January 26th - On This Date - RN Submarine Service

1918	L5	Submarine HMS L5 launched
1932	Thames	Submarine HMS Thames launched
1962	Osiris	Submarine HMS Osiris laid down
1932	HMS M2	Foundered due to a leak in the hangar door on 26th January 1932 At 9 o’clock on the morning of 26th January 1932 HMS M2 left Portland to take part in routine exercises. At 1011 she signalled her intention to dive at 1030. This was the last communication with the submarine. The loss of radio communication did not cause any consternation until M2 failed to return to port as expected at 1615. Search vessels were dispatched but there was no sign of the submarine or her crew. No explanation could be found for her loss until the Admiralty received a report from the captain of the coaster Tynesider which reported seeing a submarine diving stern first off Portland. This had caused the Captain some anxiety but he thought he saw the same submarine a short time later. M2’s exact position remained a mystery for a week until the Destroyer Torrid picked up sonar sounds that indicated a sunken submarine; divers confirmed this to be M2 lying with her stern in the sand at a depth of 90ft Two bodies were recovered from the wreck during the next week. A number of attempts were made to raise the vessel but all failed.
1941	Cachalot	HMS Cachalot lays minefield FD 28 (50 mines) off Bud, Norway.
1943	Unruffled	HMS Unruffled sinks the Italian naval auxiliary Z 90/Redentore with gunfire 4 nautical miles off Hammamet, Tunisia
1944	HMS Stubborn	HMS Stubborn fires four torpedoes during an unsuccesful attack on a German convoy off the Follafjord, west of Namsos, Norway.
1944	HMS Torbay	HMS Torbay fires 5 torpedoes against the German merchant Leda south of Amorgos Island, Greece. All torpedoes missed.

SAB