HMS Perseus N36

HMS Perseus (N36) was a Parthian-class submarine of the Royal Navy, built by Vickers-Armstrongs at Barrow-in-Furness. Commissioned in 1930, she served on the China Station before transferring to the Mediterranean during the Second World War. She is best remembered for her loss in December 1941 and the remarkable survival of Leading Stoker John Capes, the sole survivor.

Construction

• Builder: Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness
• Laid down: 2 July 1928
• Launched: 22 May 1929 
• Commissioned: 15 April 1930 

Pre-War and Early War Service

Perseus spent much of the 1930s on the China Station with the 4th Submarine Flotilla. At the outbreak of war in September 1939 she was based at Hong Kong. 

In 1940 she transferred to the Mediterranean, operating from Alexandria and supporting Malta during the critical years of the Mediterranean campaign. 

Combat Operations

Under Lieutenant Commander Edward Christian Frederic Nicolay DSO, Perseus achieved notable successes:

• Sank the Italian tanker Maya (3,867 tons) on 5 September 1941. 
• Sank the merchant vessel Castellon (2,086 tons) on 2 October 1941 west of Benghazi.

These successes contributed to Nicolay being awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). 

Loss of HMS Perseus

On 26 November 1941, Perseus sailed from Malta for Alexandria, with orders to patrol waters east of Greece during the voyage.

At approximately 10 p.m. on 6 December 1941, she struck an Italian mine off Cephalonia (Kefalonia) in the Ionian Sea, about seven miles north of Zakynthos. The explosion devastated the submarine and caused her to sink. 

Of the 61 men aboard, 60 were lost.

The Extraordinary Escape of John Capes

After the submarine settled on the seabed, Capes and three others attempted to escape using the submarine's escape trunk and Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus breathing equipment. 

Only Capes survived the ascent to the surface. He then swam approximately five miles  to the coast of Cephalonia. Local Greek villagers hid him from the Axis occupation forces for around 18 months before helping him escape to neutral Turkey. He eventually returned to Britain and was awarded the British Empire Medal.

For many years, some doubted his story because no wreck had been found. However, in 1997 divers located HMS Perseus on the seabed off Kefalonia, confirming key elements of his account.

Key Facts