Allied Warships

HMS Terrapin (P 323)

Submarine of the T class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeSubmarine
ClassT 
PennantP 323 
Built byVickers Armstrong (Barrow-in-Furness, U.K.) : Bellis & Morcom (Ladywood, U.K.) 
Ordered 
Laid down19 Oct 1942 
Launched31 Aug 1943 
Commissioned22 Jan 1944 
End service 
Loss position
 
History

HMS Terrapin (Lt. Robert Henry Hugh Brunner, DSC, RN) was damaged on 19 May 1945 while west of Batavia, Java in the Java Sea by depth charges from Japanese escort vessels while attacking an escorted tanker. She escaped and returned to Fremantle, Australia. She was declared a constructive total loss on return to harbour, and was scrapped in June 1946.

Commanding Officers:
Lt. Desmond Samuel Royst Martin, DSO and Bar, RN
10 October 1943 - 30 August 1944
Promoted to Lt.Cdr. on 23 March 1944
DSO and 2nd Bar awarded on 2 November 1943

Lt. Robert Henry Hugh Brunner, DSC, RN
30 August 1944 - still in command in October 1945 according to the Navy List

 

Commands listed for HMS Terrapin (P 323)

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CommanderFromTo
1Lt. Desmond Samuel Royst Martin, DSO, RN10 Oct 194330 Aug 1944
2Lt. Robert Henry Hugh Brunner, RN30 Aug 1944Oct 1945 ?

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Noteable events involving Terrapin include:


24 Mar 1944
HMS Terrapin (Lt.Cdr. D.S.R. Martin, DSO and 2 bars, RN) attacks a German convoy off Egersund, Norway in position 58º09'N, 06º28'E and torpedoes and damages the German kataput ship Schwabenland (8186 GRT) and the German tanker Wörth (6256 GRT, former Dutch Omala). The Schwabenland is grounded to prevent her from sinking and the Wörth is towed to port. (see map)

5 Aug 1944
HMS Terrapin (Lt.Cdr. D.S.R. Martin, DSO and 2 bars, RN) bombards Japanese installations at Gunung Sitoli (Nias Island), western Sumatra. She also sinks a Japanese coaster with gunfire and damages another.

30 Oct 1944
HMS Terrapin (Lt. R.H.H. Brunner, RN) sinks three Japanese sailing vessels with gunfire in the Malacca Strait.

2 Nov 1944
HMS Terrapin (Lt. R.H.H. Brunner, RN) sinks the Japanese auxiliary netlayer Kumano Maru (872 GRT) in Strait of Malacca in position 01º30'N, 103º00'E. (see map)

4 Nov 1944
HMS Terrapin (Lt. R.H.H. Brunner, RN) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese minesweeper W 5 (620 tons, offsite link) in Malacca Strait in position 03º44'N, 99º50'E. (see map)

22 Dec 1944
HMS Trenchant (Lt.Cdr. A.R. Hezlet, DSC, RN) and HMS Terrapin (Lt. R.H.H. Brunner, RN) together sink the Japanese tanker Yaei Maru No.6 (834 GRT) with gunfire off the south side of the Japanese Fleet anchorage at Lingga Roads in position 01º04'S, 104º34'E. (see map)

25 Dec 1944
HMS Trenchant (Lt.Cdr. A.R. Hezlet, DSC, RN) and HMS Terrapin (Lt. R.H.H. Brunner, RN) sink the Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Reisui Maru (219 BRT). They also claim a fishing vessel and three coasters.

29 Dec 1944
HMS Terrapin (Lt. R.H.H. Brunner, RN) sinks a Japanese sailing vessel with gunfire in the Malacca Strait.

30 Dec 1944
HMS Terrapin (Lt. R.H.H. Brunner, RN) sinks two Japanese sailing vessels with gunfire in the Malacca Strait.

24 Feb 1945
While operating together HMS Terrapin (Lt. R.H.H. Brunner, RN) and HMS Trenchant (Cdr. A.R. Hezlet, DSO, DSC, RN) sink 4 coasters (totaling an estimated 800 tgr) with gunfire in the Strait of Malacca.

Terrapin herself sank another small craft with gunfire.

1 Mar 1945
HMS Terrapin (Lt. R.H.H. Brunner, RN) sinks two Japanese sailing vessels with gunfire in the Strait of Malacca.

2 Mar 1945
HMS Terrapin (Lt. R.H.H. Brunner, RN) sinks a Japanese sailing vessel with gunfire in the Strait of Malacca in position 03º28'N, 101º00'E. (see map)

4 Mar 1945
While operating together HMS Terrapin (Lt. R.H.H. Brunner) and HMS Trenchant (Cdr. A.R. Hezlet, DSO, DSC, RN) sink the Japanese submarine chaser Ch 8 with gunfire in the Strait of Malacca about 85 nautical miles south of Penang in position 04º04'N, 100º35'E. (see map)

17 May 1945
HMS Terrapin (Lt. R.H.H. Brunner, DSC, RN) sinks a Japanese sailing vessel and damages another with gunfire in the western part of the Java Sea.

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