HMS Truant (N68)

HMS "Truant" (N68) was a T-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow and launched on the 5 May 1939.

Career

"Truant" had a relatively active career, serving in the main naval theatres of war, Home waters, the Mediterranean and the Pacific Far East.

Home waters

"Truant's" first major victory came when she torpedoed and damaged the German light cruiser Karlsruhe, which disabled both engines and power stations. The "Karlsruhe" had to be scuttled with two torpedoes by the German torpedo boat "Greif". "Truant" later attacked the British merchant "Alster", unaware that it had been recently captured from the Germans, but fortunately her torpedoes missed. She also intercepted the German merchant "Tropic Sea". The "Tropic Sea" had formerly been in Norwegian service, but had been captured by the German armed merchant cruiser "Orion" in the South Pacific. The "Tropic Sea" was scuttled by the German prize crew in the Bay of Biscay.

"Truant" had a narrow escape, when she was attacked by HMS "Clyde", who had mistaken her for an enemy submarine. Fortunately, "Clyde's" torpedoes missed.

Mediterranean

Assigned to the Mediterranean in mid 1940, "Truant" went on to sink a number of enemy ships, including the Italian merchants "Providenza", "Sebastiano Bianchi" and "Multedo", the Italian tankers "Bonzo" and "Meteor", the Italian auxiliary submarine chaser V 62 / "Vanna", the Italian passenger/cargo ship "Bengasi" and the German merchant "Virginia S." "Truant" also damaged the small Italian tanker "Prometeo" and the Italian torpedo boat "Alcione", which was later declared a total loss. She also unsuccessfully attacked the Italian merchants "Utilitas", "Silvia Tripcovich", "Bainsizza" and "Arborea", the small Italian tanker "Labor" and the German merchant "Bellona".

Far East

"Truant" was assigned to operate in the Far East, against Japanese shipping in 1942. She torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant cargo ships "Yae Maru" and "Shunsei Maru" and the Japanese army cargo ship "Tamon Maru No.1". She also attacked the Japanese light cruiser "Nagara", but the torpedoes missed their target. [ [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3494.html HMS Truant] , Uboot.net] She was also prominent in the Battle of Badung Strait.

Post war

"Truant" survived the war and was sold to be broken up for scrap on 19 December 1945. She was wrecked in December 1946 whilst en-route to the shipbreakers.

References

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