HMS Statesman (P246)

HMS "Statesman" was an S class submarine of the Royal Navy, and part of the Third Group built of that class. She was built by Cammell Laird and launched on 14 September 1943. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name "Statesman".

Career

She spent the time between August 1944 and August 1945 with the Eastern Fleet, where she had an eventful career. She sank the Japanese army cargo ship "Sugi Maru No.5" (the former Panamanian flagged, Norwegian owned "Gran"), twenty five Japanese sailing vessels, the Japanese trawler "Matsujima Maru No.3", four Japanese coasters, including the "Nippon Maru No.19", "Nanyo Maru No. 17" and "Nippon Maru No.14", a small Japanese tanker, five small unidentified Japanese vessels, ten small Japanese landing craft, three Japanese barges and a derelict wreck drifting in the Straits of Malacca, described as probably a coaster.

The sinking of the "Haguro"

On 9 May 1945 the Japanese heavy cruiser "Haguro" and the Japanese destroyer "Kamikaze" left Singapore for a transport run to the Andaman Islands. They were sighted the next day in the Malacca Strait by "Statesman" and her sister, HMS "Subtle". To intercept the Japanese ships, a task force made up of two battleships, one heavy cruiser, two light cruisers, four escort carriers and eight destroyers left Trincomalee. Aircraft from the escort carriers attacked the Nicobar Islands on the 11th, forcing "Haguro" and "Kamikaze" to head back to Singapore. On 16 May 1945On the 14th the Japanese ships again departed Singapore for the Andaman Islands. They were spotted the next day north-east of Sabang by aircraft from the British escort carrier HMS "Shah". A few hours later they were attacked by aircraft from the British escort carrier HMS "Emperor", causing light damaged to the "Haguro". In the meantime Japanese aircraft had sighted Allied destroyers closing in on "Haguro" and once again the Japanese ships reversed course.

In anticipation on the Japanese reversal of course, the commander of the British 26th Destroyer Flotilla, Captain M.L. Power, on board HMS "Saumarez" and the other British destroyers HMS "Venus", HMS "Verulam", HMS "Vigilant" and HMS "Virago" plotted a course to intercept the Japanese ships, which they did shortly before midnight on the 15th. After careful manoeuvering the destroyers began attacking the Japanese ships from all sides shortly after one o'clock on the 16th. The "Haguro" was hit by torpedoes and gunfire and sank around 0230 hours, but not before she hit the "Saumarez" with gunfire. The escorting Japanese destroyer "Kamikaze" escaped with only minor damage. [ [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3462.html HMS Statesman] , Uboat.net]

Postwar

She survived the Second World War and was lent to the French navy in 1952. She was renamed "Sultane" on 5 November 1959 and spent nine years in service with the French. She was returned to be sold on 3 January 1961 to Pounds, of Portsmouth to be broken up.

References

*Colledge