HMS P47
Encyclopedia
HMS P47 was a Royal Navy
U-class
submarine
built by Vickers-Armstrong
. She was transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy
before completion and renamed HNMS Dolfijn.
. In January she was assigned to the 8th Flotilla, at Algiers
, and between November and December 1943, to the 10th Flotilla, at Malta
. Whilst on her first war patrol she attacked a so far unidentified German submarine, but missed her. On 9 February, 1943, she torpedoed and sank the Italian Perla class submarine Malachite near Cape Spartivento, Sardinia
, Italy
. She went on to sink the Italian merchant Egle, the Italian auxiliary patrol vessel V50 / Adalia, the Italian sailing vessel Stefano Galleano and four other sailing vessels, including the Greek Hydrea and Theonie, as well as two small German vessels.
She also damaged the Italian merchants Humanitas and Sabia, and launched unsuccessful attacks against the German merchants Oria and Leda (the former Italian Leopardi). The attack on the Leda was foiled by the escorting German destroyer TA 14 (the former Italian Turbine). Dolfijn also torpedoed the wreck of the French merchant Dalny and attacked a small convoy with gunfire, firing 16 rounds and hitting the barge Vidi twice. Dolfijn was forced to break off the action and submerge due to quick return fire.
Between December 1943 and March 1944, Dolfijn was part of the 1st Flotilla, at Beirut
. She eventually returned to the UK with convoys, and was refitted at Dundee. After the war she became a training boat in Amsterdam
between 1947 and 1952. She was decommissioned and nominally returned to the Royal Navy, but was broken up in the Netherlands in May 1952.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
U-class
British U class submarine
The British U class submarines were a class of 49 small submarines built just before and during the Second World War...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
built by Vickers-Armstrong
Vickers
Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
. She was transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy
Royal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
before completion and renamed HNMS Dolfijn.
Career
Dolfijn spent between September 1942 and January 1943 carrying out trials with the 3rd Flotilla, in Holy LochHoly Loch
The Holy Loch is a sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.Robertson's Yard at Sandbank, a village on the loch, was a major wooden boat building company in the late 19th and early 20th centuries....
. In January she was assigned to the 8th Flotilla, at Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, and between November and December 1943, to the 10th Flotilla, at Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. Whilst on her first war patrol she attacked a so far unidentified German submarine, but missed her. On 9 February, 1943, she torpedoed and sank the Italian Perla class submarine Malachite near Cape Spartivento, Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. She went on to sink the Italian merchant Egle, the Italian auxiliary patrol vessel V50 / Adalia, the Italian sailing vessel Stefano Galleano and four other sailing vessels, including the Greek Hydrea and Theonie, as well as two small German vessels.
She also damaged the Italian merchants Humanitas and Sabia, and launched unsuccessful attacks against the German merchants Oria and Leda (the former Italian Leopardi). The attack on the Leda was foiled by the escorting German destroyer TA 14 (the former Italian Turbine). Dolfijn also torpedoed the wreck of the French merchant Dalny and attacked a small convoy with gunfire, firing 16 rounds and hitting the barge Vidi twice. Dolfijn was forced to break off the action and submerge due to quick return fire.
Between December 1943 and March 1944, Dolfijn was part of the 1st Flotilla, at Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. She eventually returned to the UK with convoys, and was refitted at Dundee. After the war she became a training boat in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
between 1947 and 1952. She was decommissioned and nominally returned to the Royal Navy, but was broken up in the Netherlands in May 1952.