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
|
| Died: 25-12-1942 | |||||
| Allen, William Albert D/SKX 374 | |||||
| Stoker 2nd Class | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 21 | |||
| Andrew, Thomas D/KX 118482 | |||||
| Stoker 1st Class | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 22 | |||
| Baddeley, Clifford P/SSX 20694 | |||||
| Signalman | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 22 | |||
| Barber, Frederick Henry P/J 97480 | |||||
| Chief Petty Officer | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 38 | |||
| Barton, Michael Edward D/SSX 28256 | |||||
| Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 21 | ||||
| Brookling, Malcolm D/JX 140910 | |||||
| Petty Officer Telegraphist | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 25 | |||
| Browning, John P/MX 45271 | |||||
| Chief Engine Room Artificer | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 32 | |||
| Bryson, Esme Howard D/JX 154530 | |||||
| Telegraphist | Born: 19-05-1921 | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 21 | ||
| Butler, Cyril William C/J 109352 | |||||
| Petty Officer | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 34 | |||
| Byrne, Bernard Randall C/JX 131373 | |||||
| Able Seaman | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 30 | |||
| Caddy, Peter | |||||
| Lieutenant | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 20 | |||
| Comfort, Arthur P/KX 94774 | |||||
| Leading Stoker | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 38 | |||
| Also had service numbers J103531 and K60204. | |||||
| Day, Thomas Henry D/JX 203059 | |||||
| Able Seaman | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 24 | |||
| Dudgeon, Ernest C/MX 76016 | |||||
| Engine Room Artificer 4th Class | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 22 | |||
| Faber, Michael Elliot | |||||
| Lieutenant | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 28 | |||
| Finlayson, Albert Edward C/KX 82465 | |||||
| Petty Officer Stoker | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 28 | |||
| Furlong, Thomas Edward P/MX 59023 | |||||
| Engine Room Artificer 4th Class | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 22 | |||
| Gunn, Robert Reginald D/KX 133727 | |||||
| Stoker 1st Class | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 20 | |||
| Heywood, Arthur Richard D/JX 192786 | |||||
| Able Seaman | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 24 | |||
| Howard, John Edward P/JX 144086 | |||||
| Leading Seaman | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 22 | |||
| Ingram, Frederick George C/JX 179129 | |||||
| Leading Seaman | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 24 | |||
| John, William Martin D/JX 156509 | |||||
| Telegraphist | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 21 | |||
| Keyte, Joseph Peter C/JX 300966 | |||||
| Able Seaman | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 20 | |||
| Lawson, Austin Louis John P/K 65052 | |||||
| Leading Stoker | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 39 | |||
| McBeth, James Duncan C/KX 102752 | |||||
| Leading Stoker | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 24 | |||
| McIntosh, Alexander Forsyth P/JX 263547 | |||||
| Able Seaman | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 20 | |||
| McLaren, William P/SSX 22585 | |||||
| Leading Seaman | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 23 | |||
| Mealyou, Alexander Reid D/JX 223636 | |||||
| Able Seaman | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 22 | |||
| Mellhuish, Reginald Thomas William D/JX 204404 | |||||
| Able Seaman | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 22 | |||
| Orton, Michael Swaffield | |||||
| Sub Lieutenant | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 23 | |||
| Pearce, Alexander Jack C/JX 134364 | |||||
| Leading Seaman | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 28 | |||
| Scarlett, Leslie Arthur P/JX 158661 | |||||
| Telegraphist | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 19 | |||
| Spring Rice, Stephen Edward | |||||
| Lieutenant | Died: 25-12-1942 | Aged: 22 | |||
| Williams, Charles Denis D/SSX 36520 | |||||
| Able Seaman | Died: 25-12-1942 | 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 4, 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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