| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Submarine |
| Class | T |
| Pennant | N 86 |
| Built by | Cammell Laird Shipyard (Birkenhead, U.K.) |
| Ordered | 4 Sep 1939 |
| Laid down | 6 Jan 1940 |
| Launched | 10 Jun 1941 |
| Commissioned | 6 Dec 1941 |
| Lost | 13 Feb 1942 |
| Loss position | 39.15N, 17.45E (See a map) |
| History | On 13 February 1942 HMS Tempest (Lt.Cdr. William Alexander Keith Napier Cavaye, RN) was blown to the surface by depth charges the Italian torpedo boat Circe. Tempest was on patrol in the Gulf of Taranto / Ionian Sea some 30 nautical miles north-east of Crotone, Italy in position 39º15'N, 17º45'E. The Italians tried to take Tempest in tow but this failed since she suddenly started to sink. Around 0300 hours Tempest was detected by an Italian destroyer / torpedo boat that started dropping depth charges. This destroyer never lost contact and dropped depth charges throughout the morning. All depth charges were very close. In each attack minor damage was caused, resulting in it being very difficult to maintain depth control. Around 0900 hours a double pattern of depth charges was dropped causing major damage. The boat was filling with chlorine gas from the cracked battery. Lt.Cdr. Cavaye ordered to surface and abandon ship. The Italian destroyer picked up 3 officers and 20 ratings from the water. Tempest did not sink dispite attempts to scuttle her. She was eventually sunk by the Italians as she was beyond salvage. |
Commands listed for HMS Tempest (N 86)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Lt.Cdr. William Alexander Keith Napier Cavaye, RN | 8 Oct 1941 | 13 Feb 1942 (+) |
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Noteable events involving Tempest include:
2 Dec 1941
HMS Tempest (Lt.Cdr. W.A.K.N. Cavaye, RN) departs her builders yard at Liverpool for Holy Loch.
3 Dec 1941
HMS Tempest (Lt.Cdr. W.A.K.N. Cavaye, RN) arrives at Holy Loch for a period of trials and exercises.
3 Jan 1942
HMS Tempest (Lt.Cdr. W.A.K.N. Cavaye, RN) departs Holy Loch for Gibraltar.
For the daily and attack positions of HMS Tempest during this passage see the map below.
HMS Tempest passage Holy Loch - Gibraltar click here for bigger map
11 Jan 1942
HMS Tempest (Lt.Cdr. W.A.K.N. Cavaye, RN) arrives at Gibraltar.
21 Jan 1942
HMS Tempest (Lt.Cdr. W.A.K.N. Cavaye, RN) departs Gibraltar for her 1st war patrol. This is a work up patrol in the Alboran Sea (East of Gibraltar).
(As no log is available for this period it is not possible to display a map.)
27 Jan 1942
HMS Tempest (Lt.Cdr. W.A.K.N. Cavaye, RN) ends her 1st war patrol at Gibraltar.
1 Feb 1942
HMS Tempest (Lt.Cdr. W.A.K.N. Cavaye, RN) departs Gibraltar for Malta.
(As no log is available for this period it is not possible to display a map.)
8 Feb 1942
HMS Tempest (Lt.Cdr. W.A.K.N. Cavaye, RN) arrives at Malta.
10 Feb 1942
HMS Tempest (Lt.Cdr. W.A.K.N. Cavaye, RN) departs Malta for her 2nd war patrol. She is to patrol in the Gulf of Taranto in a line with HMS Una (Lt. D.S.R. Martin, RN) and HMS Upright (Lt. J.W.D. Coombe, RN). HMS Tempest was in the centre of this patrol line.
At the end of this patrol Tempest was to proceed to Alexandria to join the 1st Submarine Flotilla.
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