Action of 14 February 1944

Date	14 February 1944
Location	near Penang, Malaysia, Indian Ocean 04º27'N, 100º11'E
Result	British victory

Belligerents

United Kingdom

Nazi Germany

Commanders and leaders

Leslie W. A. Bennington

Werner Striegler

Strength

1 submarine

Casualties and losses

none

26 killed,
1 submarine sunk

The Action of 14 February 1944 refers to the sinking of a German U-boat off the Strait of Malacca during World War II by a British submarine. It was one of the few naval engagements of the Asian and Pacific theater involving German and Italian forces.

Following Italy's surrender to the Allies, a group of Italian submarines — including the Reginaldo Giuliani — were interned at Singapore by the occupying Japanese military on 10 September 1943. The Japanese turned the vessels over to the Kriegsmarine which operated several bases in southeast Asia. Reginaldo Giuliani had been converted to cargo service after being found unsatisfactory in an offensive role. The Kriegsmarine renamed her UIT-23, and she sailed for France on 15 February 1944 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Werner Striegler with a cargo of tin, quinine and other goods. Aboard UIT-23 were several Italian submariners who made up part of the boat's crew.

The submarine was cruising on the surface about 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) south of Penang, Malaysia just off the western mouth of the Strait of Malacca when it was discovered by the British submarine HMS Tally-Ho, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Leslie Bennington of the 4th Submarine Flotilla. Tally-Ho was campaigning in the strait, where she sank several axis vessels. Bennington was also cruising on the surface, patrolling for Japanese shipping, when she sighted UIT-23 in the daytime. Tally-Ho attacked at full speed. Tally-Ho and UIT-23 were headed straight for one another when they both fired a spread of torpedoes.

...
Wikipedia