| Built By: | Cammell Laird (Mersey) |
| Build Group: | T 2 |
| Fate: | Scuttled in the Gulf of Taranto on 13th February, 1942 The boat was detected, and there followed a seven-hour depth charge attack by the Italian torpedo boat Circe (Capitano di Corvetta Stephanino Palmas). Following an epic struggle, the submarine was forced to the surface in heavy seas. The Italians botched the rescue, and of the crew of sixty-three there were twenty-four survivors (twenty-three out of sixty-two, according to the Coxswain). The remainder were lost |
RN Submarines scuttled or captured in WWII
Descriptions of the events in WWII that led to the loss of Royal Navy Submarines in actions where the submarines were sunk, usually by scuttling, with the captains and crew taken prisoner. Included are two variations - in one case the submarine was captured and in another the captain was killed in action.
Roll of Honour |
39
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| Baines, Edward Lewis |
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| Leading Telegraphist | ||||||
| Burns, John |
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| Petty Officer | ||||||
| Burns, John Hugh Paul |
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| Able Seaman | ||||||
| Cameron, Donald |
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| Engine Room Artificer 4th Class | ||||||
| Buried in Bari | ||||||
| Cavaye, William Alexander Keith Napier |
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| Lieutenant Commander | ||||||
| Collett, Albert Harry |
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| Stoker 1st Class | ||||||
| Cope, Thomas Smith |
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| Stoker 1st Class | ||||||
| Cronin, Alfred john |
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| Able Seaman | ||||||
| Davies, George William |
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| Stoker 2nd Class | ||||||
| Drew, Frederick |
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| Signalman | ||||||
| Eales, Robert Charles |
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| Able Seaman | ||||||
| Fiddes, Ernest Herbert Alfred MID |
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| Stoker Petty Officer | ||||||
| Frain, Christopher |
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| Leading Seaman | ||||||
| Gomer, Ronald Charles |
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| Petty Officer Cook | ||||||
| Hardy, George Frederick |
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| Stoker 1st Class | ||||||
| Jackson, Peter George William |
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| Telegraphist | ||||||
| Jury, Archie Edward |
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| Leading Stoker | ||||||
| Kelly, Daniel |
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| Stoker 1st Class | ||||||
| Lavender, Fred |
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| Stoker 1st Class | ||||||
| Loose, Douglas Edwin Alfred |
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| Engine Room Artificer 4th Class | ||||||
| Lowin, Ernest Thomas Joseph |
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| Leading Seaman | ||||||
| Meek, Joseph Anthony |
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| Able Seaman | ||||||
| Morrison, John |
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| Stoker 1st Class | ||||||
| Neel-Wall, Michael Neel |
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| Lieutenant | ||||||
| Parsons, George Emmanuel Henry |
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| Leading Cook | ||||||
| Pritchard, Hugh |
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| Able Seaman | ||||||
| Rear, Frederick |
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| Stoker 1st Class | ||||||
| Sanders, John Alfred |
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| Petty Officer Telegraphist | ||||||
| Shipley, Edward |
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| Leading Steward | ||||||
| Spowart, Albert |
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| Chief Stoker | ||||||
| Stevens, Frederick Arthur |
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| Chief Engine Room Artificer | ||||||
| Waddell, Christopher McTaggart |
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| Leading Stoker | ||||||
| Wainwright, Reginald John |
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| Stoker Petty Officer | ||||||
| Waters, Christopher Paul |
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| Able Seaman | ||||||
| Waugh, Andrew |
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| Able Seaman | ||||||
| Whitfield, Harry Cromwell |
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| Able Seaman | ||||||
| Williams, David Isaac |
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| Able Seaman | ||||||
| Winter, John Leslie |
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| Able Seaman | ||||||
| Worth, Alan George |
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| Able Seaman | ||||||
| 06-01-1940 | Laid Down |
| 10-06-1941 | Launched |
| 06-12-1941 | Completed |
| 13-02-1942 | Lost HMS Tempest sailed from Malta on the night of 10th Feb 1942 to patrol the Gulf of Taranto. On the evening of the 11th, Tempest was signalled that the Italians were aware of a submarine in her vicinity and that it should be assumed that her patrol had been compromised. At 03:02 on the 13th, the Italian destroyer Circe sighted the submarine on the surface. Tempest had also seen the destroyer and began to dive. Circe moved in to attack , and at 03:32 began depth charging the area. At 07:16 Circe still in contact with the Tempest began a second attack, resulting in oil being seen on the surface. The submarine had been crippled. At 09:45 Tempest returned to the surface to be met with gunfire from the Circe. The order was given to abandon the submarine, the crew being picked up by the destroyer. The Italians attempted to board the abandoned vessel but were held back by rough seas. By 13:00 the submarine had settled in the water and the demolition charges set by the crew had failed. With boarding of the submarine impossible due to bad weather, the Italian destroyer opened fire and, although more than a dozen direct hits were recorded the submarine refused to sink. Finally the Italians attempted to take the submarine in tow. Two members of the destroyers crew boarded her and prepared the tow. As Circe Manoeuvered to take up the tow, Tempest suddenly started to sink, forcing those on board to jump into the sea. HMS Tempest slipped beneath the waves stern first with the bows disappearing vertically. |
| Length overall | 275 ft |
| Beam | 26 ft 6 inch |
| Depth | 14 ft 3 inch |
| Displacement | 1327 tons (surface) |
| 1575 tons (submerged) | |
| Diving Depth | 300 ft |
| Speed | Surface 15.25 knots (design) |
| Surface 15.25 knots (service) | |
| Submerged 9 knots (design) | |
| Submerged 8.75 knots (service) | |
| No. of shafts | 2 |
| Endurance | Surface: 7500 miles at 15.25 knots (design) |
| (ii) Surface: 8000 miles at 10 knots (service) | |
| Submerged: 80 miles at 4 knots (design) | |
| Submerged: 80 miles at 4 knots (service) | |
| Armament | (i) 8 x 21 inch bow tubes (2 external) |
| 2 x 21 inch amidship tubes | |
| (16 torpedoes carried) | |
| 1 x 4 inch gun | |
| (ii) 0.303 inch machine-guns | |
| Complement | 56 |
| Notes | (i) As an alternative load, Group 1 submarines could carry 18 mines. |
| (ii) These were later replaced by, or supplemented by one 20mm Oerlikon cannon. |
| Class: | 1970 - 1990: Churchill Class |
| Built By: | Cammell Laird (Mersey) |
| Build Group: | SSN 3 |
| Fate: | |
| Paid off at Devonport on 2nd August 1990. Now sitting in 3 Basin at Devonport awaiting decommissioning | |
The story of HM Submarine Upholder, ordered just days before the Second World War started.
Serving with the 10th Submarine Flotilla, she was commanded by David Wanklyn VC. One of the most successful British submarines of World War Two, sinking two destroyers, three submarines, three transports, ten merchant ships, two tankers and one trawler, totalling 128,353 tons of shipping.
Upholder sailed out of Grand Harbour, Valetta, in Malta in April 1942, never to be seen again, and is believed sunk off the Lybian coast, near Tripoli.
12 pages added or updated in the last Array month
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| Length overall | 275 ft |
| Beam | 26 ft 6 inch |
| Depth | 14 ft 3 inch |
| Displacement | 1327 tons (surface) |
| 1575 tons (submerged) | |
| Diving Depth | 300 ft |
| Speed | Surface 15.25 knots (design) |
| Surface 15.25 knots (service) | |
| Submerged 9 knots (design) | |
| Submerged 8.75 knots (service) | |
| No. of shafts | 2 |
| Endurance | Surface: 7500 miles at 15.25 knots (design) |
| (ii) Surface: 8000 miles at 10 knots (service) | |
| Submerged: 80 miles at 4 knots (design) | |
| Submerged: 80 miles at 4 knots (service) | |
| Armament | (i) 8 x 21 inch bow tubes (2 external) |
| 2 x 21 inch amidship tubes | |
| (16 torpedoes carried) | |
| 1 x 4 inch gun | |
| (ii) 0.303 inch machine-guns | |
| Complement | 56 |
| Notes | (i) As an alternative load, Group 1 submarines could carry 18 mines. |
| (ii) These were later replaced by, or supplemented by one 20mm Oerlikon cannon. |
| Class: | 1970 - 1990: Churchill Class |
| Built By: | Cammell Laird (Mersey) |
| Build Group: | SSN 3 |
| Fate: | |
| Paid off at Devonport on 2nd August 1990. Now sitting in 3 Basin at Devonport awaiting decommissioning | |
The story of HM Submarine Upholder, ordered just days before the Second World War started.
Serving with the 10th Submarine Flotilla, she was commanded by David Wanklyn VC. One of the most successful British submarines of World War Two, sinking two destroyers, three submarines, three transports, ten merchant ships, two tankers and one trawler, totalling 128,353 tons of shipping.
Upholder sailed out of Grand Harbour, Valetta, in Malta in April 1942, never to be seen again, and is believed sunk off the Lybian coast, near Tripoli.
12 pages added or updated in the last Array month
Please help to maintain this site by reporting any Errors, Broken Links, Information or Site Issues on this page using this button
If you find this site useful, please consider supporting my work with a small Donation.
Please Note: Donations made using this option go directly to the site owner and not to the Submariners Association.
Thankyou for your support.
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