Royal Navy.
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Royal Navy.
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HM CoastguardsHome
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After a brief spell at HMS DOLPHIN ( This was a training base for submariners, Eric was here for one week), Eric was sent Cammell Laird's large complex at Birkenhead on 1 October 1941.
TEMPEST was a 'T' class submarine, one of the improved submarines of the day. Capable of carrying seventeen torpedo's feeding eight forward tubes and three aft ones, this, together with a four inch gun, TEMPEST was one of the class 'above' other submarines. Eric joined other officers (he was Petty Officer then), at Birkenhead and were present when 'the keel was laid' of the TEMPEST, and really watched the submarine take shape and 'grow'. By being present at this time helped the crew to understand fully how the submarine worked, the layouts of various parts and compartments etc.
Just literally hours before sailing, most of the crew
were taken were taken off TEMPEST for 'other important duties'
and a 'new' crew (very) hastily arrived. Some even had to jump
aboard as TEMPEST set sail. Mr Percie Cooke remembers
well how the training had gone and HE was one of the crew taken off -
despite his plea's to stay on board. "I even tried hiding,
then discussing it with the Captain, but as I had my promotion come
through - Navy regulations say you must leave to take command of your
new promotion on board another vessel." Percie went on to say
"It was Eddie Fiddes who came along to replace me, an old friend I
knew where we served together our first submarine, HMs/m CACHALOT,
at the beginning of the war. It must have been fate that day because Eddie was
not among the survivors after the terrible depth-charging. It could so
easily have been me." After continuous training of the new crew, and a brief patrol from Gibraltar, HMs/m TEMPEST (picture on the right) sailed for Malta, arriving early February, 1942. During the night of the 10th February, TEMPEST sailed for the Gulf of Taranto for a short patrol. During the evening of the 11th, TEMPEST was on the surface charging it's batteries, when smoke appeared coming from the ventilation shaft. The cause was an oilskin , hung up to dry, had fallen onto an electric fire. To those unfamiliar with WWII submarines, (as I am!), when charging batteries, the forward part of TEMPEST was isolated by two water-tight doors. These compartments become prone to condensation, so an electric fire is left running in there to eradicate any damp preventing rust etc. It was during a heavy roll of the sea that the oilskin fell onto the fire. The result of this was that the fire spread to the Asdic dome, burning out the back of the dome and all it's wiring. Despite the Electrical Artificer trying for over two days to repair it, it was not to be. Really no blame could be placed on the rating as the seaman was still only partly trained - perhaps if the original crew had remained or taken off earlier...who knows! With Asdics out of action, the distance and bearing, that is, the accurate location of the enemy, could not be plotted. In effect, a submarine is 'blind'. Any boredom of continuous repetition of duties were suddenly shattered when the periscope watch-keeping officer spotted a ship on the horizon. This was about 1,00 p.m, Thursday 12 February, once the captain confirmed the sighting, it was "Action Stations!" The crew all went about the duties - this was what the training was all about. Torpedoes were made ready, torpedo tubes were pumped from the Water Round Torpedo compensating tanks into the tubes. (This action allowed just enough water to fill the tubes by just turning a wheel, and stops the submarine veering off it's path once a torpedo has been fired.) The sighted ship was thought to have been a steamer of about 6,000 tons, with no escort. When the captain used the attack periscope, he recognised it was an 'untouchable' - either a neutral or hospital ship. In fact, records show it was the 8,106 tons LUCANIA 'safe conduct tanker.' The crew stood down from action stations. Roughly one hour later, there was an almighty thunderous explosion from outside TEMPEST - the shock of a detonating warhead which had thrust through the water from close by and slammed past the hull. Once more "Action Stations!" were in place again, the captain saw the 'untouchable' slowly sinking. The TEMPEST's neighbouring submarine (later found out to be HMs/m UNA) in the patrol thought it fair game. NEXT.......HMs/m TEMPEST CATCHES THE ITALIAN WRATH.
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