HMS Cachalot (N83)

HMS Cachalot (N83) was 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 30 July 1941.

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

HMS Cachalot (N83)
History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Cachalot
Builder: Scotts, Greenock
Laid down: 12 May 1936
Launched: 2 December 1937
Commissioned: 15 August 1938
Fate: sunk 30 July 1941
Badge:
General characteristics
Displacement:
  • 1,810 tons surfaced
  • 2,157 tons submerged
Length: 293 ft (89 m)
Beam: 25 ft 6 in (7.77 m)
Draught: 16 ft 10 in (5.13 m)
Propulsion: 2 shaft, Diesel (3300 hp) plus electric (1630 hp)
Speed:
  • 15.5 knots surfaced
  • 8.75 knots submerged
Complement: 59
Armament:
  • 6 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (bow)
  • 12 torpedoes
  • 1 × 4 inch deck gun
  • 50 mines

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.[1]

She was assigned to operate in the Mediterranean in 1941.

Sinking

Cachalot left Malta on 26 July, bound for Alexandria. At 2 o’clock on the morning of 30 July the Italian destroyer Achille Papa was spotted causing her to dive. Upon resurfacing she was attacked by the Italian vessel. 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 Italians.[2]

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References
  1. HMS Cachalot, Uboot.net
  2. "RN Submarine Museum, Gosport". Archived from the original on 9 February 2008.

Bibliography

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