HMS Unique (N95) was a U-class submarine of the Royal Navy, built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 30 October 1939, launched on 6 June 1940, and commissioned on 27 September 1940.
Wartime Service
Unique served mainly in the Mediterranean with the 10th Submarine Flotilla based at Malta. Her successes included:
- Sinking the Italian passenger-cargo ship Fenicia on 10 March 1941.
- Sinking the Italian troop transport Esperia in August 1941.
- Damaging the Italian cargo ship Arsia, later declared a total loss.
- Making an unsuccessful attack on the Italian battleship Littorio on 5 January 1942.
Loss
After refitting in Britain, Unique sailed from Holy Loch on 7 October 1942 for Gibraltar, with orders to patrol in the Bay of Biscay en route. She parted company with her escort off Land's End on 9 October 1942 and was never heard from again.
The exact cause of her loss remains unknown.
Two leading theories exist:
- Explosions heard on 10 October 1942 by HMS Ursula may have indicated that Unique had come under attack and been lost. No German unit, however, made a confirmed sinking claim.
- More recent research suggests she may have been lost on 13 October 1942 while attacking the German tanker Spichern in the Bay of Biscay. One of her torpedoes may have suffered a premature explosion, severely damaging or destroying the submarine.
Unique failed to arrive at Gibraltar and was officially reported overdue on 24 October 1942. All hands were lost.
Commanding Officers
- Lt. Anthony Foster Collett
- Lt. Arthur Richard Hezlet (later Vice Admiral Sir Arthur Hezlet)
- Lt. Robert Evelyn Boddington (final commanding officer)
Assessment
HMS Unique was one of the more successful early Malta submarines, particularly noted for sinking the large troopship Esperia, a significant blow to Axis transport operations in the Mediterranean. Her final fate remains one of the unresolved mysteries of Royal Navy submarine history.
