HMS Unbeaten (N93)

HMS "Unbeaten" was a British U class submarine, of the second group of that class, built by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 22 November 1939 and was commissioned on 10 November 1940. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name "Unbeaten".

Career

"Unbeaten" spent much of her career operating in the Mediterranean, where she sank the Italian sailing vessel V 51 / "Alfa", the Vichy-French merchant "PLM 20", the Italian submarine "Guglielmotti" and the German submarine "U-374". She also claimed to have sunk two sailing vessels with gunfire. At the moment there is no confirmation from Italian or German sources as to the identity of the vessels attacked. It is also quite possible that the vessels were only damaged.

"Unbeaten" also damaged the Italian merchant "Vettor Pisani". She torpedoed her again several days later, further damaging her. The damaged "Vettor Pisani" was finally sunk later that day by British aircraft. She also unsuccessfully attacked the Italian merchant "Silvio Scaroni", the Italian troop transport "Esperia" and a large Italian troop transport, thought to be either "Oceania" or "Neptunia". [ [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3389.html HMS Unbeaten] , Uboot.net]

inking

"Unbeaten" was returning to the Mediterranean via Gibraltar after a refit in Britain. On 11 November 1942 she was attacked and sunk in error by an RAF Wellington of No. 172 Squadron, Coastal Command in the Bay of Biscay. She was lost with all hands. [ [http://www.rnsubmus.co.uk/general/losses.htm Submarine losses 1904 to present day] , RN Submarine Museum, Gosport]

References

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