HMS Cachalot (N83)

HMS "Cachalot" (N83) was the one of the six ship class of "Grampus"-class mine-laying submarine of the Royal Navy. She was built at Scotts, Greenock and launched 2 December 1937. She served in World War II in home waters and the Mediterranean. She was rammed and sunk by the Italian torpedo boat "Generale Achille Papa" on July 30 1941.

Career

In August, 1940, "Cachalot" torpedoed and sank the German submarine U-51 in the Bay of Biscay and in September the German auxiliary minesweeper M 1604 / "Österreich" hit a mine laid by "Cachalot" and sank. [ [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3416.html HMS Cachalot] , Uboot.net]

She was assigned to operate in the Mediterranean in 1941.

inking

"Cachalot" left Malta on July 26, bound for Alexandria and instructions to look out for an escorted tanker heading for Benghazi. At 2 o’clock on the morning of 30 July a destroyer was spotted heading towards "Cachalot", forcing the submarine to dive. On returning to the surface the submarine was attacked by the Italian destroyer. "Cachalot" attempted to dive again but the upper hatch jammed, and the Italian destroyer rammed her. The crew scuttled the ship as they abandoned her and all personnel except for a Maltese steward were picked up by the destroyer. [ [http://www.rnsubmus.co.uk/general/losses.htm Submarine losses 1904 to present day] , RN Submarine Museum, Gosport] .

References

*Colledge

External links

* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3416.html HMS "Cachalot"] from [http://uboat.net/ uboat.net]