Class and type S class submarine Laid down 7 March 1941 Motto Splendidly Audacious Construction started 7 March 1941 Length 66 m | Name HMS Splendid Commissioned 8 August 1942 Fate Scuttled 21 April 1943 Launched 13 January 1942 Draft 3.4 m | |
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HMS Splendid was an S class submarine of the Royal Navy, and part of the Third Group built of that class. She was built at Chatham Dockyard and launched on 13 January 1942.
Contents
Career
She served in the Mediterranean, based at Malta, under the command of Lieutenant Ian McGeoch. During her career, she sank the Italian auxiliary submarine chaser San Paolo, the Italian merchants Luigi Favorita, Devoli, and XXI Aprile, the small Italian merchant Commercio, the Italian auxiliary minesweeper No. 107 / Cleopatra, and the Italian tanker Giorgio.
Splendid also sank the Italian Soldati class destroyer Aviere. Aviere, and her sister ship Camicia Nera, were escorting the German transport ship Ankara. Splendid attacked the Ankara, but missed her. Splendid also sank the Italian merchant Emma, despite her being heavily escorted by the Italian torpedo boats Groppo, Uragano and Clio. The German merchant Sienna (the former French Astrée) was missed in the same attack. Splendid also torpedoed and damaged the Italian destroyer Velite.
Sinking
Splendid left port in Malta on 17 April 1943 to patrol the waters off Naples and Corsica. She was detected on 21 April by the German destroyer Hermes (formerly the British-built Greek destroyer Vasilefs Georgios) and damaged by depth charges. She was forced to surface and surrender. The crew scuttled her before abandoning her to prevent her capture. Five officers, including the CO, and 25 ratings were picked up by the destroyer, 18 men were lost with the ship.