Allied Warships

HMS Utmost (N 19)

Submarine of the U class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeSubmarine
ClassU 
PennantN 19 
Built byVickers Armstrong (Barrow-in-Furness, U.K.) 
Ordered 
Laid down2 Nov 1939 
Launched20 Apr 1940 
Commissioned17 Aug 1940 
Lost25 Nov 1942 
Loss position38.31N, 12.01E (See a map)
 
History

On 25 November 1942 HMS Utmost (Lt. John Walter David Coombe, RN) was sunk about 40 nautical miles west-north-west of Capo San Vito, Sicily, Italy in position 38º31'N, 12º01'E by depth charges from the Italian torpedo boat Groppo.

Commanding Officers:
Lt. John Henry Eaden, DSC, RN
24 June 1940 - 30 January 1941
Promoted to Lt.Cdr. on 1 October 1940

Lt.Cdr. Richard Douglas Cayley, RN
30 January 1941 - ???
DSO awarded on 29 July 1941
Bar to DSO awarded on 5 May 1942
2nd Bar to DSO awarded on 12 May 1942

Lt. John Walter David Coombe, RN
??? - 25 November 1942+

 

Commands listed for HMS Utmost (N 19)

Please note that we're still working on this section.

CommanderFromTo
1Lt. John Henry Eaden, DSC, RN24 Jun 194030 Jan 1941
2Lt.Cdr. Richard Douglas Cayley, RN30 Jan 1941???

3Lt. John Walter David Coombe, RN???25 Nov 1942 (+)

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Noteable events involving Utmost include:


12 Feb 1941
HMS Utmost (Lt.Cdr. R.D. Cayley, RN) torpedoes and damages the Italian merchant Manfredo Camperio (5463 GRT) off Tripoli, Libya in position 35º41'N, 23º01'E. (see map)

9 Mar 1941
HMS Utmost (Lt.Cdr. R.D. Cayley, RN) torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Capo Vita (5683 GRT) about 30 nautical miles north-east of Sousse, Tunisia in position 36º09'N, 11º07'E. (see map)

28 Mar 1941
HMS Utmost (Lt.Cdr. R.D. Cayley, RN) attacks a convoy of 5 German merchants and three Italian destroyers and torpedoes and sinks the German merchants Heraklea (1927 GRT) and torpedoed and damages the Ruhr (5954 GRT) 22 nautical miles south-east of Kuriat, Tunisia in position 35º40'N, 11º19'E. (see map)

30 May 1941
HMS Utmost (Lt.Cdr. R.D. Cayley, RN) makes a torpedo attack on a convoy made up of the German merchant Tilly L.M. Russ (1600 GRT) and the Italian merchant Cadamosto (989 GRT) escorted by the Italian torpedo boats Pallade and Polluce off Sirte. All torpedoes fired missed their targets.

26 Jun 1941
HMS Utmost (Lt.Cdr. R.D. Cayley, RN) torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Enrico Costa (4080 BRT) 4 nautical miles from Cape Todaro, Sicily, Italy in position 38º07'N, 14º37'E.

At 1200 hours a part laden merchant ship of about 6000 tons was sighted bearing 060, 5 nautical miles away. Utmost closed to 1100 yards and fired two torpedoes. One of the torpedoes hit amidships. The crew abandoned ship but this did not sink. Utmost later fired a third torpedo that hit and sank the ship (see map)

28 Jul 1941
HMS Utmost (Lt.Cdr. R.D. Cayley, RN) torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Frederico C. (1466 GRT) in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea of the west coast of Calabria, Italy in position 39º28'N, 15º52'E. (see map)

1 Nov 1941
HMS Utmost (Lt. J.D. Martin, RN) destroys the (already grounded and damaged) Italian merchant Marigola (5996 GRT) off Kuriat Island, Tunisia.

2 Nov 1941
ORP Sokol (Lt.Cdr. B. Karnicki) and HMS Utmost (Lt. J.D. Martin, RN) together sink the Italian merchant Balilla (2469 BRT) about 20 nautical miles north-west of Capo San Vito, Sicily, Italy in position 38º22'N, 12º20'E. (see map)

12 Dec 1941
HMS Utmost (Lt.Cdr. R.D. Cayley, RN) attacks the Italian merchant Fabio Filzi (6836 GRT) in the Gulf of Taranto in position 39º47'N, 17º22'E. Both torpedoes fired missed their target. (see map)

10 Aug 1942
HMS Utmost (Lt. A.W. Langridge, RN) fires four torpedoes against the Italian merchant Siculo off Marettimo. All torpedoes missed their target.

13 Oct 1942
HMS Utmost (Lt. J.W.D. Coombe, RN) torpedoes and sinks the German tanker Languste (2070 GRT) off Cape Figari, Sardinia, Italy in position 41º01'N, 09º38'E. (see map)

23 Nov 1942
HMS Utmost (Lt. J.W.D. Coombe, RN) possibly attacks the Italian auxiliary minelayer Barletta (332 GRT) with torpedoes about 40 nautical miles north-west of Capo San Vita, Sicily, Italy in position 38º31'N, 12º01'E. All torpedoes missed their target. (see map)

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