HMS Tempest (N86)

HMS Tempest (N86) was a T-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Cammell Laird & Co Limited, Birkenhead and launched in June 1941.

HMS Tempest
History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Tempest
Builder:	Cammell Laird & Co Limited, Birkenhead
Laid down:	6 June 1940
Launched:	10 June 1941
Commissioned:	6 December 1941
Fate:	sunk 13 February 1942
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:	British T class submarine
Displacement:	1,090 tons surfaced 1,575 tons submerged
Length:	275 ft (84 m)
Beam:	26 ft 6 in (8.08 m)
Draught:	16.3 ft (5.0 m)
Propulsion:	Two shafts Twin diesel engines 2,500 hp (1.86 MW) each Twin electric motors 1,450 hp (1.08 MW) each
Speed:	15.25 knots (28.7 km/h) surfaced 9 knots (20 km/h) submerged
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:	6 internal forward-facing 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 2 external forward-facing torpedo tubes 3 external backward-facing torpedo tubes 6 reload torpedoes 1 x 4-inch (102 mm) deck gun 3 anti-aircraft machine guns

Career

Tempest had a short-lived career, serving in the Mediterranean.

She sailed from Malta on the night of 10 February 1942 to patrol the Gulf of Taranto. On the evening of the 11th Tempest was signalled that the Italians were aware of a submarine in her vicinity and that it should be assumed that her patrol had been compromised. On the 13th, Tempest was sighted on the surface by the Spica-class torpedo boat Circe. Tempest crash dived and Circe began depth charging the area, eventually resulting in oil being seen on the surface. Tempest's battery tanks had burst filling the boat with chlorine gas and the vessel was forced to surface, whereupon she was hit by gunfire from Circe. The surviving crew abandoned the submarine, and 24 of the crew of 62 were picked up some three hours later by the Italian warship. One of the survivors later died of his wounds. The Italians attempted to board the abandoned vessel but were unable to, due to rough seas. Instead, the torpedo boat re-opened fire with her 4 inches (100 mm) gun, scoring more than a dozen direct hits, but failing to sink the Tempest. Finally the Italians attempted to take the submarine in tow. Two members of the warship’s crew boarded the submarine and prepared the tow. As Circe manoeuvred to take up the tow, Tempest suddenly started to sink, forcing those on board to jump into the sea. The submarine slipped beneath the waves stern-first, with the bows disappearing vertically.[1][2][3]

References

Notes

1. Submarine losses 1904 to present day Archived 14 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine, RN Submarine Museum, Gosport
2. HMS Tempest, Uboat.net
3. "Royal Navy casualties, killed and died, February 1942". www.naval-history.net. Retrieved 21 September 2018.

Sources

• 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.
• 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.