HMS Rorqual (N74)

HMS "Rorqual" (N74) was the one of the six ship class of "Grampus"-class mine-laying submarine of the Royal Navy. She was built by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow and launched 27 July 1936. She served in World War II in the Mediterranean and in the far east. She was the only "Grampus" class submarine to survive the war.

Career

The Mediterranean

Sent to the Mediterranean in 1940, "Rorqual" began laying minefields and attacking enemy shipping. Amongst the shipping lost to mines laid by "Rorqual" were the Italian merchants " Loasso", "Celio", "Leopardi", "Verde", "Ticino", and "Salpi"; the Italian pilot vessel F 34 / "Rina Croce", the Italian torpedo boats "Calipso", "Fratelli Cairoli", "Generale Antonio Chinotto", "Altair" and "Aldebaran"; the Italian auxiliary minesweeper AS 99 / "Zani", the German troop transport "Ankara"; the French merchant (in German service)," P.L.M. 24"; and the French fishing vessel "Coligny".

The Italian merchants "Caffaro", "Ischia" and the brand-new Italian merchant "Carbonello A." were damaged by mines laid by "Rorqual". "Rorqual" was also active in attacking enemy shipping herself, torpedoing and sinking the Italian tanker "Laura Corrado"; the Italian submarine "Pier Capponi"; the Italian merchants "Cilicia" and "Monstella"; the German tanker "Wilhemsburg" and the French merchant (in German service) "Nantaise". "Rorqual's" torpedoes also damaged the Italian merchant "Piero Foscari", unsuccessfully attacked an Italian submarine and the Italian merchant "Securitas", and sunk two Greek sailing vessels with gunfire.

In August 1940 she attacked an Italian convoy, missing the Italian merchants "Verace" and "Doris Ursino" with torpedoes. Following this failed attack "Rorqual" was heavily depth charged by the Italian torpedo boat "Generale Achille Papa".

In January 1941 "Rorqual" attacked the tug "Ursus" and a floating battery mounted on a lighter. The lighter couldn't be torpedoed, as she was of too shallow draft for the normal depth setting of the torpedoes, and the only other weapon the "Rorqual" had was her single 4-inch gun. "Rorqual" surfaced at about 500 yards range. Her opening attack hit the "Ursus" and damaged the battery. Heavy fire from the damaged tug forced "Rorqual" to shift her fire from the battery and engage the "Ursus" again, forcing her crew to abandon her. Though badly damaged, the floating battery opened fire and forced the "Rorqual" to dive. She then fired a torpedo set to run on the surface, only to find that the torpedo developed a gyro failure and returned on its own tracks. "Rorqual" had to dive deep to avoid it. When last seen, the "Ursus" was sinking and the battery was on fire. The battery however did not sink, and was later towed to Dubrovnik.

The Far East

"Rorqual" arrived in the far east in 1945 to operate against the Japanese, serving as part of the British Pacific Fleet. She laid minefields and sank three Japanese sailing craft and three coasters with gunfire, and damaged a fourth coaster. [ [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3415.html HMS Rorqual] , Uboat.net]

Post war

By the end of the war, she was the only surviving ship of the "Grampus" class. She was sold off, and arrived at the yards of Cashmore, Newport for breaking up on March 17 1946.

References

*Colledge

External links

* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3415.html HMS "Rorqual"] from [http://uboat.net/ uboat.net]