Undaunted to UnityPage last Updated:
3-Jan-2008
| Name | Class | Pennant | Crew | Built | Builder
| Disposal Date | Method |
Undaunted | U1 | 35N | 33 | 20
Aug 40
|
Vickers Armstrong Barrow | 13-May-41 | War Loss |
| Lt. J.L. Livesay RN. 10th Flotilla, Malta.
Failed to return to Malta on 11-May from patrol off Tripoli, eastern Libya, presumed lost on mines.
Undaunted sailed for her Mediterranean patrol from Malta on 1-May-1941. Ordered to patrol off
Tripoli the submarine failed to return on her due date of 11-May and attempts to contact her failed.
It is believed that she fell victim to the Italian torpedo boat Pegaso which had sailed from
Tripoli on the 12th. At 2030 that evening Pegaso signalled that she had attacked a submarine
with depth charges and that a large patch of oil had been observed, indication of the submarine’s
destruction. Against this theory is the fact that by that date Undaunted should have been back
in harbour but it is possible that a decision to remain at sea for a day had been taken or that
Undaunted may have suffered mechanical problems preventing her return. Italians claim she
was sunk by torpedo boat Pleiade off Tripoli on 13th during attack on Axis supply ship.
Lost with all hands. |
Undine | U1 | 48C, N48 | 27 | 5
Oct 37
|
Vickers Armstrong Barrow | 07-Jan-40 | War Loss |
 (Not fitted with deck gun) Lt. Cdr. A. S.
Jackson RN. Undine was on her fourth war patrol
in Jan-1940 when her asdic failed due to a leak. At 0940 on 7-Jan, Undine sighted what was thought
to be three trawlers 20 miles west of Heligoland, but were in fact German minesweepers. Undine
unsuccessfully attacked the leading vessel; minutes later there was a large explosion followed by
others as the minesweepers opened fire. Undine was at 50 feet and proceeding blind due to
the loss of asdic. After 5 minutes of no further attacks Undine raised her periscope; as
she did so an explosion shook the submarine, blowing her upwards and rendering the hydroplanes
useless. Without the use of the hydroplanes escape would have been impossible and the order to
abandon ship was given. While the crew entered the water, to be picked up by the minesweepers,
demolition charges were set and the submarine scuttled. Sunk in North Sea. 20 miles SW of Heligoland island -
by depth charges of German minesweepers M.1201, 1204 and 1207.
|
Union | U1 | 56N | 33 | 1
Oct 40
| Vickers Armstrong Barrow | 22-Jul-41 | War Loss |
| Lt.
R. M. Galloway RN. 10th Flotilla, Malta. 22
Jun, 1941, torpedoed and sank the Italian
merchant Pietro Querini (1004 GRT) about 30 nautical miles
west-south-west of Lampedusa Island in position 35º17'N, 12º00'E.
Sailed Malta 0100 14-July-41 to intercept a convoy north of Tripoli the following day. Sunk 25 miles
SW of Pantelleria island in Strait of Sicily - by Italian torpedo boat Circe. Attacking Italian
convoy and presumed lost in counter-attack. Reported overdue on 22 Jull 41. |
Unique | U1 | 95N | 33 | 06
Jun 40
| Vickers Armstrong Barrow | 24-Oct-42 | War Loss |
10th Flotilla Malta. 10 Mar, 1941 (Lt. A.F. Collett, RN) torpedoed and sank the Italian passenger/cargo ship Fenicia (2584 GRT)
about 95 nautical miles north-west of Tripoli, Libya in position 34º19'N, 12º40'E.
3 Jun 41, (Lt. F.D.G. Challis, RN) torpedoed and damaged (total loss) the Italian cargo ship Arsia (736 GRT) at Lampedusa harbour.
20 Aug 41 (Lt. A.R. Hezlet, RN) torpedoed and sank the Italian troop tansport Esperia (11398 GRT) 11 nm off Tripoli lighthouse,
Libya in position 33º03'N, 13º03'E.
5 Jan 42 attacked but missed the Italian battleship Littorio in the Gulf of Taranto, 40º07'N, 17º07'E.
After a refit in the U.K. (Lt. Robert Evelyn Boddington, RN) left Holy loch 7 Oct 1942. She was ordered to patrol
in the Bay of Biscay while on passage from Britain to Gibraltar. She left her escorts off Lands End on the 9th and
was not heard from again. The cause of her loss is unknown. She was reported overdue on 24 Oct 1942 when she failed
to arrive at Gibraltar. Cause of loss unknown, but possibly lost around
24 Oct 42, west of Gibraltar; lost with all hands. |
Unison | U2 | P43 | 33 | 05-Nov-41 | Vickers
Armstrong Barrow | 19-May-50 | Scrap | Unofficially known as
'Ulysses' until named Unison.
13 Jun 42, (Lt. A.C. Halliday, RN) fires four torpedoes at the Italian
light cruisers Raimondo Montecuccoli and Emanuelle Filiberto Duca d’Aosta south of Sardinia, Italy. All miss.
17 Aug 42, while on patrol in the Ionian Sea, attacked the Italian merchant Chisone(6168 GRT) off Zante
(Zaknithos), Greece. Torpedoes missed.
21 Aug 42, torpedoed and damaged the Italian tanker Pozarica (7751 GRT) off Sivota, Greece, 38º57'N, 20º24'E.
10 Oct 42, torpedoed and sank the Italian merchant Enrichetta (4652 GRT) about 12 nm west-south-west of
Kyparissia, Greece, 37º11'N, 21º26'E.
16 Nov 42, at 2250 fired four torpedoes but missed a medium-sized tanker east of Isola Marettimo, Italy, 37º57'N, 11º56'E.
8 Feb 43, sank the Italian sailing vessels Luigi Verni (58 GRT), Carlo P. (64 GRT) and
Angela (56 GRT) with gunfire off Al Hammamat, Tunisia. The name Unison was used in that same month, the boat
having just been P43 until then.
11 Feb 43, sank the German coaster Jaedjoer (309 GRT) with gunfire off Ras Mahmur,
Tunisia in position 36º26'N, 10º55'E.
23 Mar 43, torpedoed and sank the
Italian tanker Zeila (1835 GRT) off Cape Spartivento
in position 37º57'N, 16º10'E.
21 Apr 43, torpedoed and sank the
Italian merchant Maria Foscarini (6406 GRT) about 40 nm west of Favignana, Italy, 37º50'N,
11º30'E.
16 Jun 43, torpedoed and sank the
Italian merchant Terni (2998 GRT, former French Azrou)
off Catania, Sicily, Italy.
August 43, fired on by US tanker in error off Bizerta, Med, Aug 1943. causing damage to her pressure hull, although she was able to return to dock under her own power. The
attack killed the Officer of the Watch, and severely injured three other crew members, including her captain.
Became Soviet V3 1944-49.
Scrapped at Stockton May 1950.
|
United | U2 | P44 | 33 | 18-Dec-41 | Vickers
Armstrong Barrow | 01-Feb-46 | Scrap | Lt. T.E. Barlow, RN
18 Aug 42, torpedoed and sank the Italian transport ship Rosolino Pilo (8326 GRT) 50 nm off Pantellaria. The Italian ship had already
been damaged in a previous attack by motor torpedo boats.
17 Sep 42, sank the small Italian merchant Rostro (333 GRT) and the Italian auxiliary submarine chaser V 39/Giovanna (158 GRT)
with gunfire near Misurata, Libya.
1 Oct 42, torpedoed and (furher) damaged the Italian merchant Ravenna (1148 GRT) near Locri, Calabria, Italy.
The Ravenna was already grounded after air attack and a fire on 29 Sept 1942.
19 Oct 42, torpedoed and damaged the Italian tanker Petrarca (3329 GRT) about 20 nm west of Lampedusa Island.
8 Nov 42, attacked, but missed, the Italian light cruiser Attilio Regolo with torpedoes off Capo San Vito, Sicily, 38º15'N, 12º47'E.
The Attilio Regolo had lost her bow due to an attack the previous day by HMS Unruffled.
Lt J Roxburgh. (later
FOSM).
17 Jan 43, Sank Italian destroyer Bombardiere off western Sicily.
14 Jun 43, sank the former Norwegian merchant ship Ringulv, requisitioned by
Germany, in position 37.54N 15.42E.
15 Jul 43, sank Italian
R Class transport submarine Remo (details) Gulf of Taranto during Operation Husky,
the invasion of Sicily. The Remo had only been in service for less
than two weeks, and was in its first operational day.
At around 1830, while the Remo was on the surface off Point
Alice, it was hit by one of four torpedoes launched by United. Hit
amidships,
the Remo sank in a few minutes in position 39°19’N, 17°30’E , 25 miles from the coast. Only four
survived, the three who were on the conning tower (amongst
them the CO, Captain Vassallo), and Sergeant Dario Cortopassi who was able
to come up from the control room.
Broken up at Troon.
Both pictures show United near the end of the war.
|
Unity | U1 | 66C | 27 | 16
Feb 38 | Vickers Armstrong Barrow | 29-Apr-40 | War Loss |
(Not fitted with deck gun) Lt JF Beaufoy-Brown RN, 1939-40;
5 Apr 40, made unsuccessful attack on the
German Type II U-boat U-2 with torpedoes in the North Sea in position 56º03'N, 06º35'E.
Lt. F. J. Brooks. RN (On the first day of his first patrol, on his
first command) was lost in an
accident in the North Sea, while operating out of Blyth. (ack. Ron Biddle). In collision with Norwegian SS
Atle Jarl. At 1730 on 29-April-1940, Unity sailed from Blyth for Norway. The weather
was poor, with visibility down to 300 yards as Unity moved out of the harbour; in the main channel,
where the Norwegian ship Atle Jarl was proceeding
inbound on her way from Methyl, Scotland to the Tyne, visibility was down to 100 yards: Neither vessel was
aware of the other until the submarine spotted the ship at 50 yards and on a collision course.
At 1907 a prolonged blast of a ship’s siren at 50 yards was heard on Unity's
bridge. There was just time to shut the bulkhead doors and order the engines astern before the
Atle Jarl smashed into the submarine. The order to abandon the submarine was given
at 1910 and Unity sank only five minutes after the collision.
The order to abandon the submarine was given at 1910 and most of the
crew made their way topside and were crowded on the bridge.
HMS Unity had taken an angle of 25 degrees and sank within
four-five minutes. Although all the members of HMS Unity, bar the
1st Lt., Lt JNA Low RN and AB Miller, escaped from the stricken vessel,
Leading Seaman James Hare and Stoker 1st Class Cecil Shelton were not
picked up by the crew of the Atle Jarl during the subsequent
search. A subsequent investigation revealed a breakdown in internal
communications between the Submarine and the fact that the Methyl-Tyne
convoy had not been due off Blyth until at approx 1930.
Four men were lost - Leading Seaman James S HARE P/JX 145574; Lieutenant John N A LOW;
Able Seaman Henry J MILLER P/J 55387; and Stoker Cecil SHELTON P/KX 91083.
Lieutenant Low and Able Seaman Miller were the two men on duty in the
submarine control room. When the order to abandon ship was given by
the submarine commander they were instrumental in helping almost every member
of the submarine to escape. Lt John N. A. Low RN
and AB Henry J. Miller were each awarded a posthumous Empire Gallantry
Medal, later (Sept 1940) exchanged by their next-of-kin to the George
Cross.
Note the Unity's early shape of bow, with external tubes.
|
|
Universal to Untamed