December 14th - On This Date - RN Submarine Service

1906	C16	Submarine HMS C16 laid down
1911	D7	Submarine HMS D7 completed
1912	E14	Submarine HMS E14 laid down
1916	E49	Submarine HMS E49 completed
1943	Scorcher	Submarine HMS Scorcher laid down
1918	HMCS CC-2	HMCS CC-2 paid off
1939	HMS Ursula	HMS Ursula was on patrol in the estuary of the Elbe and through her periscope her captain, Lt Cdr GC Phillips, sighted a German K?ln-class cruiser, the Leipzig, escorted by six destroyers. Though the waters of the Elbe estuary are shallow and to dive deep is a dangerous undertaking involving the risk of getting stuck on a sandbank, Phillips had either to take the risk or to miss his attack. His decision was instantaneous and he took the Ursula down to dive beneath the destroyer screen and get within range of the cruiser. They were anxious moments, but fortunately the depth of water was just enough. On coming up again to periscope depth, Phillips found himself within point-blank range of the cruiser. He fired a salvo of six torpedoes and the two resulting explosions were so close that the Ursula herself was badly shaken. A quick glance through the periscope showed no sign of the cruiser that had been attacked, but it did reveal four of her escorting destroyers closing in at high speed to attack. One small escort, F9, had been hit and was sinking. Once again, risking the sandbanks, the Ursula went deep and by skillful manipulation of his boat, Phillips managed to evade the inevitable depth charges. Of the cruiser, Leipzig, no further trace was ever seen, but when Phillips brought the Ursula back to look for evidence, two of the destroyers were still in the area and engaged, apparently, in a search for survivors. Phillips was awarded the DSO and promoted
1940	Naiade	Italian submarine Naiade is sunk off Bardia by HMS Hereward and HMS Hyperion
1941	Urge	HMS Urge torpedoes and damages the Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto about 10 nautical miles west-south-west of Capo dell'Armi in position 37`52'N 15`30'E. Urge had fired at two Battleships (the other was the LITTORIO) and had claimed two hits and one possible hit but the VITTORIO VENETO was definitely damaged by one torpedo.
1942	HMS Sahib	HMS Sahib torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Honestas about 30 nautical miles north-north-west of Cape Bon, Tunisia.
1942	HMS Taku	HMS Taku torpedoes and sinks the Italian tanker Delfin in the Aegean Sea about 5 nautical miles north of Macrosini island, Greece
1942	Unruffled	HMS Unruffled torpedoes and sinks the Italian tanker Castelverde about 30 nautical miles north-north-west of Cape Bon, Tunisia.
1943	Untiring	HMS Untiring torpedoes and sinks the German netlayer Netztender 44/Prudente in Monaco harbour.
1944	HMS Shalimar	HMS Shalimar sinks the Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Choun Maru No.7 with gunfire off Belawan, Sumatra, Netherlands East Indies.
1944	HMS Spiteful	HMS Spiteful sinks a Japanese vessel with gunfire in Macassar Strait.
1955	HMS Tradewind	Scrapped at Charlestown