ON THE 7TH DECEMBER 1940 WE LOST TWO OF OUR SUBMARINES HM S/M UNDINE AND HM S/M SEAHORSE HMS Undine was a British U-class submarine built by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 19 February 1937 and was commissioned on 21 August 1938. She was the lead ship of the first group of the U class, which is sometimes called the Undine class. • Sinking[ Undine was on her fourth war patrol in January 1940 when her sonar failed due to a leak. At 0940 on 7 January, she sighted what was thought to be three trawlers 20 miles west of Heligoland; but were in fact the German auxiliary minesweepers M-1201, M-1204 and M-1207. She unsuccessfully attacked the leading vessel, but the minesweepers counter attacked and forced her to dive. Undine was at 50 feet and proceeding blind due to the loss of sonar. After five minutes with no further attacks, she raised her periscope. As she did so, an explosion shook the submarine, blowing her upwards and rendering the hydroplanes useless. Without the use of the hydroplanes, escape would have been impossible and the order to abandon ship was given. Whilst the crew entered the water, to be picked up by the minesweepers, Undine was scuttled.[1][2] HMS Seahorse was a group one British S-class submarine that was lost at sea with all hands in Heligoland Bight, North Sea, probably on the 7 January 1940, during the Second World War. On 26 December 1939 she sailed from Blyth for patrol off the east coast of Denmark. Four days later she shifted position to the entrance of the Elbe. She did not return on her due date of 9 January 1940. It was first thought that she had been mined but German records, examined after the war, suggest she was the victim of the German First Minesweeper Flotilla which reported a sustained depth charge attack on an unidentified submarine on 7 January 1940.[1] It is however also possible that she was rammed and sunk by the German Sperrbrecher IV/Oakland south east of Helgoland on 29 December 1939.[2]
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 17:56:07 +0000
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