HMS Porpoise (N14) was a Grampus-class minelaying submarine built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down in September 1931, launched on 30 August 1932, and commissioned on 11 March 1933.
Early War Service
At the outbreak of World War II, Porpoise served in home waters and the North Sea, laying minefields and conducting patrols against German shipping and submarines. Mines laid by Porpoise successfully sank the German minesweeper M5 off Norway in 1940.
Mediterranean Operations
From 1941 to 1943, Porpoise operated extensively in the Mediterranean. She:
- Torpedoed and damaged the German transport Sebastiano Veniero in December 1941. The ship was carrying Allied prisoners of war, resulting in heavy casualties. [en.wikipedia.org]
- Sank the Italian merchant ships Città di Livorno, Ogaden, and Lerici.
- Sank the Italian tanker Giulio Giordani and auxiliary patrol vessel Fertilia.
- Laid mines that sank the Italian torpedo boat Generale Antonio Cantore.
Far East and Loss
In 1944, Porpoise was transferred to the Far East to operate against Japanese forces. During a patrol in the Malacca Strait, she disappeared and was believed to have been sunk by Japanese aircraft on 19 January 1945 (some sources cite 11 January as the likely date of attack). She was lost with all 59 crew members, becoming the last Royal Navy submarine lost to enemy action in World War II.
