HMS/M Upright

The 'U' (Unity) class boat Ursula, similar to Upright.

Another submarine of the 10th Flotilla, based at Lazaretto, Malta, Upright, commanded by Lt. J Wraith - the father of my CO on the Cachalot 1974-5 - was on patrol off Capo Dell' Armi, between mainland Italy and Sicily, less than a mile off shore. She was at periscope depth in a calm and empty sea.

The hydrophone operator reported approaching propellers and, over the horizon, came a strange procession. For a while, Wraith could not make it out, but at last it resolved itself into two tugs, towing a large floating dock. Three destroyers were escorting the slow-moving tow, while aircraft circled overhead.

The convoy slowly advanced at about three knots and Wraith watched it for over half an hour through the periscope and leisurely set about taking up his firing position. There were two dangers. The first was that the patrolling aircraft might make out the shape of the Upright in the calm, clear water. The other was that the escort might pick up the submarine before the target got close enough.

Once in his firing position, Wraith reckoned that he had to wait at least half an hour before the tugs could bring the dock up to his position. With periscope down, Upright lay still in the water, her crew hoping that the aircraft would not spot her.

Wraith raised his periscope and adjusted it to the correct angle. Slowly the tugs passed across the sights. Behind them there was a long length of towing hawser before the dock could arrive. It seemed an age before the dock was lined up. A salvo of torpedoes sped through the water and the Upright went deep. The sound of the exploding torpedoes mingled with those of the depth charges as the destroyers raced in to the attack. The Upright was hard hunted, but a layer in the sea of almost fresh water saved her by sending her down to an extreme depth. Trimmed for seawater, she was several tons too heavy in fresh, and was already at a dangerous depth when the depth charges exploded. They were set for normal depths, and so exploded well above the submarine and caused no damage. The floating dock broke up and sank.