HMS Olympus (N35)
HMS Olympus taking in supplies in Manoel Creek, Grand Harbour, Malta, December 1941
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| Name: | HMS Olympus |
| Builder: | William Beardmore and Company |
| Laid down: | 14 April 1927 |
| Launched: | 11 December 1928 |
| Commissioned: | 14 June 1930 |
| Identification: | Pennant number: N35 |
| Fate: | Sunk by mine off Malta, 8 May 1942 |
| Badge: |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Odin-class submarine |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 283 ft 8 in (86.5 m) |
| Beam: | 19 ft 11 in (6.1 m) |
| Draught: | 16 ft 1 in (4.9 m) |
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| Speed: |
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| Complement: | 53-55 officers and men |
| Armament: |
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HMS Olympus was an Odin-class submarine, a class originally designed for the Royal Australian Navy to cope with long distance patrolling in Pacific waters. Olympus was built to the same design for the Royal Navy. She served from 1931-1939 on the China Station and 1939-1940 out of Colombo. In 1940 she went to the Mediterranean. She was sunk by a mine off Malta in May 1942.
From 1931 to 1939 Olympus was part of the 4th Flotilla on the China Station. From 1939-1940 she was with the 8th Flotilla, Colombo, Ceylon. In 1940 she was redeployed to the Mediterranean. She was damaged on 7 July 1940 when bombed by Italian aircraft while in dock in Malta. Repairs and refit were completed on 29 November 1940. On 9 November 1941 Olympus attacked the Italian merchant ship Mauro Croce (1,049 GRT) with torpedoes and gunfire in the Gulf of Genoa. The target escaped without damage.
On 8 May 1942 Olympus struck a mine and sank off Malta in approximate position 35°55'N, 14°35'E. She had just left Malta on passage to Gibraltar with personnel including many of the crews of the submarines Pandora, P36 and P39 which had been sunk in air raids. There were only 9 survivors out of 98 aboard. They had to swim 7 miles (11 km) back to Malta. 89 crew and passengers were lost with the ship.
During the War Olympus was adopted by the Town of Peterborough as part of Warship Week. The plaque from this adoption is held by the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth.
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Wikipedia