HMS Splendid was a highly successful Third Group S-class submarine of the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Built at Chatham Dockyard, she was laid down on 7 March 1941, launched on 19 January 1942, and commissioned on 8 August 1942 under the command of Lieutenant Ian Lachlan Mackay McGeogh, DSO.
Specifications
- Class: S-class submarine (Third Group)
- Pennant Number: P228 (originally P78)
- Builder: Chatham Dockyard
- Length: 217 ft (66.1 m)
- Displacement: 865 tons surfaced, 990 tons submerged
- Crew: 48 officers and ratings
Operational Successes
After training in British waters, Splendid was sent to the Mediterranean, where she rapidly became one of the Royal Navy's most successful submarines. Between late 1942 and April 1943 she sank numerous Italian merchant vessels, tankers, and warships.
Her most notable success was the sinking of the Italian destroyer Aviere on 17 December 1942. She also sank or damaged shipping totalling more than 30,000 tons, making her the most successful British submarine by tonnage sunk during the period from November 1942 to May 1943.
Loss of the Submarine
On 21 April 1943, while patrolling south of Capri near Naples, Splendid was detected by the German destroyer ZG-3 Hermes. The destroyer carried out a sustained depth-charge attack which badly damaged the submarine and forced her to the surface.
Unable to continue fighting underwater, Lieutenant McGeogh ordered the crew to abandon ship. Following a brief engagement on the surface, the submarine was scuttled to prevent capture.
Casualties
- 18 men were lost when the submarine was sunk.
- The commanding officer and most of the surviving crew were rescued by the Germans and spent the remainder of the war as prisoners of war.
Legacy
HMS Splendid's wartime career lasted only about eight months, yet she became one of Britain's most effective Mediterranean submarines. Her aggressive operations against Axis shipping earned her a distinguished place in Royal Navy submarine history.
Fate: Scuttled on 21 April 1943 after being depth-charged and forced to the surface by the German destroyer Hermes off Capri, Italy.
