HMS Trooper (N91) was a T-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Scotts, Greenock, and launched in March 1942. On October 6, 2024, it was reported that HMS Trooper was discovered at a depth of 253 metres (830 ft) in the Icarian Sea in Greece.[1][2]
 HMS Trooper
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Trooper |
| Builder | Scotts, Greenock |
| Laid down | 7 May 1940 |
| Launched | 5 March 1942 |
| Commissioned | 29 August 1942 |
| Identification | Pennant number N91 |
| Fate | Sunk 17 October 1943 |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | British T class submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 275 ft (84 m) |
| Beam | 26 ft 6 in (8.08 m) |
| Draught | 16.3 ft (5.0 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range | 4,500 nautical miles at 11 knots (8,330 km at 20 km/h) surfaced |
| Test depth | 300 ft (91 m) max |
| Complement | 61 |
| Armament |
|
| Notes | The wreck was discovered in October 2024 in the Icarian Sea in Greece, at a depth of 253 meters. |
Career
editTrooper spent most of her short career serving in the Mediterranean. She sank the Italian tanker Rosario, the Italian merchant ship Forli, a sailing vessel and the Italian submarine Pietro Micca. She also damaged two other enemy vessels, and unsuccessfully attacked the Italian merchant Belluno (the former French Fort de France).[3]
On her first operation, she took part in Operation Principal, which used human torpedoes to sink Italian ships in Palermo harbour.
Trooper sailed from Beirut on 26 September 1943, on her 8th War Patrol to cover in the Aegean Sea off the Dodecanese islands. On 14 October she challenged Levant Schooner Flotilla F8 off Alinda Bay, Leros. She failed to return on 17 October and was reported overdue on that day. She was presumed lost on German mines around Leros, but her wreck was later discovered in the Icarian Sea.
The Germans claimed that Trooper was sunk by Q-ship GA.45 on 15 October 1943. The submarine that GA-45 attacked was actually HMS Torbay which escaped undamaged.[4]
Discovery
editHMS Trooper was discovered at a depth of 253 metres (830 ft) in the Icarian Sea in Greece. The submarine, found in three distinct sections (bow, mid-section, and stern), had likely been sunk by a German EMF mine containing 350 kilograms (770 lb) of Hexanite. This discovery, led by Greek researcher Kostas Thoctaridis, resolved an 81-year-old mystery, bringing closure to the families of the 64 crew members lost during the submarine's final mission.[2]
References
edit- ^ "British submarine of World War II found in great depth in the Icarian Sea (photos)". Proto Thema (english version). 6 October 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Βρέθηκε βρετανικό υποβρύχιο του Β' Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου σε μεγάλο βάθος στο Ικάριο Πέλαγος". ProtoThema.gr. 6 October 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
- ^ HMS Trooper, Uboat.net
- ^ "HMS Torbay". uboat.net. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
Bibliography
edit- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- Grant, David Renwick (2006). A Submarine at War: The Brief Life of HMS Trooper. Periscope Publishing.
- Hutchinson, Robert (2001). Jane's Submarines: War Beneath the Waves from 1776 to the Present Day. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-710558-8. OCLC 53783010.
39°48′N 18°43′E / 39.800°N 18.717°E