HMS Unique (N95)

HMS Unique was a British U class submarine, of the second group of that class, built by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 30 October 1939 and was commissioned on 27 September 1940.

HMS Unique
History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Unique
Builder:	Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down:	30 October 1939
Launched:	6 June 1940
Commissioned:	27 September 1940
Fate:	sunk around 10 October 1942
Badge:
General characteristics
Displacement:	Surfaced - 540 tons standard, 630 tons full load Submerged - 730 tons
Length:	58.22 m (191 feet)
Beam:	4.90 m (16 ft 1 in)
Draught:	4.62 m (15 ft 2 in)
Propulsion:	2 shaft diesel-electric 2 Paxman Ricardo diesel generators + electric motors 615 / 825 hp
Speed:	11.25 knots max surfaced 10 knots max submerged
Complement:	27-31
Armament:	4 bow internal 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 2 external 10 torpedoes 1 - 3-inch (76 mm) gun

Career

She spent most of her career operating in the Mediterranean from mid 1941 under the command of Captain Arthur Hezlet, where she sank the Italian passenger/cargo ship Fenicia and the Italian troop transport Esperia. She also damaged the Italian cargo ship Arsia, which was later declared a total loss. On 5 January 1942, she made an unsuccessful attack on the Italian battleship Littorio.[1]

Sinking

Unique left Holy Loch after a refit, for a patrol in the Bay of Biscay on 7 October 1942. She left her escort off the Scillies on the 9th. No more was seen or heard from her after that date. HMS Ursula was in the area on the 10th and reported hearing underwater explosions that led her to believe Unique was under attack although the Germans made no claims to her sinking. She was reported overdue on 24 October 1942 when she failed to arrive at Gibraltar.[2]

References

1. HMS Unique, Uboot.net
2. Submarine losses 1904 to present day, RN Submarine Museum, Gosport

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• Hutchinson, Robert (2001). Jane's Submarines: War Beneath the Waves from 1776 to the Present Day. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-710558-8. OCLC 53783010.