HMS Thrasher (N37)
_underway_(IWM_FL_009745).jpg)
HMS Thrasher underway
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| History | |
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 United Kingdom
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| Builder: | Cammell Laird & Co Limited, Birkenhead |
| Laid down: | 14 November 1939 |
| Launched: | 28 November 1940 |
| Commissioned: | 14 May 1941 |
| Fate: | scrapped 9 March 1947 |
| Badge: |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | British T class submarine |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 275 ft (84 m) |
| Beam: | 26 ft 6 in (8.08 m) |
| Draught: | 16.3 ft (5.0 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: |
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| Range: | 4,500 nautical miles at 11 knots (8,330 km at 20 km/h) surfaced |
| Test depth: | 300 ft (91 m) max |
| Complement: | 61 |
| Armament: |
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HMS Thrasher (N37) was a T-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Cammell Laird & Co Limited, Birkenhead, launched in November 1940, and had an active career in the Mediterranean and Pacific Far East.
Thrasher began her service by heavily damaging the French fishing vessel Virgo Fidelis in the Bay of Biscay, while in transit to the Mediterranean. The Virgo Fidelis was beached, but declared a total loss. Also in the Mediterranean she sank a number of ships, including three Greek sailing vessels, one of which was the San Stefano; the Italian sailing vessel Esperia; the Italian merchants Attilio Deffenu, Fedora, Gala, Penelope, Lero, Sant'Antonio and Padenna; the German army cargo ship Atlas; the Italian tugs Pilo and Roma; and the Italian aviso Diana. She also unsuccessfully attacked the German transport Ankara and the German merchant Arkadia. She also attacked the German barge F 184, but was forced to withdraw due to return fire. In July 1942, Thrasher was bombed in error by a British Fairey Swordfish aircraft off Port Said, Egypt, causing damage that took a month to repair.
Thrasher sank 20,000 long tons (22,000 short tons; 20,000 t) of enemy shipping during the Mediterranean campaign.
On 16 February 1942 north of Crete, Thrasher, was attacked after sinking a supply ship. After surfacing later, two unexploded bombs were discovered in the gun-casing. Lieutenant Peter Scawen Watkinson Roberts and Petty Officer Thomas William Gould removed the first one without too much difficulty, but the second was lying in a very confined space and they had to approach it lying full length. Gould lay on his back with the bomb in his arms while Roberts dragged him along by the shoulders. It was 50 minutes before they got the bomb clear and dropped it over the side. As a result of their heroic actions which likely saved Thrasher, both men were awarded the Victoria Cross. The citation read
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