P 48
| Built By: | Vickers (Barrow) |
| Build Group: | U2 |
| Fate: | Submarine P48 was most likely sunk on 25th December 1942 in the Gulf of Tunis in position 37°15'N, 10°30'E by depth charge attack by the Italian torpedo boat Ardente north-west of Zembra Island |
U-Class P48 at Barrow in 1942
Commanders
| 1942: | Lieutenant | Michael Elliot Faber |
1942: 10th Flotilla. Malta.
Carried out three patrols from Malta in 1942.
Roll of Honour |
34
|
| Allen, William Albert D/SKX 374 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Stoker 2nd Class | Aged: 21 | ||
| Andrew, Thomas D/KX 118482 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Stoker 1st Class | Aged: 22 | ||
| Baddeley, Clifford P/SSX 20694 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Signalman | Aged: 22 | ||
| Barber, Frederick Henry P/J 97480 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Chief Petty Officer | Aged: 38 | ||
| Barton, Michael Edward D/SSX 28256 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Aged: 21 | |||
| Brookling, Malcolm D/JX 140910 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Petty Officer Telegraphist | Aged: 25 | ||
| Browning, John P/MX 45271 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Chief Engine Room Artificer | Aged: 32 | ||
| Bryson, Esme Howard D/JX 154530 | Born: 19th May, 1921. | ||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Telegraphist | Aged: 21 | ||
| Butler, Cyril William C/J 109352 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Petty Officer | Aged: 34 | ||
| Byrne, Bernard Randall C/JX 131373 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Able Seaman | Aged: 30 | ||
| Caddy, Peter | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Lieutenant | Aged: 20 | ||
| Comfort, Arthur P/KX 94774 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Leading Stoker | Aged: 38 | ||
| Also had service numbers J103531 and K60204. | |||
| Day, Thomas Henry D/JX 203059 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Able Seaman | Aged: 24 | ||
| Dudgeon, Ernest C/MX 76016 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Engine Room Artificer 4th Class | Aged: 22 | ||
| Faber, Michael Elliot | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Lieutenant | Aged: 28 | ||
| Finlayson, Albert Edward C/KX 82465 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Petty Officer Stoker | Aged: 28 | ||
| Furlong, Thomas Edward P/MX 59023 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Engine Room Artificer 4th Class | Aged: 22 | ||
| Gunn, Robert Reginald D/KX 133727 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Stoker 1st Class | Aged: 20 | ||
| Heywood, Arthur Richard D/JX 192786 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Able Seaman | Aged: 24 | ||
| Howard, John Edward P/JX 144086 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Leading Seaman | Aged: 22 | ||
| Ingram, Frederick George C/JX 179129 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Leading Seaman | Aged: 24 | ||
| John, William Martin D/JX 156509 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Telegraphist | Aged: 21 | ||
| Keyte, Joseph Peter C/JX 300966 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Able Seaman | Aged: 20 | ||
| Lawson, Austin Louis John P/K 65052 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Leading Stoker | Aged: 39 | ||
| McBeth, James Duncan C/KX 102752 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Leading Stoker | Aged: 24 | ||
| McIntosh, Alexander Forsyth P/JX 263547 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Able Seaman | Aged: 20 | ||
| McLaren, William P/SSX 22585 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Leading Seaman | Aged: 23 | ||
| Mealyou, Alexander Reid D/JX 223636 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Able Seaman | Aged: 22 | ||
| Mellhuish, Reginald Thomas William D/JX 204404 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Able Seaman | Aged: 22 | ||
| Orton, Michael Swaffield | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Sub Lieutenant | Aged: 23 | ||
| Pearce, Alexander Jack C/JX 134364 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Leading Seaman | Aged: 28 | ||
| Scarlett, Leslie Arthur P/JX 158661 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Telegraphist | Aged: 19 | ||
| Spring Rice, Stephen Edward | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Lieutenant | Aged: 22 | ||
| Williams, Charles Denis D/SSX 36520 | |||
| Died: 25th Dec, 1942. | |||
| Able Seaman | Aged: 19 | ||
Events
| 22-08-1941 | Laid Down |
| 15-04-1942 | Launched |
| 18-06-1942 | Completed |
| 25-12-1942 | HMS P48 sailed from Malta on the 23rd December 1942. Two days later she was attacked and sunk through depth charging by the Italian torpedo boat Ardente north west of Zembra Island in the Gulf of Tunis. |
Comments
Comment by: Chris Johnson on February 4th, 2022
My Uncle was Sub Lt Michael Orton on the P48 submarine. He was a twin to his sister Rosemary.
His loss at Christmas 1942 was devastating on his mother, who was also trying to accept the sudden death of her husband only 3 years previously. She was quite ill for a few years from 1943. My mother was the youngest in the family and rarely spoke about him, she had a photo of him beside her bed before she passed away in 2017.
I was in contact with the naval historian Platon Alexiades who kindly gave me copies of the Italian action reports on that final day. Quite a few depth charges were released in two runs by the Italian ships protecting their small convoy. Sadly oil was spotted on the water surface and properly not a deception tactic as the P48 was not heard from again.
The P48's strike record against enemy vessels was poor and it makes you wonder that an element of 'chancing it' in their final action came into play, who knows. The sea depth at the last P48 position is around 450-550 feet giving little chance of being found or survival if they had had major damage.
They are all brave and loyal submariners, doing their duty to the end. Thank you.
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