July 19th - On This Date - RN Submarine Service

1909	C30	Submarine HMS C30 launched
1928	Medway	Depot Ship HMS Medway launched
1940	P611	Submarine HMS P611 launched
1940	Umbra	Submarine HMS Umbra laid down
1943	Veldt	Submarine HMS Veldt launched
1941	HMS Umpire	HMS Umpire left Chatham on 19th July 1941 bound for the Clyde prior to joining the 3rd Submarine Flotilla at Dunoon. Having stopped over night at Sheerness she joined up with a northbound convoy, although she was not part of the convoy escort. Umpire developed mechanical problems and began to fall behind the convoy which was kept informed of the submarines progress by radio. At midnight the northbound convoy passed a southbound convoy as expected but Umpire following behind was surprised to see the convoys pass starboard to starboard rather than the normal port to port. Umpire altered her course to port as the first few vessels passed to Umpire's starboard side but the trawler Peter Hendriks remained on a collision course. As the two vessels came together a gash was torn in Umpire's side sending her to the bottom. 22 of her crew went down with the ship
1941	HMS Tuna	HMS Tuna fires 6 torpedoes at the German tanker Benno escorted by the German minesweepers M 18, M 25, M 27 and M 30 60 nautical miles north-west of the Gironde estuary. Although six detanations were heard all torpedoes missed their target.
1943	HMS Safari	HMS Safari sinks the German barges Maria, Paula and the Italian armed yacht Margherita with gunfire in the port of Favone, Corsica, France.
1943	HMS Sickle	HMS Sickle sinks the Italian auxiliary minesweeper V 131/Amgiola Maria C. with gunfire off Porto Vecchio, Italy.
1943	HMS Unshaken	Near Malta HMS Unshaken is missed by four torpedoes fired by ORP Dzik. The Poles thought they were attacking an enemy submarine, luckily the torpedoes missed.
1944	HMS Vampire	While on patrol off Milos, Greece HMS Vampire fires four torpedoes at the German merchant Pelikan and the German torpedo boat TA 19. All torpedoes miss.
1944	HMS Vivid	HMS Vivid sinks a Greek fishing vessel with gunfire off Santorini Island, Greece.
1945	HMS Thule	HMS Thule sinks a Japanese coaster with gunfire of the north coast of Java, Netherlands East Indies.

SAB