HMS Perseus (N36)
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS Perseus |
| Namesake | Perseus |
| Builder | Barrow in Furness |
| Laid down | 2 July 1928 |
| Launched | 22 May 1929 |
| Commissioned | 15 April 1930 |
| Identification | Pennant number: N36 |
| Fate | Sunk by mine 6 December 1941 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Parthian-class submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 260 ft (79 m) |
| Beam | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
| Draught | 13 ft 8 in (4.17 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range | 8,500 nmi (15,700 km) at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h) |
| Complement | 59 |
| Armament |
|
HMS Perseus was a British
At the start of the war she was operating under the command of
Attached to the 1st Submarine Flotilla based in
Perseus sailed from Malta for Alexandria on 26 November 1941 with instructions to patrol waters to the east of Greece during her passage. She apparently torpedoed a ship on 3 December, but at 10 pm on 6 December she struck an Italian mine off Cephalonia, 7 miles (11 km) north of Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea.
Of the 61 on board, the only survivor was 31-year-old
The wreck, at 52 metres (171 ft) below the surface, was discovered and surveyed in 1997 by a dive team led by Kostas Thoctarides.
The Perseus lies on the seabed with a starboard list. The only significant damage to the vessel is a crack on the port side near the bow, caused by the collision with the mine. The rest of the hull is in good condition. Her gun, her steering wheel, and everything else is in place. Her compasses, which are still working, show her last course. The escape hatch of the stern compartment is open.
Divers found the anchor of an Italian mine close to Perseus; which would appear to be the cause of her sinking. British authorities had assumed that this was the case, but it had never been confirmed.
On 19 and 20 May 2000, memorial ceremonies were held in Cephalonia in honour of the Perseus' crew. They were attended by relatives of the deceased (including John Capes' daughter), members of the Submarine Old Comrade's Association, locals who hid Capes, and a member of the caique crew who transported Capes to Smyrna (amongst others).[3][4]
References
- ^ "Submarine Casualties Booklet". U.S. Naval Submarine School. 1966. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2009.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help)CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Clayton, Tim (2 December 2011). "Submarine escape: A WWII survival tale from Kefalonia". BBC. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
- ISBN 960-8159-07-5.
- ^ Smith, Helena (31 August 2000). "Corelli's island split by Briton's great escape". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
37°54′0″N 20°54′0″E / 37.90000°N 20.90000°E
External links
- HMS Perseus submarine Video, 24 mins. Diving to the wreck site.
- Υποβρύχιο Περσεύς - Διαφυγή από το Θάνατο (HMS Perseus submarine). Video, 29 mins.
- H.M.Submarine Perseus 2007 in .... Video. Diver inside the wreck.
- Royal Navy submarine "HMS Perseus", Kefalonia Island, Greece. Video, 1 min 26 secs. Dive on the wreck.
- The Man Who Survived for 18 Months On an Island After His Submarine Sank. Video, 10 mins.
- "The great escape". Divernet. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2006.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - RN Subs HMS Perseus
- Greek Navy website with information on Perseus and the diving expedition that located the wreck Archived 20 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
