HMS Tempest (N86) was a Royal Navy T-class submarine built by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead. Although she was commissioned only in December 1941, she quickly joined the Mediterranean submarine campaign and was lost after one of the most prolonged anti-submarine actions of the war.
Construction
- Builder: Cammell Laird & Co., Birkenhead
- Laid down: 1940
- Launched: 10 June 1941
- Commissioned: 6 December 1941
- Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Commander William Alexander Keith Napier Cavaye, RN
Mediterranean Service
After working up in home waters, Tempest was sent to the Mediterranean and operated from Malta against Axis shipping supplying North Africa. Like Upholder, P38, P39 and P36, she formed part of the submarine offensive aimed at cutting Rommel's supply lines.
The Battle with Circe
On 10 February 1942, Tempest sailed from Malta to patrol the Gulf of Taranto. Italian forces had indications that a British submarine was operating in the area and anti-submarine units were on alert.
During the early hours of 13 February 1942, the Italian torpedo boat Circe detected Tempest and began a determined depth-charge attack. The pursuit lasted for approximately seven hours.
Repeated depth-charge attacks caused:
- Serious structural damage.
- Cracked batteries.
- Chlorine gas flooding parts of the submarine.
- Increasing difficulty maintaining depth control.
By about 0900, Tempest's situation had become hopeless. Commander Cavaye ordered the submarine to surface and the crew to abandon ship.
Loss of the Submarine
The Italians rescued 23 survivors, including officers and ratings, from the water. Many others were lost during the action.
Attempts were made to capture the submarine intact:
- Italian sailors boarded Tempest.
- A towline was attached.
- Before she could be taken into port, the damaged submarine suddenly began to sink.
The boarding party jumped clear and HMS Tempest sank stern-first into the Ionian Sea. The Italians later regarded the submarine as beyond salvage and she was effectively scuttled.
Significance
Tempest's loss was notable because, unlike submarines such as P38 and Upholder, she was not immediately destroyed. Instead, she survived hours of attack before being forced to the surface. The action demonstrated both the effectiveness of Italian anti-submarine tactics and the resilience of the T-class design.
Key Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Pennant Number | N86 |
| Class | T-class submarine |
| Builder | Cammell Laird, Birkenhead |
| Commissioned | 6 December 1941 |
| Commander | Lt Cdr W. A. K. N. Cavaye |
| Area of Operations | Mediterranean / Gulf of Taranto |
| Lost | 13 February 1942 |
| Cause | Depth-charge attack by Italian torpedo boat Circe |
| Survivors | 23 rescued by the Italians |
| Position | 39°15'N, 17°45'E |
An interesting historical link is that both HMS Tempest and HMS P38 were destroyed by the Italian torpedo boat Circe within ten days of each other in February 1942, making Circe one of the most successful anti-submarine escorts operating against the Malta-based submarine force.
