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U-Class
coastal submarine ordered with HM Submarine UMPIRE from HM Dockyard,
Chatham on 4th September 1939 and intended to be identified as P32
was laid down on 7th May 1940. This submarine was launched on 10th
June 1941 after delay due to the increased priority given for repair
of ships damaged during operations. Renamed UNA she was 1st RN
warship to carry the name. Build of this new submarine was completed
on 27th September 1941 and she had been commissioned for service
with the 5th Submarine Flotilla during Acceptance Trials. The name is taken from the character ‘Truth’ in
Spenser’s FAERIE QUEEN.
B a t t l e H o n o u r
s
BURMA
1945
(Note : This award is recorded in BATTLE HONOURS
OF THE ROYAL NAVY
as NOT being awarded to this submarine. It is
assumed therefore that it applies
to another vessel deployed in the East Indies in
1945. However no reference can
be found in WAR WITH JAPAN (HMSO) or
THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton.)
Heraldic
Data
Badge : On a Field Blue, a woman Proper habited white resting her
sinister hand
upon a lion statant
guardant Gold.
S u m m m a r y o f W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 4 0
September
Pennant Number for visual signalling purposes changed to
N87.
27th On completion of
Acceptance Trials prepared for service with 8th Submarine
Flotilla based at Gibraltar
Commanding Officer Lieutenant DSR Martin, RN
October
Nominated for Biscay Patrol with HM Submarine P38 and on release to
take
to
passage to join Flotilla.
November
December
4th Commenced
patrol and carried out surveillance of German traffic.
5th On release
took passage to Gibraltar.
1 9 4 2
January.
Deployed in Mediterranean for interception patrol with 8th
Flotilla
Transferred to 10th Submarine Flotilla based in Malta
February
Deployed with 10th Flotilla for support of passage of relief Convoy
MW9 to Malta
with HM Submarine UPHOLDER and P38,.
12th Sank Italian tanker
TRAPANI off Crotone
13th Carried out torpedo
attack off Crotone on Italian tanker LUCANIA which was set on
fire
and later sank
(Note : This vessel had been safe passage and the sinking was
subject to investigation
For details see MALTA CONVOYS by R Woodman and BENEATH
THE
WAVES by AS Evans.)
13th Sank sailing schooner
MARIA IMMACOLATA of 248 tons by surface gunfire.
March
Flotilla duties in continuation
Transferred to 1st Flotilla.
April
During patrol carried out unsuccessful torpedo attack.
to
(Note : Sinking of supply ship off Calabria to be
confirmed.)
May
June
Nominated with HM Submarines PROTEUS, THORN, TAKU, P31, P34 ,
P35,
PORPOISE and THRASHER. for support of passage of relief Convoy
MW11
during passage to Malta from Alexandria.
8th Sailed
from Alexandria to take up station off Taranto to intercept warships
on
passage to attack convoys.
July
Transferred to Haifa with PROTEUS, TURBULENT, TAKU AND TRAVELLER
of 10th Flotilla.
20th Returned to Malta
with submarines of 10th Flotilla.
August
Nominated for support of passage of relief Convoy from
Gibraltar to Malta
(Operation PEDESTAL).
Embarked Commando party for passage to carry out sabotage on
airfield at
Catania in support of safe passage of ships to Malta.
8th
Disembarked party..
(Note : This party was captured on 12th August.)
September
Convoy attack failed.
October
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Norman
3rd Torpedo
attack on ship within harbour at Lampedusa failed.
18th Torpedo attack on
tanker and escort failed.
November
Nominated for support of planned allied landings in North
Africa
(Operation TORCH)
Deployed with HM Submarine UTMOST and set up patrol line
south of Messina Straits to intercept warships n passage to
interfere with
landings in western Mediterranean.
9th On release
from TORCH support took up position with HM Submarine
UTMOST to carry out interception patrol
10th Deployed off Navarino
with HMS UTMOST to attack three warships reported
by air reconnaissance. The attacks were unsuccessful
11th Attack with HM
Submarine URSULA on submarines failed.
November
During Flotilla deployment for attacks on convoys with HM Submarines
P45
UNITED, SERAPH, UTMOST and P219
(Note :Attacks made on 9th and 10th were unsuccessful.)
December
Unsuccessful convoy attack off Martitimo
1 9 4 3
January
Deployed with Flotilla based in Malta.
February
Took part in interception operations against enemy reinforcement
convoys
between Sicily and Tunis or Bizerta.
Carried out torpedo attacks and sank two ships totalling 5,535
tons.
Carried out surface gunfire attacks on two schooners off Hammamet
but
withdrew when under shore battery fire
March
Flotilla duties in continuation at Malta.
Nominated for refit and took passage to UK
(Note : This submarine had carried out seventeen patrols in
Mediterranean.
April
Under refit at Blyth
to
On completion of post refit trials nominated for training duties in
Clyde
August
September
Deployed for anti-submarine training of escort ships.
to
December
1 9 4 4
January
Training deployment in continuation.
to
February
March
Nominated for detached service with Home Fleet for patrols
duties
in North Sea to intercept passage of battleship TIRPITZ from
Norway
to be repaired in Germany.
18th Sailed from Lerwick
with HM Submarines TRUANT, TERRAPIN, STURDY,
SAFARI, UNBENDING, UNBROKEN and Dutch submarine ZEEHUND
to
carry out patrol of Norway.
20th Returned to Lerwick
when requirements for operation were reduced.
April
Resumed training deployment
to
December
1 9 4 5
January
Training duties in continuation.
to
August
P o s t
W a r N o t e s
HMS UNA was
placed in Reserve after the end of hostilities with Japan and
laid-up at Lishally, Ulster. She was placed on the Sales
List in 1949 and sold to BISCO on 11th April for demolition by E
Rees at Llanelly.
The boat arrived at the breaker’s yard in June that
year. |
