Letters

Charles Hughes aged 18 died on the submarine HMS Porpoise

April 19, 2012

Hello

I am trying to find anything about HMS Porpoise which I know was sunk in 1945.

My uncle, Charles Hughes died on the submarine aged 18.

I have found a crew photo and pictures of the submarine via an internet search.

I would be grateful for any info giving me more links.

Many thanks for your help.

Kim Edmonds
kae.new36@gmail.com


Kim,

Some details for you about Porpoise.

http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3412.html

History of HMS Porpoise (N 14)

Submarine of the Porpoise class
Navy: The Royal Navy
Type: Submarine
Class: Porpoise
Pennant: N 14
Built by: Vickers Armstrong (Barrow-in-Furness, U.K.)
Ordered: 11 Jun, 1931
Laid down: 22 Sep, 1931
Launched: 30 Aug, 1932
Commissioned: 11 Mar, 1933
Lost: 19 Jan, 1945
Loss position: ,

History: HMS Porpoise (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Turner, DSC, RN) was
sunk by Japanese aircraft in the Malacca Strait on 19
January 1945.

Noteable events involving Porpoise include:

16 Apr, 1940
HMS Porpoise (Cdr. P.Q. Roberts, RN) fires 6 torpedoes
against the German submarine U-3 about 10 nautical miles
south-west of Egersund, Norway in position 58º18'N,
05º47'E. All torpedoes fired missed their target. Porpoise
is often credited with sinking U-1 but this is incorrect.
(see map)

18 Jun, 1940
The German minesweeper M 5 (682 tons) is sunk north-west
of Kristiansund, Norway in position 63º30'N, 08º09'E when
she hits a mine laid on 14 June 1940 by the British
submarine HMS Porpoise (Cdr. P.Q. Roberts, RN). (see map)

9 Dec, 1941
HMS Porpoise (Cdr. E.F. Pizey, DSO, RN) torpedoes and
heavy damages the Italian passenger / cargo ship
Sebastiano Venier (6311 BRT) about 5 nautical miles south
of Navarino. The damaged ship was grounded and wrecked off
Cape Methene.

The Sebastiano Venier is transporting more then 1800
Allied POW's. Dispite the bad weather almost 1700 of these
are rescued.

11 Jan, 1942
HMS Porpoise (Cdr. E.F. Pizey, DSO, RN) lays 50 mines off
Suda Bay, Crete.

18 Jan, 1942
HMS Porpoise (Cdr. E.F. Pizey, DSO, RN) torpedoes and
sinks the Italian merchant Citta di Livorno (2471 GRT)
about 15 nautical miles north-east of Cape Maleka, Crete
in position 35º42'N, 24º24'E. (see map)

12 Aug, 1942
HMS Porpoise (Lt. L.W.A. Bennington, DSC, RN) lays a
minefield off Ras el Tin, Libya.

Porpoise also torpedoes and sinks the Italian transport
Ogaden (4553 GRT) 9 nautical miles bearing 308 from Ras el
Tin, Libya. The escorting Italian torpedo boat Montanari
was missed.

15 Aug, 1942
HMS Porpoise (Lt. L.W.A. Bennington, DSC, RN) torpedoes
and sinks the Italian merchant Lerici (6070 GRT) about 120
nautical miles north of Ras Amir, Libya in position
34º50'N, 21º30'E. (see map)

19 Aug, 1942
HMS Porpoise (Lt. L.W.A. Bennington, DSC, RN) attacks the
Italian merchant Iseo (2366 GRT) off Derna, Libya. All
torpedoes fired missed their target. During the counter
attack by the Italian escorts, Porpoise was damaged by
depth charges from the torpedo boat Lince .

22 Aug, 1942
The Italian torpedo boat Generale Antonio Cantore (697
tons) hits a mine and sinks west of Tobruk. The mine was
laid on 12 August 1942 by the British submarine HMS
Porpoise (Lt. L.W.A. Bennington, DSC, RN).

3 Oct, 1942
HMS Porpoise (Lt. L.W.A. Bennington, DSC, RN) lays mines
near Tobruk.

18 Nov, 1942
HMS Porpoise (Lt. L.W.A. Bennington, DSC, RN) torpedoes
and sinks the Italian tanker Giulio Giordani (10534 GRT)
about 45 nautical miles north-east of Misurata, Libya in
position 32º58'N, 15º38'E. (see map)

19 Nov, 1942
HMS Porpoise (Lt. L.W.A. Bennington, DSC, RN) fires a
torpedo against the Italian auxiliary patrol vessel F 39 /
Fertilia (223 GRT) off the Libyan coast. The torpedo
missed its target.

23 Nov, 1942
HMS Porpoise (Lt. L.W.A. Bennington, DSC, RN) sinks the
Italian auxiliary patrol vessel F 39 / Fertilia (223 BRT)
with gunfire off Kerkennah, Tunisia.

6 Jul, 1944
HMS Porpoise (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Turner, DSC, RN) sinks a
Japanese sailing vessel with gunfire in the Strait of
Malacca. Also on this day and the next two days she lays
mines.

9 Sep, 1944
The Japanese auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 8 and Cha 9
both sink about 7 nautical miles north of Belawan,
Sumatra, Netherlands East Indies in position 03º54'N,
98º42'E after hitting mines laid by the British submarione
HMS Porpoise (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Turner, DSC, RN) on 6 - 8 July
1944. (see map)

10 Sep, 1944
The Japanese army tanker Takekun Maru (3029 GRT) sinks
about 7 nautical miles north of Belawan, Sumatra,
Netherlands East Indies in position 03º54'N, 98º42'E after
hitting a mine laid by the British submarione HMS Porpoise
(Lt.Cdr. H.B. Turner, DSC, RN) on 8 July 1944. (see map)

9 Dec, 1944
HMS Porpoise (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Turner, DSC, RN) lays mines of
Penang.

10 Dec, 1944
HMS Porpoise (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Turner, DSC, RN) sinks a small
Japanese sailing vessel in the Strait of Malacca.

9 Jan, 1945
HMS Porpoise (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Turner, DSC, RN) lays a
minefield off Penang.

15 Jan, 1945
The Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Kyo Maru No. 1 (340
GRT) hits a mine off Penang, Malaya in position 05º18'N,
100º20'E laid by the British submarine HMS Porpoise
(Lt.Cdr. H.B. Turner, DSC, RN) on 9 January.

27 Mar, 1945
The Japanese auxiliary minelayer Ma 1 (215 tons) is sunk
about 5 nautical miles north-east of Belawan, Sumatra,
Netherlands East Indies in position 03º52'N, 98º45'E when
she hits a mine laid by HMS Porpoise (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Turner,
DSC, RN) on 6 - 8 July 1944. (see map)

18 May, 1945
The Japanese submarine chaser Ch 57 (420 tons) hits a mine
and is damaged off Penang, Malaya in position 05º20'N,
100º08'E. The mine was laid by the British submarine HMS
Porpoise (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Turner, DSC, RN) on 9 January. Best
regards,


Mac.

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