HMS/M Turbulent

Turbulent's crew with their Jolly Roger at Algiers, Feb 1943.

Turbulent's great successes are shown on the flag, with additional symbols for train-wrecking activities on Italy's Adriatic coast and a bombardment of a German lorry-park in North Africa. Just over a month after this photograph was taken, Turbulent failed to return from patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Turbulent, under the command of Lt. Cdr. John W. ("Tubby") Linton, had a run of success before she fell a victim to Italian anti-submarine measures.

On one occasion she closed the Libyan coast and surfaced within range of the shore batteries to bombard her target, a large motor transport park crowded with German lorries which had just been landed.

As the Turbulent came up, her gun's crews opened fire and within a minute or two the lorries were blazing furiously. The shore gunners were slow in manning their guns and before they could fire a first shot in reply the damage was almost complete. The Turbulent dived as the enemy opened fire and made her way unmolested to the open sea, leaving behind her a huge waste of burnt-out lorries and precious petrol.

Linton was a master of submarine attack and it was very rare that a ship ever got away from him. On one occasion he wiped out a complete convoy, together with its escorting destroyer. The convoy, which consisted of four supply ships and an escort of one destroyer and two patrol craft, was in sight of its port of destination and had relaxed the usual anti-submarine precautions. Linton had sighted it at long range and had plenty of time to get to the ideal firing position. Once there, he lay in wait while the ships steamed up towards him. He could hardly miss.

As they came within range, he started a slow turn towards them to bring his sights on. As each ship came into his periscope, he fired. Five torpedoes were expended, five ships were hit. Within a few minutes all had gone under, only the two small patrol craft escaping the holocaust. They made off, not even attempting to counter-attack or to pick up survivors before they left the scene.

In May 1942 a smaller convoy suffered a similar fate. It was midnight, under a moon, and Linton closed in to his firing position to attack two supply ships, escorted by two destroyers, from a range of about 200 yards. One of the supply ships and one destroyer went down at once and the second supply ship was burning furiously. As Linton was in the act of turning in an attempt to torpedo the other destroyer, the burning ship exploded. The other destroyer had had enough and, dropping a few depth charges at random, made good her escape before Linton could get off an attack.

The sight of a submarine surfacing nearby was often enough to empty a ship of her crew before a shot was fired. The Turbulent herself had many such encounters, and from one of them was fortunate to escape. She came up with a 7,000 ton ship off Tripoli, and as she was flying the Italian naval ensign, she was obviously something of importance. Linton surfaced the Turbulent close to her and through his glasses watched the panic on board. The entire crew took to the boats and rowed away, leaving the vessel undamaged. It was out of the question to put a prize crew on board, so the only thing was to sink her by gunfire. The first few shots set her blazing, and in a minute or two she went up with a huge explosion, almost disintegrating in the water. The air was full of flying debris and a large piece of steel plating, twelve foot log, came down on to the pressure hull of the Turbulent, being embedded on the starboard side. Before the submarine could dive again, it had to be removed and the hole plugged. Like many others, the Turbulent failed, in the end, to return from one of her patrols and Linton was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. See also Gwent Community web

Commendation of Admiral Cunningham

Commander Linton has been in command of submarines throughout the War. He has been responsible for the destruction of 1 cruiser, 1 destroyer, 20 merchant vessels, 6 schooners and 2 trains. A total of 81,000 tons of enemy shipping sunk. From 1st January, 1942 to 1st January, 1943 he spent 254 days at sea including 2,970 hours diving. During this period he was hunted 13 times and had 250 depth charges dropped on him. His career has been one of conspicuous gallantry and extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy and I submit his name for the award of the Victoria Cross. H.M. Submarine [Turbulent] did not return from her last patrol and I regret I have no evidence that Commander Linton and his gallant company have survived.

Commander J. ("Tubby") Linton, VC, of Turbulent, (right),
with Lt Arthur Pitt, CO of Taku.

The superb memorial to a submarine hero, at neport, Gwent, Wales - close=up below