British Submarines of World War Two - Part 32

Vineyard to Vulpine
Page last Updated:
14-Dec-2007

Name Class Pennant Crew Built Builder Disposal Date Method

Vineyard

FS Doris
V P84
37 8-May-44 Vickers Armstrong Barrow 01-Jun-50 Scrap
1 Aug 44, transferred to the Free French and named Doris 44-46. Returned to Britain Sept 46. Broken up at Charlestown, Fife.

Virtue
V P75 37 29-Nov-43 Vickers Armstrong Barrow 19-May-46 Scrap
To the Med, Lt. R.D. Cairns, DSC, RN.
26 Jul 44 attacked but missed the German sailing vessel Doxa (504 GRT) off Suda Bay, Crete.
29 Jul 44 attacked a German sailing vessel with torpedoes and gunfire 13 nm SSW of Milos, Greece but failed to sink it.
30 Jul 44 torpedoed but missed the small German merchant Dresden (120 GRT) east of Ananes Island, Greece.
16 Aug 44 sank three sailing vessels by gunfire and ramming, 9 miles south of Milos, Greece.
19 Aug 44 sank a sailing vessel with gunfire south of Milos Island, Greece.
21 Aug 44 sank two sailing vessels with gunfire off Cape Spatha, Crete, Greece.
12 Sep 44 attacked but missed an auxiliary patrol vessel north-west of Psathoura Island, Greece.
13 Sep 44 attacked but missed the German auxiliary netlayer Piräus (670 GRT) in the Skiathos Channel, Greece.
9 Oct 44 sank the Greek sailing vessel Aghios Matthaios (35 GRT) with gunfire west of Cape Stavros, Crete, 35º25'N, 24º57'E.
10 Oct 44 while operating off Crete, sank the Greek sailing vessel Sophia (150 GRT) with gunfire, 35º31'N, 25º12'E, and the Greek sailing vessel Aghia Anna (50 GRT) with gunfire, 35º32'N, 25º03'E.
11 Oct 44 sank a watercarrier and two smaller vessels with gunfire off Cape Dhia, Crete, Greece.
To the Far East early 1945. Scrapped in Cochin, India (a career of only 2 years and 5 months!)

Virulent
HHMS Argonaftis
V P95
37 23-May-44 Vickers Armstrong Tyne 01-Apr-61 Scrap
Lt. S.J. Fovargue, RN, 15 May 1944 - 19 March 1945; Lt. F.E. Ashmead-Bartlett, RN, 19 March 1945 - May 46(?). Became the Greek Argonaftis from May 46. Returned to RN 3-Oct-58. Broke adrift from tow from Malta to the Tyne, 15-Dec-58. Towed into Pasajes, Spain, by fishing boats, 6-Jan-59. Sold to Spanish shipbreakers 1961 and broken up April 1961.

Virulent at Malta in 1945 - Click on picture for larger version

Visigoth
V P76 37 30-Nov-43 Vickers Armstrong Barrow 01-Apr-50 Scrap
Lt. J.R.H. Haddow, DSC, RN, 15 Jan 1944 - Feb 1945; Lt. C.H. Hammer, RN, from Feb 1945. 3rd Flotilla Holy Loch, then Med. 24 Sep 44 damaged two sailing vessels with gunfire in Strati harbour, Crete, Greece; then Eastern Fleet 1945. Broken up at Hayle, Cornwall.

Vitality
U2 P58 33 08-Dec-42 Vickers Armstrong Tyne 01-Feb-46 Scrap

Launched as Untamed. Lt. Gordon Maurice Noll, RN 1 February 1943 - 14 April 1943. Foundered in Clyde 30 May 43 during training with the 84th Escort Group on 30 May 1943. The entire crew was lost with the ship. She was salvaged on 5 July 1943, refitted and renamed HMS Vitality. She was back in service in July 1944. COs Lt. K.S. Renshaw, DSC, RNR 15 March 1944 - 13 February 1945, then Lt. W.T.J. Fox, RN.
HMS Vitality was sold to be broken up on 13 Feb 1946. Scrapped at Troon.

Vivid
V P77 37 01-Sep-43 Vickers Armstrong Tyne 01-Oct-50 Scrap
Lt. John C Varley, RN 25 October 1943 - February 1945; Lt. David S Brown, RNVR February 1945 - 30 April 1945; Lt. John Cromwell Varley, DSC, RN 30 April 1945 - end of war. Mediterranean. Patrols in the Aegean:
9 Jun 44 torpedoed and sank the German merchant Tanais (1545 GRT) off Crete, 35º35'N, 25º11'E.
14 Jun 44 attacked the small German merchant Anita with gunfire south-west of Kos, Greece.
14 Jul 44 torpedoed and sank the German merchant Suzanne (552 GRT, former Spanish San Juan) off the Gulf of Korinth.
19 Jul 44 sank a Greek fishing vessel with gunfire off Santorini Island, Greece.
21 Jul 44 sank a sailing vessel with gunfire off Monemvassia, Greece.
22 Jul 44 torpedoed and sank the German guardboat GA 71/Pétrel VI north of Suda Bay, Crete, Greece.
11 Aug 44 attacked but missed the small German merchant Toni (638 GRT, former Greek Thalia) between Milos and Suda Bay, 36º01'N, 24º05'E.
8 Oct 44 torpedoed and sank the German merchant Achilles (1150 BRT) north-west of Chios Island, Greece. She also sank the German tugs Horst and Paul with gunfire. Deployed to the Far East in early 1945.
22 Jun 45 sank a Japanese sailing vessel with gunfire in the Strait of Malacca.
Broken up at Faslane.

Volatile
HHMS Triaina
V
37 01-Jun-44 Vickers Armstrong Tyne 23-Dec-58 Scrap
Lt. F.R. Lawrence, RN, 15 August 1944 - 22 September 1945; Lt. Denis Woolnough Mills, DSC, RN from 22 September 1945. Greek Triaina May 46 to Oct 58. Broken up at Dunston on Tyne.

Volatile and Virulent at Malta in 1945. Click for bigger version

Voracious
V P78 37 01-Nov-43 Vickers Armstrong Tyne 01-May-46 Scrap
Lt. F.D.G. Challis, DSC, RN, 15 January 1944 - 14 May 1945; Lt. Donald R. Wilson, DSC, RANVR, 14 May 1945 to end of war. Mediterranean August 1944 to November 1944. Two war patrols and two unsuccessful torpedo attacks on enemy shipping -
15 Sep 44 attacked but missed the German auxiliary submarine chaser UJ 2110 5 nm north of Skopelos Island, Greece.
17 Sep 44 attacked but missed a merchant ship in the Skopelos Channel, Greece.
Sailed from Malta on 21 Nov 44, headed for Fremantle. (Lt.) John Harvey Jones (later chairman of ICI) was XO. Struck a submerged wreck whilst exercising off Sydney on 13 Apr 45. On 23 Jan 46 she sailed Sydney en route westbound for the United Kingdom but was sold for scrap in May 1956 at Cochin, India.

Vortex

FS Morse
HDMS Saelen
V P87
37 19-Aug-44 Vickers Armstrong Barrow 01-Aug-58 Scrap

1 Dec 44, transferred to the Free French as Morse 44-47, returned to Britain Sept 46, then transferred to the Danish Navy as Saelen (pictured below) from 1947 to 1958. Broken up at Faslane.

Votary

HNoMS Uthaug
V P29
37 21-Aug-44 Vickers Armstrong Newcastle Scrap

Lt. P.M. Staveley, RN, 12 Sep 44 to end of war(?). Transferred to the Norwegian Navy in July 1946 and renamed Uthaug. Broken up at Faslane.

Vox (i)

FS Curie
HMS Vox
U2 P67 33 23-Jan-43 Vickers Armstrong Barrow 01-May-49 Scrap
On completion, 2 May 1943, became French Curie 43-46. 2 Oct 44, Curie torpedoed and sank the German merchant Zar Ferdinand (1994 GRT) north-west of Skiathos Island, Greece, 39º20'N, 23º20'E.
3 Oct 44 Curie torpedoed and sank the German guardboat GM 03/Netzleger XII (125 GRT) off Skiathos Island, Greece. July 1946 returned RN and named Vox (P67) replacing its own replacement (see next boat). 2-May-49 broken up at Milford Haven.
Curie
as FS Curie, later HMS/M Vox

Vox (ii)
V P73 37 28-Sep-43 Vickers Armstrong Barrow 01-May-46 Scrap
Lt. J.M. Michell, RN.
3 Jul 44 sank two sailing vessels with gunfire off Monemvassia, Greece.
4 Jul 44 torpedoed and sank a German sailing vessel off Santorini Island, Greece.
10 Jul 44 torpedoed and sank the German collier Anita (1165 GRT, former Italian Arezzo) between Andros and Tinos Islands, Greece, 37º53'N, 25º01'E.
1 Aug 44 claimed the sinking of a sailing vessel with gunfire south of Santorini Island, Greece.
3 Aug 44 attacked but missed an enemy auxiliary patrol vessel south of Santorini Island, Greece.
4 Aug 44 torpedoed and sank the German guardboat GK 61/Pétrel 8 (75 tons) and the German sailing vessels Thetis and SA 83 north of Iraklion, Crete, 35º52'N, 25º15'E.
9 Aug 44 claimed damage to a small German merchant with gunfire off Candia, Crete, Greece.
31 Aug 44 sank a sailing vessel with gunfire off Crete, 35º29'N, 25º11'E.
24 Sep 44 sank a sailing vessel with gunfire about 15 nm south of the Kassandra Peninsula, Greece, 39º44'N, 23º30'E.
25 Sep 44 sank the Greek sailing vessel Vol (54 GRT) with gunfire about 12 nm south-east of Ayiokambos, Larisis, Greece, 39º34'N, 23º04'E. Operated in Far East 1945. Scrapped in Cochin, India.

Vulpine

HDMS Storen
V P79 37 28-Dec-43 Vickers Armstrong Tyne 01-Apr-59 Scrap
T/lt. Paul S. Thirsk, DSC, RNR, 15 Feb 44 - 21 Mar 45; T/Lt. W.D. Scott, RNR, 21 Mar 45 - 16 Jun 45; Lt. M.R.R. Kirkwood, RN, 16 Jun 45 to end of war. Initially 3rd Flotilla at Holy Loch. Fitted with dummy 'schnorkel' in 1944 - for training RAF crews. Danish Storen 47-58 (as pictured below). Broken up at Faslane.

Vagabond to Viking X-3 to X-25