HNoMS Ula, previously HMS Varne, a British-built U class submarine

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...

, and a member of the third group of that class to be built. She never actually served under the name Varne, being transferred before commissioning to the exiled Royal Norwegian Navy

Royal Norwegian Navy

The Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support...

 as HNoMS Ula (S300). In 1944 she sank a German U-boat during one of her patrols off Norway. She remained in Norwegian service and was scrapped in 1965.

Service history

Originally built for Royal Navy

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...

 as Varne, it was planned that the Royal Dutch Navy should man her and name her Haai. The Dutch crew (mainly 34 from the decommissioned submarines KIX, KX and KXII) needed to be brought to the UK from Sydney via Cape Town. Their ship from Cape Town was the Abosso II which, unescorted, was attacked and sunk in the Atlantic, 48.30N 28.50W, by the German U Boat Type VIIc U575 on the night of 29 October 1942.

Varne was transferred to the Royal Norwegian Navy as HNoMS Ula (S300) from 1943 to 1965. She carried out 14 patrols during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, operating as part of the 'Norwegian Section' of the 9th Submarine Flotilla at Dundee

Dundee

Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...

. On 19 April 1944, under CO Lt Valvatne RNoN, 1 km south east of Loten on the western Bokanfjorden, near Stavanger

Stavanger

Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...

, Norway, the submarine fired a salvo of four torpedoes. The target was the German Type VIIc U-boat U-974 at about 1200 meters range. One torpedo hit its target just behind the conning tower and the U-boat was blown in two and sunk, though eight survived.

This was the most notable of Ulas victims during her fourteen patrols. She sank several other targets, mostly merchant ships, during her war service, all of which was spent on the Norwegian patrol.

The Ula was the allied submarine which sunk the most enemy tonnage in the Atlantic during the Second World War.
Ula continued in Norwegian service until 1965, when she was broken up in Hamburg. She gave her name to the Ula class submarine

Ula class submarine

The Ula class is a Norwegian submarine type which was assembled in Germany in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The class, consisting of 6 vessels, is currently the only submarine type in service with the Royal Norwegian Navy.-History:...

, a class of six boats built in the 1980s and 1990s for the Royal Norwegian Navy. A British V class submarine

British V class submarine

The British V class submarine was a class of submarines built for the Royal Navy during World War II. 42 vessels were ordered to this design, all to be built by Vickers-Armstrong at either Barrow-in-Furness or at Walker-on-Tyne, but only 22 were completed...

  (successors to the U class) was also named HMS Varne but carried the pennant number P81.

External links

• Submariners Association - U and V class submarines