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HMSSickle

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Sickleon the surface
History
United Kingdom
NameSickle
NamesakeSickle
Ordered2 September 1940
BuilderCammell Laird,Birkenhead
Laid down8 May 1941
Launched27 August 1942
Commissioned1 December 1942
FateSunk in June 1944, probably by mines
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeS-class submarine
Displacement
  • 865 long tons (879 t) (surfaced)
  • 990 long tons (1,010 t) (submerged)
Length217 ft (66.1 m)
Beam23 ft 9 in (7.2 m)
Draught14 ft 8 in (4.5 m)
Installed power
  • 1,900bhp(1,400 kW) (diesel)
  • 1,300 hp (970 kW) (electric)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 15kn(28 km/h; 17 mph) (surfaced)
  • 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) (submerged)
Range6,000nmi(11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) (surfaced); 120 nmi (220 km; 140 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) (submerged)
Test depth300 ft (91.4 m)
Complement48
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament

HMSSicklewas a third-batchS-class submarinebuilt for theRoyal NavyduringWorld War II.Completed in 1942, she made her initial war patrol off the Norwegian coast.Sicklethen sailed toGibraltar,from where she conducted one patrol, then toAlgiers,French North Africa.From 10 May to 10 October, the boat patrolled theGulf of Genoafive times and sank a German submarine as well as threeminesweepersand anescort ship.She then moved toBeirut,French Lebanon,and conducted two patrols in theAegean Sea,sinking threecaïquesand a merchant ship, in addition to landing resistance operatives in Greece.

On her second patrol from Beirut,Sickle'selectric motorswere damaged during an attack by twodestroyers,so she sailed to Gibraltar for repairs. Several months later, the boat returned to service and conducted two patrols in the Aegean, sinking another three caïques, a sailing vessel, and a merchant ship. On 31 May 1944,SickledepartedMaltafor a patrol in the Aegean and did not return. It is considered probable that she hitmineson her way back to Malta around 16–18 June 1944.

Design and description

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Schematic drawing of a S-class submarine

The S-class submarines were designed to patrol the restricted waters of theNorth Seaand theMediterranean Sea.The third batch was slightly enlarged and improved over the preceding second batch of the S class. The submarines had a length of 217 feet (66.1 m)overall,abeamof 23 feet 9 inches (7.2 m) and adraughtof 14 feet 8 inches (4.5 m). Theydisplaced865 long tons (879 t) on the surface and 990 long tons (1,010 t) submerged.[1]The S-class submarines had a crew of 48 officers andratings.They had a diving depth of 300 feet (91 m).[2]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 950-brake-horsepower(708 kW)diesel engines,each driving onepropeller shaft.When submerged each propeller was driven by a 650-horsepower (485 kW)electric motor.They could reach 15knots(28 km/h; 17 mph) on the surface and 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) underwater.[3]On the surface, the third-batch boats had a range of 6,000nautical miles(11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) and 120 nmi (220 km; 140 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) submerged.[2]

The boats were armed with seven21-inch (533 mm)torpedo tubes.Six of these were in the bow, and one external tube was mounted in the stern. They carried six reload torpedoes for the bow tubes for a total of thirteen torpedoes. Twelveminescould be carried in lieu of the internally stowed torpedoes. They were also armed with a3-inch (76 mm)deck gun.[4]It is uncertain ifSicklewas completed with a20-millimetre (0.8 in) OerlikonlightAA gunor had one added later. The third-batch S-class boats were fitted with either a Type 129AR or 138ASDICsystem and aType 291or 291Wearly-warning radar.[5]

Construction and career

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HMSSicklewas a third-groupS-class submarineand was ordered by theBritish Admiraltyon 2 September 1940. She waslaid downin theCammell LairdshipyardinBirkenheadon 8 May 1941 andlaunchedon 27 August 1942.[6]On 28 November 1942, the boat, under the command ofLieutenantJames Drummond, sailed toHoly Loch,where she wascommissionedinto the Royal Navy three days later.[6][7]Thus far,Sicklehas been the only ship to bear the name in the Royal Navy.[8]

Between 11 and 31 January 1943, she conducted a war patrol off Norway, but sighted only another British submarine,HMSTrident.Sicklethen sailed from Great Britain to Gibraltar on 6 April, with orders to intercept the Italian blockade runnerHimalayawhich was thought to be in the vicinity.Himalayahad stayed in port and the submarine proceeded on to Gibraltar as planned.[7]

On 18 April 1943, she departed harbour to conduct a patrol offValencia,Spain. Five days later, the boat sighted the Italian merchant shipMauro Croceand fired two torpedoes; the torpedoes ran under the ship, soSicklesurfaced to use her deck gun. However, after firing 19 rounds and scoring several hits, her gun jammed and she had to break off the attack. The submarine ended her patrol in Algiers on 27 April.[7]

Algiers

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Sickledeparted Algiers to patrol off southern France on 10 May 1943. After five days at sea, she attacked a German convoy south ofNice,France, and sank the Germansubmarine chaserUJ-2213which had been painted to appear like anoil tanker.[9]The boat next attacked theGerman submarineU-755with torpedoes on 20 May,[10]but missed;U-755was sunk eight days later by aircraft.[11]The next day,Sickleattacked theGerman submarineU-303offToulonand hit it with two torpedoes;U-303sank in half a minute.[12][11][10][13]She then returned to Algiers on 25 May. After leaving on her next patrol on 16 June,Sickleunsuccessfully attacked an enemy submarine on 18 June, then returned to port on 1 July.[7]

Sickle'scaptainLieutenant James Drummond

On 13 July 1943, the boat departed Algiers to patrol in the Gulf of Genoa and east ofCorsica.Four days later,Sicklefired three torpedoes at an Italian convoy without success. On 18 July, she sank with gunfire two Italian minesweepers,No. G.61andNo. R.164,east ofGorgona,Italy. The next day, she sank another Italian minesweeper,V 131,offPorto-Vecchio,Corsica.Sicklenext attacked the Italian merchant shipAlfredo Orianiwith seven torpedoes; two hit, but the ship did not sink and was towed back to port. The submarine also missed the German oil tankerChampagneon 22 July, then returned to Algiers on 28 July. Drummond was awarded theDistinguished Service Orderat the end of this patrol.[7]

She began a new patrol on 17 August, operating east of Corsica. After patrolling for eleven days,Sickletorpedoed and sank the German escort shipSG-10,which was escorting a convoy.Sicklethen ended her patrol on 5 September.[7]

On 22 September,Sickleleft Algiers to patrol the Gulf of Genoa in the same area as in her previous patrol. In the evening of 28 September, the submarine landed two men nearSestri Levante,Italy; their mission was to gather intelligence as well as organize resistance movements and escapes of Allied prisoners of war to Switzerland. On 30 September and 3 October,Sickleattacked a smallcoastal trading vesseland a submarine chaser with three torpedoes each, missing with all six. The boat then returned to Algiers on 10 October.[7]

Beirut

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Between 25 October and 1 November,Sicklesailed from Algiers to Beirut, in Allied-occupiedLebanon,then shifted toHaifa.On 11 November, the boat departed Haifa to conduct a war patrol in theAegean Sea.Sicklefirst sank with gunfire the GreekcaïqueMaria (MY 153)west ofAmorgos,then torpedoed and sank the Italian merchant shipGiovanni BoccacciooffMonemvasia,two days later.[14]She next sank with gunfire twosailing vesselsnearMilos;these were the Greek caïquesPiraeus no. 795andSamos no. 45.The boat returned to Beirut on 25 November.[7]

The Germantorpedo boatTA14,which damagedSicklewithdepth chargeson 21 December 1943

On 13 December,Sickledeparted Beirut for another war patrol in the Aegean and attempted to attack a German convoy on 20 December. The next day, herperiscopewas sighted while looking into the harbour atKarlovasi,and she was attacked withdepth chargesby the German torpedo boatsTA14andTA15;Sicklesustained significant damage, especially to her electric motors. On 23 December, the submarine landed fourSpecial Operations ExecutiveGreek resistance men in Kalomos Bay, east ofEuboea.Three days later, she sank with gunfire and by ramming two small unidentified Greek sailing vessels east ofMykonos Island;the crews of both ships were picked up bySickle.The boat ended her patrol on 2 January 1944.[7]

Malta

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From 14 to 19 January,Sicklesailed to Malta, then to Gibraltar. There, she underwent repairs to her electric motors until 14 April, when she returned to Malta.[7]

On 29 April,Sickledeparted Malta to patrol in the Aegean Sea, where she sighted a German transport escorted by three destroyers, but lost sight of them in the fog on 7 May. The next day, the boat sank three Greek sailing vessels withdemolition chargesand by ramming in theDoro Channel.She initially attacked them on the surface with her deck gun, but it jammed after firing four rounds, soSickleboarded the first ship, a caïque flying the Greek flag with the German occupationpennon.The ship was carrying a cargo of oranges and lemons, and sailors fromSicklebrought a thousand of these to their submarine as an addition to their diet, then holed the caïque's hull, sinking it.[7]The next two ships did not carry any salvageable cargo, andSicklesank one with demolition charges and the other by ramming. On 11 May,Sicklesurfaced and bombarded an enemyradar stationwith her three-inch deck gun; 17 rounds hit their target but the enemy returned fire four minutes later, wounding three men, includingSickle'scaptainand forcing her to submerge. Shortly after midnight on 13 May, the boat surfaced and sank the German sailing vesselFratelli Corraowith gunfire. Two days later, she returned to Malta.[7]

On 31 May,Sickleleft Malta harbour for a patrol in the Aegean Sea; this was to beSickle's last patrol. On 4 June, she engaged enemy ships on the surface atMytilene;two sailors were wounded, one killed, and another washed overboard and captured. This man later becameSickle's only survivor. She was ordered on 5 June to patrol the eastern approach to the Doro channel. On 6 June, the submarine torpedoed and sank the German merchant shipReaumur,and on 7 June a Germanlighterreported having been missed by torpedoes potentially launched bySickle.On 8 June, a submarine that was possiblySicklesank three caïques nearSkopelos,and she missed the German transportLolawith torpedoes on 9 June. A submarine, again possiblySickle,sank the caïqueEfitichiawith gunfire and bombarded a shipyard at Mytilene on 14 June 1944. The submarine was never seen again, and it is considered likely that she was sunk by mines on her way back to Malta in theKythira Straiton or around 18 June.[7][15][16]

Summary of raiding history

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During her service with the Royal Navy,Sicklesank 10 Axis ships for a total of 7,665GRTas well as a German U-boat, three caïques and a sailing vessel of unknown tonnage.[7]

Date Name of ship Tonnage Nationality Fate and location
15 May 1943 UJ-2213 1,116 Nazi Germany Torpedoed and sank at43°25′N07°25′E/ 43.417°N 7.417°E/43.417; 7.417(UJ-2213)
21 May 1943 German submarineU-303 - Nazi Germany Torpedoed and sank at43°00′N05°59′E/ 43.000°N 5.983°E/43.000; 5.983(U-303)
18 July 1943 No. G.61 100 Kingdom of Italy Sunk with gunfire at43°24′N10°03′E/ 43.400°N 10.050°E/43.400; 10.050(No. G.61)
18 July 1943 No. R.164 39 Kingdom of Italy Sunk with gunfire at43°24′N10°03′E/ 43.400°N 10.050°E/43.400; 10.050(No. R.164)
19 July 1943 V 131 65 Kingdom of Italy Sunk with gunfire at43°24′N10°03′E/ 43.400°N 10.050°E/43.400; 10.050(V 131)
28 August 1943 SG-10 2,526 Nazi Germany Torpedoed and sunk at42°24′N09°41′E/ 42.400°N 9.683°E/42.400; 9.683(SG-10)
17 November 1943 Maria (MY 153) - Kingdom of Greece Sunk with gunfire west ofAmorgos,Greece
19 November 1943 Giovanni Boccaccio 3,160 Nazi Germany Torpedoed and sunk offMonemvasia,Greece
25 November 1943 Piraeus no. 795 - Kingdom of Greece Sunk with gunfire at37°22′N24°15′E/ 37.367°N 24.250°E/37.367; 24.250(Piraeus no. 795)
25 November 1943 Samos no. 45 - Kingdom of Greece Sunk with gunfire at37°22′N24°15′E/ 37.367°N 24.250°E/37.367; 24.250(Samos no. 45)
26 December 1943 unidentified - Kingdom of Greece Sunk with gunfire and ramming east ofMykonos,Greece
26 December 1943 unidentified - Kingdom of Greece Sunk with gunfire and ramming east of Mykonos, Greece
8 May 1944 unidentified 50 Kingdom of Greece Sunk by a boarding party in theDoro Channel,Greece
8 May 1944 unidentified 40 Kingdom of Greece Sunk by demolition charges in the Doro Channel, Greece
8 May 1944 unidentified 20 Kingdom of Greece Sunk by ramming in the Doro Channel, Greece
13 May 1944 Fratelli Corrao - Nazi Germany Sunk with gunfire at35°55′N25°02′E/ 35.917°N 25.033°E/35.917; 25.033(Fratelli Corrao)
6 June 1944 Reaumur 549 Nazi Germany Torpedoed and sank at38°00′N24°35′E/ 38.000°N 24.583°E/38.000; 24.583(Reaumur)

Citations

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  1. ^Akermann, p. 341
  2. ^abMcCartney, p. 7
  3. ^Bagnasco, p. 110
  4. ^Chesneau, pp. 51–52
  5. ^Akermann, pp. 341, 345
  6. ^abAkermann, p. 340
  7. ^abcdefghijklmnHMSSickle(P 224),Uboat.net
  8. ^Akermann, p. 348
  9. ^Rohwer, Jürgen;Gerhard Hümmelchen."Seekrieg 1943, Mai".Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart(in German).Retrieved22 June2015.
  10. ^abJones, p. 160
  11. ^abTomblin, p. 126
  12. ^Niestle, p. XXVI
  13. ^Akermann, p. 351
  14. ^Jordan, p. 532
  15. ^Heden, pp. 244–245
  16. ^Akermann, p. 108

References

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