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

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

Official
T 1 Specification
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)
  Submerged8.75 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 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  (peacetime) 5 Officers and 51 Ratings
  (wartime) 6 Officers and 56 Ratings
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
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