
Spite, Kenneth Frederick  (RNR) C/X 20796
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Able Seaman Aged: 19
Stafford, Frederick Thomas  MID P/J 70907
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Able Seaman Aged: 38
Stride, Christopher  D/JX 167556
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Able Seaman Aged: 22
Temporal, Arthur  P/SSX 29474
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Telegraphist Aged: 19
Thorne, William Frank  P/JX 129823
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Petty Officer Aged: 30
Trench, James  D/KX 80844
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Leading Stoker Aged: 29
Waters, William George Thomas  C/J 93606
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Able Seaman Aged: 37
Watkins, Guy Claud Ian St.Barbe Sladen  MID
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Lieutenant Commander Aged: 29
Commanding Officer
Watson, Donald Charles  DSM P/M 34432
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Chief Engine Room Artificer Aged: 37
Westby, Jack  P/KX 84545
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Stoker 1st Class Aged: 27
from Ohio USA
Wilkinson, John Thomas  P/KX 77133
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Stoker 1st Class Aged: 34
Wyatt, Herbert  P/MX 52150
Died: 8th Dec, 1940.
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class 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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