HMS Osiris (N67)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Osiris.

HMS Osiris
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Osiris
NamesakeOsiris
Ordered2 December 1926
BuilderVickers-Armstrongs (Barrow-in-Furness)
Laid down12 May 1927
Launched19 May 1928
Commissioned25 January 1929
Decommissioned7 March 1945
IdentificationPennant number N67
FateScrapped at Durban, South Africa in 1946
General characteristics
Class and typeOdin-class submarine
Displacement
  • 1,781 tons surfaced
  • 2,038 tons submerged
Length283 ft 6 in (86.41 m)
Beam30 ft (9.1 m)
Draught16 ft 1 in (4.90 m)
Propulsion
  • Diesel-electric
  • 2 × diesel engines, 4,600 hp
  • 2 × electric motors, 350 hp
  • 2 screws
Speed
  • 17.5 kn (20.1 mph; 32.4 km/h) surfaced
  • 9 kn (10 mph; 17 km/h) submerged
Range
  • 8,400 nmi (15,600 km) at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h) surfaced
  • 70 nmi (130 km) at 4 kn (4.6 mph; 7.4 km/h) submerged
Test depth300 ft (91 m)
Complement53-55 officers and men
Armament

HMS Osiris was an O-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Vickers-Armstrongs of Barrow-in-Furness on 12 May 1927, launched on 19 May 1928[1] and commissioned on 25 Jan 1929.

She was first commissioned for service with the 4th Submarine Flotilla on the China Station.

Wartime history

The crew of HMS Osiris.

In September 1939, she was nominated for service on the East Indies Station and deployed with the 8th Flotilla at Colombo for flotilla duties. During January 1940 she transferred to the British Mediterranean Fleet and was deployed with the 1st Submarine Flotilla based at Alexandria.[1]

On 16 August 1940, Osiris sank the Italian merchantman Morea (1,968 tons) approximately 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) west of Durazzo, Albania, with gunfire in a surface engagement, after Morea twice evaded torpedoes fired at the ship.[2]

During an attack carried out on a convoy in the Otranto Strait on 22 September 1940 Osiris torpedoed and sank one of the convoy escorts, the Italian torpedo boat Palestro (875 tons displacement), approximately 40 nautical miles (74 km; 46 mi) west of Durazzo, Albania (position 41°19'N, 18°34'E).[2] On returning to Alexandria, Osiris received a package from the commanding officer of the flotilla with instructions "not to come alongside unless this identity signal is showing". The package contained a Jolly Roger which was duly hoisted. From that day onward the Captain (S) gave each submarine in his flotilla a Jolly Roger as soon as she had achieved a success on patrol.[3]

On 14 July 1941 Osiris damaged the Italian merchant ship Capo d'Orso (3,149 tons) with gunfire in a surface engagement near Argostolion, Kefalonia, Greece.

In another surface engagement on 27 June 1943, Osiris sank the Italian sailing vessel Vittorina (11 tons) north of Crete (position 36°12'N, 26°45'E) with gunfire.[2]

During the Allied invasion of Sicily from July to August 1943, she was deployed on interception patrol to prevent Italian warships interfering with the landings.[1] From August 1943 she served with the Eastern Fleet training anti-submarine escorts before transferring to the new East Indies Fleet in November 1944.

She was decommissioned on 7 March 1945.[1]

Osiris was sold to be broken up for scrap in September 1945. She was scrapped at Durban, South Africa.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d HMS Osiris (N67) Naval-History.net Retrieved 27 September
  2. ^ a b c HMS Osiris (N67) uboat.net Retrieved 27 September 2013
  3. ^ His Majesty's Submarines, p45 HMSO 1945
  4. ^ Forces War Records: Unit History: HMS Osiris (N 67)

Bibliography

  • Caruana, Joseph (2012). "Emergency Victualling of Malta During WWII". Warship International. LXIX (4): 357–364. ISSN 0043-0374.