HMS Undine (N48)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Undine.

HMS Undine
History
Name	HMS Undine
Builder	Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down	19 February 1937
Launched	5 October 1937
Commissioned	21 August 1938
Fate	Sunk 7 January 1940
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	British U-class submarine
Displacement	Surfaced - 540 tons standard, 630 tons full load Submerged - 730 tons
Length	58.22 m (191.5 ft)
Beam	4.90 m (16 ft 1 in)
Draught	4.62 m (15 ft 2 in)
Propulsion	2 shaft diesel-electric 2 Paxman Ricardo diesel generators + electric motors 615 / 825 hp
Speed	11.25 knots max surfaced 10 knots max submerged
Complement	27
Armament	4 bow internal 21 inch torpedo tubes, 2 external 10 torpedoes 3 anti-aircraft machine guns

HMS Undine was a British U-class submarine built by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 19 February 1937 and was commissioned on 21 August 1938. She was the lead ship of the first group of the U class, which is sometimes called the Undine class.

Sinking

Undine was on her fourth war patrol in January 1940 when her sonar failed due to a leak. At 0940 on 7 January, she sighted what was thought to be three trawlers 20 miles west of Heligoland; but were in fact the German auxiliary minesweepers M-1201, M-1204 and M-1207. She unsuccessfully attacked the leading vessel, but the minesweepers counter attacked and forced her to dive. Undine was at 50 feet and proceeding blind due to the loss of sonar. After five minutes with no further attacks, she raised her periscope. As she did so, an explosion shook the submarine, blowing her upwards and rendering the hydroplanes useless. Without the use of the hydroplanes, escape would have been impossible and the order to abandon ship was given. Whilst the crew entered the water, to be picked up by the minesweepers, Undine was scuttled.

See also

• List of shipwrecks in 1940

References

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• Hutchinson, Robert (2001). Jane's Submarines: War Beneath the Waves from 1776 to the Present Day. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-710558-8. OCLC 53783010.