| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Submarine |
| Class | T |
| Pennant | N 25 |
| Built by | Cammell Laird Shipyard (Birkenhead, U.K.) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 21 Dec 1936 |
| Launched | 29 Jun 1938 |
| Commissioned | 26 Oct 1940 |
| Lost | 14 Mar 1943 |
| Loss position | |
| History | HMS Thetis was commissioned on 4 March 1939. On 1 June 1939 HMS Thetis (Lt.Cdr. Guy H. Bolus, RN) was lost in an accident during a trial dive in Liverpool Bay. Of the 103 men aboard 99 died and only 4 survived. 45 of the 103 on board during the dive were personel from the builders, admiralty officials and new commanders. Thetis was salvaged, repaired and commissioned as HMS Thunderbolt on 26 October 1940. On 14 March 1943 HMS Thunderbold (Lt. Cdr. Celil Bernard Crouch, DSO and Bar, RN) was sunk by the Italian corvette Cicogna off Capo San Vito, Sicily, Italy. HMS Thunderbold was reported overdue on 28 March 1943. Commanding Officer: |
| Former name | HMS Thetis |
Commands listed for HMS Thunderbolt (N 25)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Lt. Cecil Bernard Crouch, RN | 16 Sep 1940 | 14 Mar 1943 (+) |
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Noteable events involving Thunderbolt include:
15 Dec 1940
At 1017 hours the Italian submarine Capitano Tarantini (offsite link) was torpedoed and sunk south-west of the Gironde Estuary near Bordeaux, France in position 45º25'N, 01º22'W by the British submarine HMS Thunderbolt (Lt. C.B. Crouch, RN). (see map)
15 Jun 1941
HMS Thunderbolt (Lt. C.B. Crouch, DSO, RN) fires torpedoes at the German submarine U-557 in the North Atlantic in position 42º00'N, 47º00'W. The torpedoes however miss their target.
At 1155 hours (time zone +3) HMS Thunderbolt spots the conning tower of a German submarine about 3.5 nautical miles away. Due to the sea conditions contact was lost.
At 1243 hours contact was gained again at 5000 yards. At 1250 hours a salvo of 6 torpedoes was fired from 4300 yards (2 torpedoes misfired and did not left the torpedo tubes). No explosions were heard after 5 minutes so no hits were obtained.
At 1312 hours another two torpedoes were fired but these also missed. Lt. Crouch decided to prepair for gun action but the suprise was gone as the uboat was seen to follow up the torpedo tracks. Lt. Crouch decided to go deep. (see map)
7 Sep 1941
HMS Thunderbolt (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO, RN) torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Sirena (974 GRT) about 50 miles west of Benghasi, Libya.
10 Sep 1941
HMS Thunderbolt (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO, RN) sinks the Italian auxiliary patrol vessel V 224 / Svan I (388 GRT) with gunfire in the Gulf of Syrte off Marsa el Auegia.
11 Sep 1941
HMS Thunderbolt (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO, RN) torpedoes and sinks the German merchant Livorno (1829 GRT) about 35 nautical miles west-south-west of Benghazi, Libya in position 31º58'N 19º23'E. (see map)
14 Sep 1941
HMS Thunderbolt (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO, RN) fires three torpedoes against the German merchant Tinos (2826 GRT) about 30 nautical miles north-west of Benghazi, Libya. All torpedoes fires missed their target.
10 Oct 1941
HMS Thunderbolt (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO, RN) sinks the Italian sailing vessel Citta di Simi (25 GRT) with gunfire some 12 miles north-east of Cape Sidero, Crete in position 35º31'N, 26º25'E. (see map)
25 Nov 1941
HMS Thunderbolt (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO, RN) sinks the German sailing vessel L VII (300 BRT) with gunfire off Kythera, Greece.
2 Jan 1942
HMS Thunderbolt (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO, RN) torpedoes and damages the Italian merchant Anna Capano (1216 GRT) off Argostoli, Keffalonia Island, Greece.
4 Jan 1942
HMS Thunderbolt (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO, RN) sinks the Italian auxiliary minesweeper R 195 / Nuovo San Pietro (32 GRT) with gunfire west off Keffalonia Island, Greece.
30 Jan 1942
HMS Thunderbolt (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO, RN) fires four torpedoes against the Italian torpedo boat Solferino in the Ionian Sea.
1 Feb 1942
HMS Thunderbolt (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO, RN) torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Absirtea (4170 GRT) about 6 nautical miles bearing 320 of Cape Dukato, Greece in aproximate position 38º40'N, 20º30'E. (see map)
3 Feb 1942
HMS Thunderbolt (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO, RN) damages the Italian auxiliary submarine chaser AS 80 / Lanciotto Piero (180 BRT) with gunfire off Gheregambe.
6 Feb 1942
HMS Thunderbolt (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO, RN) attacks the German submarine U-431 south-west of Crete in position 34º36'N, 23º22'E. The German submarine escapes unharmed. (see map)
8 Feb 1942
HMS Thunderbolt (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO, RN) damages the Italian sailing vessel Maria Grazia Siliato with gunfire 12 nautical miles east of Brindisi, Italy.
13 Feb 1943
HMS Thunderbolt (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO and Bar, RN) sinks the Italian auxiliary minesweeper No.112 / Mafalda (44 GRT) with gunfire off Isola Lungha (Dugi Otok, Croatia).
18 Feb 1943
HMS Thunderbold (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO and Bar, RN) damages the Italian auxiliary patrol vessel F 95 / San Giorgio (364 GRT) with gunfire north-west of Pola in position 45º02'N, 13º35'E. (see map)
20 Feb 1943
HMS Thunderbold (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO and Bar, RN) sinks an Italian sailing vessel with gunfire off Bari.
12 Mar 1943
HMS Thunderbold (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Crouch, DSO and Bar, RN) torpedoes and sinks (later raised) the French merchant (in German service) Esterel (3100 GRT) off Capo San Vito, Sicily, Italy.