Talk:HMS Urge/@comment-50.100.100.240-20190323034528

HMS Urge and U 205

The wreck found at Ras Hilal is that of the German submarine U 205. On 17 February 1943, this U-boat was depth-charged and brought to the surface by the destroyers HMS Paladin and HMS Jervis, assisted by a Bisley aircraft from 15 Squadron (SAAF) and a Hudson of 459 Squadron (RAF). The Germans surrendered, the submarine was boarded, and secret documents retrieved. The corvette HMS Gloxinia arrived on the scene and was ordered to take her in tow and beach her at Ras Hilal. However, the submarine was taking water, the tow parted some 6 cables (about 1,100 metres) from the beach at Ras Hilal and she sank in 22 fathoms of water.

A team of divers led by Commander Bartlet, RN, was sent from Alexandria and carried out a series of dives on the wreck on 26-27 February 1943 to retrieve a secret aerial supposedly used to detect ASV (radar-equipped) aircraft and a new type of torpedo known to be on the U-boat. They were unsuccessful.

The report that the wreck is that of HMS Urge is a fantasy. She had sailing orders to go straight from Malta to Alexandria during the evacuation of Malta in April 1942 and there was no mention at all in a subsequent inquiry that she was ordered to Ras Hilal.

The San Giusto file at the Ufficio Storico Della Marina Militare (Rome) makes no mention of a submarine attack on 29 April 1942 neither that of the 6th R-Flotilla. The supposed “submarine” attack appears from misinterpreted signals in Rome and an over eager fighter pilot who never claimed to have sunk the "submarine". Numerous so-called submarines attacked were later assessed as dolphins. Bogus signals of the sort were quite common during the war.

The claim by the torpedo boat Pegaso is equally false as the supposed sinking occurred SE of Calabria  on 9 May and HMS Urge should have reached Alexandria three days before.

Sources:

ADM199/432, ADM1/14342, ADM199/2060 (TNA, Kew).

Motoveliero San Giusto (V.32) file (Archivio 37 Mercantile, cartella S20), Avvistamento Sommergibili (Archivio XIII).

Platon Alexiades