HMS Tantalus (P318)

HMS "Tantalus" was a British submarine of the third group of the "T" class. She was built as "P318" by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow, and launched on 24 February 1943. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name "Tantalus", after the mythological Tantalus, son of Zeus.

ervice

"Tantalus" served in the Far East for much of her wartime career. She sank the Malaysian tug "Kampung Besar", and the Malaysian "Pulo Salanama" in April 1944, and went on to sink the Japanese army cargo ships "Amagi Maru" and "Hiyoshi Maru", the Japanese cargo ship "Hachijin Maru", the Japanese coaster "Palang Maru", the Japanese fishing vessel "Taisei Maru No. 12", a Japanese tug and three barges, an unknown Japanese vessel, and a Siamese sailing vessel, whilst claiming to have damaged a second. "Tantalus" also damaged a tug and the Japanese submarine chaser "Ch 1". She also attacked, but missed the Japanese submarine "I-166", which was sunk later that day by HMS "Telemachus".

"Tantalus" survived the war and continued in service with the Navy, finally being scrapped at Milford Haven in November 1950. [ [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3517.html HMS Tantalus] , Uboot.net]

References

*"Submarines, War Beneath The Waves, From 1776 To The Present Day", by Robert Hutchinson
*Colledge