HMS Unbeaten (N93)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


HMS Unbeaten moored alongside a dock at Malta
Career RN Ensign
Name: HMS Unbeaten
Builder: Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down: 22 November 1939
Launched: 9 July 1940
Commissioned: 10 November 1940
Fate: sunk 11 November 1942
General characteristics
Displacement:

Surfaced - 540 tons standard, 630 tons full load


Submerged - 730 tons
Length: 58.22 m (191 feet)
Beam: 4.90 m (16 ft 1 in)
Draught: 4.62 m (15 ft 2 in)
Propulsion:

2 shaft diesel-electric
2 Paxman Ricardo diesel generators + electric motors

615 / 825 hp
Speed:

11.25 knots max surfaced


10 knots max submerged
Complement: 27-31
Armament:

4 bow internal 21 inch torpedo tubes - 8 - 10 torpedoes


1 - 3 inch gun

HMS Unbeaten was a British U class submarine, of the second group of that class, built by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 22 November 1939 and was commissioned on 10 November 1940. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name Unbeaten.

[edit] Career

Unbeaten spent much of her career operating in the Mediterranean, where she sank the Italian sailing vessel V 51 / Alfa, the Vichy-French merchant PLM 20, the Italian submarine Guglielmotti and the German submarine U-374. She also claimed to have sunk two sailing vessels with gunfire. At the moment there is no confirmation from Italian or German sources as to the identity of the vessels attacked. It is also quite possible that the vessels were only damaged.

Unbeaten also damaged the Italian merchant Vettor Pisani. She torpedoed her again several days later, further damaging her. The damaged Vettor Pisani was finally sunk later that day by British aircraft. She also unsuccessfully attacked the Italian merchant Silvio Scaroni, the Italian troop transport Esperia and a large Italian troop transport, thought to be either Oceania or Neptunia.[1]

[edit] Sinking

Unbeaten was returning to the Mediterranean via Gibraltar after a refit in Britain. On 11 November 1942 she was attacked and sunk in error by an RAF Wellington of No. 172 Squadron, Coastal Command in the Bay of Biscay. She was lost with all hands.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ HMS Unbeaten, Uboot.net
  2. ^ Submarine losses 1904 to present day, RN Submarine Museum, Gosport