HMS Clyde (N12)

 

HMS Clyde (N12) was an ocean-going submarine of the River Class. HMS Clyde was built by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow and launched on 15 March 1934. Her building was completed on 12 April 1935.

HMS Clyde commissioned in 1935. The outbreak of the Second World War found her in the Mediterranean with the 1st Submarine Flotilla stationed at Malta.

In September 1939, HMS Clyde was transferred to West Africa, stationed at Freetown, to act as convoy escort guarding against surface raiders. In January 1940, HMS Clyde returned to home waters and was employed on interception patrols in the North Sea. This involved searching for U-boats, surface raiders and blockade runners.  HMS Clyde was active in this capacity during the Norwegian campaign.

On 13 May 1940, while on patrol in Scandinavian waters, HMS Clyde met the German auxiliary cruiser Widder on surface, enjoining an exchange of gunfire which lasted for over an hour, with no hits for either side. After the engagement, the cruiser sought shelter in Sandsfjord, Norway. In June of that year, she spotted and torpedoed the German battleship Gneisenau, hitting her in the bow and forcing her to return to Trondheim for repairs.

In July she sank the Norwegian fishing vessel SF 52 and later mistakenly attacked HMS Truant, but fortunately without hitting her.

Following this HMS Clyde took on the same role in the Bay of Biscay, continuing until May 1941.  HMS Clyde was re-assigned to Gibraltar with the 8th Submarine Flotilla. During this period HMS Clyde made several patrols in the western Mediterranean.  HMS Clyde also sailed with HG 70 as ocean escort. June 1941 found HMS Clyde operating in the Mediterranean, where she sank the Italian merchants San Marco and Sturla, and later the Italian auxiliary patrol vessel V 125, Giovanni Bottigliere. One of the submarine's battery compartments was converted into a cargo compartment and she made nine trips to Malta, carrying supplies, during the war.

In September 1941, HMS Clyde unsuccessfully attacked three German submarines U-67, U-68 and U-111 during an action in Tarafal Bay, Cape Verde Islands.

During 1942, HMS Clyde continued operations in the Mediterranean, making a series of re-supply mission to Malta. In January 1943, HMS Clyde returned to the UK for an extensive refit, which saw her out of action for most of the year. After trials and working up, HMS Clyde was assigned in January 1944 to the Eastern Fleet, joining 2nd Submarine Flotilla at Trincomalee in May. There HMS Clyde took part in patrol and fleet operations, making several covert missions landing SOE agents, notably "Operation Hatch" to the Andaman Islands. In March 1945, HMS Clyde recorded another string of kills against the Japanese, sinking two sailing vessels and the auxiliary submarine chaser Kiku Maru. In May 1945, having completed 36 operational patrols, HMS Clyde was moved to Mombasa for repairs. These continued until August 1945 and the end of hostilities with Japan, when she moved to the Reserve, paying off her crew in Durban.

Having survived the Second World War, HMS Clyde was paid off and re-assigned to the Reserve at Durban in August 1945. She was sold for breaking up on 30 July 1946 to Joubert, of Durban.