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HMS Urge (N17)
Encyclopedia
HMS Urge was a British U class submarine
, of the second group of that class, built by Vickers Armstrong
, Barrow-in-Furness
. She was laid down on 30 October 1939 and was commissioned on 12 December 1940. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy
to bear the name Urge.
and the Italian light cruiser Giovanni delle Bande Nere
, on 1 April 1942; she also damaged the Italian passenger ship Aquitania, and the Italian merchant ship Marigola. The Marigolda was already grounded after being torpedoed by aircraft on 24 September 1941. She also torpedoed and damaged the Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto
on 13 December 1941, during the operations around the First Battle of Sirte
. She was unlucky on numerous occasions however, making failed attacks on the Italian merchant Capo Orso, the Italian tankers Superga and Pozarica, the Italian destroyer Alpino, the German merchant Ingo, the Italian heavy cruiser Bolzano
and the Italian troop transport Victoria. She also unsuccessfully attacked an unidentified armed merchant cruiser south of the Strait of Messina.
on 27 April 1942. She failed to arrive at Alexandria on 6 May 1942 and was reported overdue on that day. On 29 April she attacked the Italian sailing vessel San Giusto off Ras Hilal: in the immediate area was a small convoy of three German MFPs, escorted by an Italian Cr.42
biplane. As the submarine was engaged in the attack against the sailing ship, she was dive-bombed and sunk with all hands by the plane. For sometime, the theory was that she had been sunk by the Torpedo Boat Pegaso. But that Urge was sunk by the escorting biplane has been confirmed by witnesses on board the MFPs.
British U class submarine
The British U class submarines were a class of 49 small submarines built just before and during the Second World War...
, of the second group of that class, built by Vickers Armstrong
Vickers Armstrong
Vickers-Armstrongs Limited was a British engineering conglomerate formed by the merger of the assets of Vickers Limited and Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Company in 1927...
, Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
. She was laid down on 30 October 1939 and was commissioned on 12 December 1940. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
to bear the name Urge.
Career
Urge spent most of her career operating in the Mediterranean, where she sank the Italian tanker Franco Martelliand the Italian light cruiser Giovanni delle Bande Nere
Italian cruiser Giovanni dalle Bande Nere
Giovanni delle Bande Nere was an Italian light cruiser of the first group of the Condottieri class, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was named after the eponymous 16th century condottiero and member of the Medici family...
, on 1 April 1942; she also damaged the Italian passenger ship Aquitania, and the Italian merchant ship Marigola. The Marigolda was already grounded after being torpedoed by aircraft on 24 September 1941. She also torpedoed and damaged the Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto
Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto
Vittorio Veneto was the lead ship of her class of battleships that served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was named after the Italian victory at Vittorio Veneto, during World War I.-Construction:...
on 13 December 1941, during the operations around the First Battle of Sirte
First Battle of Sirte
The First Battle of Sirte was fought between the British Royal Navy and the Regia Marina during the Mediterranean campaign of the Second World War. The engagement took place on 17 December 1941, southeast of Malta, in the Gulf of Sirte...
. She was unlucky on numerous occasions however, making failed attacks on the Italian merchant Capo Orso, the Italian tankers Superga and Pozarica, the Italian destroyer Alpino, the German merchant Ingo, the Italian heavy cruiser Bolzano
Trento class cruiser
The Trento class was an Italian heavy cruiser design of the Regia Marina from the late 1920s. The three ships of the class were named after the three unredeemed cities taken from the Austro-Hungarian empire after the victory in World War I, Trento, Trieste, and Bolzano.The Trentos were the first...
and the Italian troop transport Victoria. She also unsuccessfully attacked an unidentified armed merchant cruiser south of the Strait of Messina.
Sinking
Urge left MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
on 27 April 1942. She failed to arrive at Alexandria on 6 May 1942 and was reported overdue on that day. On 29 April she attacked the Italian sailing vessel San Giusto off Ras Hilal: in the immediate area was a small convoy of three German MFPs, escorted by an Italian Cr.42
Fiat CR.42
The Fiat CR.42 Falco was a single-seat sesquiplane fighter which served primarily in Italy's Regia Aeronautica before and during World War II. The aircraft was produced by the Turin firm, and entered service, in smaller numbers, with the air forces of Belgium, Sweden and Hungary...
biplane. As the submarine was engaged in the attack against the sailing ship, she was dive-bombed and sunk with all hands by the plane. For sometime, the theory was that she had been sunk by the Torpedo Boat Pegaso. But that Urge was sunk by the escorting biplane has been confirmed by witnesses on board the MFPs.