📍 HMS Odin Submarine Memorial
Location Map Coordinates 35.902231, 14.519625
HMS Odin was the lead vessel of the Royal Navy's Odin-class submarines. Designed for long-range patrols, she entered service in 1929 and spent much of her pre-war career operating throughout the Far East before being transferred to the Mediterranean. Following Italy's entry into the Second World War, HMS Odin became one of the first British submarines to patrol from Malta. She disappeared during operations in the Gulf of Taranto in June 1940 and is believed to have been sunk by Italian naval forces with the loss of all 55 officers and men.
HMS Odin (N84), lead ship of the Royal Navy's Odin-class submarines. She was lost with all hands during her first Mediterranean war patrol in June 1940.
Introduction
Ordered under the Royal Navy's 1926 construction programme, HMS Odin represented a new generation of overseas patrol submarines designed for long-range operations across the British Empire. Larger than the coastal submarines that would later become synonymous with the Malta submarine flotillas, the Odin class was intended to patrol distant waters, protect British trade routes and undertake reconnaissance missions over extended periods.
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, HMS Odin joined the Mediterranean Fleet and operated from Malta, Britain's principal naval base in the central Mediterranean. As Italian naval activity intensified during June 1940, Odin was among the first submarines dispatched to intercept enemy warships and merchant traffic.
Construction and Design
HMS Odin was built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness and launched on 5 May 1928 before commissioning into the Royal Navy on 21 December 1929. The submarine displaced approximately 1,780 tons submerged and measured over 86 metres in length. Powered by diesel engines for surface running and electric motors while submerged, she could reach speeds of approximately 17 knots on the surface and 9 knots underwater.
Armed with eight 21-inch torpedo tubes and a 4-inch deck gun, HMS Odin was capable of engaging both merchant shipping and warships. Her endurance made her especially suited to long patrols throughout the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean.
| Class | Odin-class submarine |
|---|---|
| Pennant Number | N84 |
| Builder | Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness |
| Launched | 5 May 1928 |
| Commissioned | 21 December 1929 |
| Length | 283 ft (86.3 m) |
| Displacement | 1,475 tons surfaced / 1,780 tons submerged |
| Armament | Eight 21-inch torpedo tubes, one 4-inch deck gun |
| Crew | Approximately 55 officers and men |
Mediterranean Operations
When Italy declared war on Britain on 10 June 1940, HMS Odin was already serving with the Mediterranean Fleet. She sailed from Malta to patrol the Gulf of Taranto, one of the principal operating areas of the Italian Regia Marina. British submarines were tasked with disrupting enemy naval movements, gathering intelligence and intercepting Italian warships leaving their bases.
The first weeks of the Mediterranean campaign were extremely dangerous. Italian destroyers, torpedo boats and aircraft conducted intensive anti-submarine patrols, while minefields further increased the hazards faced by Allied submarines operating close to enemy ports.
Loss of HMS Odin
After leaving Malta in June 1940, HMS Odin failed to return from patrol. Contemporary Royal Navy reports listed her as overdue, and she was subsequently declared lost with all hands.
Modern historical research indicates that HMS Odin was almost certainly destroyed during the night of 13–14 June 1940 after repeated attacks by the Italian destroyers Strale and Baleno. Following sonar contacts and depth-charge attacks south of the Gulf of Taranto, Italian forces observed evidence suggesting a submarine had been destroyed. Although absolute proof was never recovered, historians now generally accept this action as the most likely cause of Odin's loss.
Her disappearance marked one of the earliest Royal Navy submarine losses of the Mediterranean campaign and highlighted the extreme dangers faced by submariners during the opening weeks of the war.
Legacy
Although HMS Odin completed only a single wartime patrol from Malta, her loss demonstrated the hazardous conditions faced by Royal Navy submarines during the opening days of the Mediterranean campaign. The submarine and her crew formed part of the first wave of British underwater operations against the Regia Marina following Italy's declaration of war on 10 June 1940.
The sacrifice of HMS Odin is remembered on the Submarine Roll of Honour in Malta, where she is commemorated alongside the other Allied submarines that operated from the island and failed to return. Her loss, together with those of HMS Grampus, HMS Orpheus and other early casualties, underscored the price paid by the Royal Navy's Silent Service during the defence of Malta.
Timeline
Ordered as the lead vessel of the new Odin-class submarines.
Launched at Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness.
Commissioned into the Royal Navy.
Served on overseas patrols before transferring to the Mediterranean Fleet.
Italy entered the Second World War; HMS Odin commenced operational patrols from Malta.
Believed sunk south of the Gulf of Taranto following attacks by the Italian destroyers Strale and Baleno.
Declared overdue and officially lost with all 55 officers and men.
Technical Specifications
| Class | Odin-class ocean-going submarine |
|---|---|
| Pennant Number | N84 |
| Builder | Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness |
| Launched | 5 May 1928 |
| Commissioned | 21 December 1929 |
| Length | 283 ft (86.3 m) |
| Beam | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
| Draught | 13 ft (4.0 m) |
| Displacement | 1,475 tons surfaced; 1,780 tons submerged |
| Speed | 17 knots surfaced; 9 knots submerged |
| Range | Approximately 8,400 nautical miles at 10 knots |
| Armament | Eight 21-inch torpedo tubes, one 4-inch deck gun |
| Crew | 55 officers and men |
Roll of Honour – Crew Lost
HMS Odin was lost with all hands on 13 June 1940 during her first Mediterranean war patrol in June 1940. The complete Roll of Honour is reproduced below from Malta Defiant & Triumphant – Rolls of Honour 1940–1943.
| Name | Rank / Rating |
|---|---|
| Woods, K. M. | Lieutenant Commander (Commanding Officer) |
| Anderson, I. M. | Lieutenant |
| Ansell, S. J. | Able Seaman |
| Banks, W. F. | Leading Seaman |
| Bennett, L. T. | Leading Stoker |
| Berwick, J. R. | Able Seaman |
| Bickerton, A. | Stoker 1st Class |
| Biggerstaff, E. J. | Chief Petty Officer |
| Caslin, M. | Yeoman of Signals |
| Chaplain, E. G. | Stoker 1st Class |
| Chapman, W. J. | Leading Seaman |
| Cook, G. H. | Warrant Engineer |
| Cross, R. W. B. | Petty Officer |
| Crouch, J. E. | Petty Officer |
| Dawson, R. | Chief Petty Officer |
| Deacon, B. F. | Chief Engine Room Artificer |
| Edwards, G. | Leading Stoker |
| Frost, E. R. | Leading Stoker |
| Gadsby, A. C. V. | Able Seaman |
| Gosling, J. H. | Petty Officer |
| Hale, J. W. | Leading Telegraphist |
| Hartley, J. | Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class |
| Holman, B. J. | Leading Seaman |
| Hunter, L. | Leading Stoker |
| Johns, T. G. | Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class |
| Kavanagh, S. W. | Stoker 1st Class |
| Kerr, R. C. | Chief Engine Room Artificer |
| Laws, W. G. | Leading Seaman |
| Leader, E. | Engine Room Artificer 4th Class |
| Leahy, W. H. | Able Seaman |
| Lee, P. L. C. M. | Sub-Lieutenant |
| Loxley, R. | Able Seaman |
| Mace, A. E. | Leading Stoker |
| Miller, W. C. E. | Leading Telegraphist |
| Morris, W. R. | Leading Seaman |
| Mudge, F. S. | Stoker 1st Class |
| Olrog, E. W. | Stoker 1st Class |
| Robson, R. | Able Seaman |
| Ross, P. G. | Leading Stoker |
| Scarlett, J. | Leading Stoker |
| Sidebotham, H. | Stoker 1st Class |
| Simpson, R. R. | Lieutenant |
| Sinden, A. | Petty Officer Telegraphist |
| Smith, E. S. | Able Seaman |
| Stradling, J. H. | Leading Cook |
| Sweetman, W. | Stoker Petty Officer |
| Talbot, L. E. | Engine Room Artificer 4th Class |
| Tulip, J. | Leading Stoker |
| Voss, P. R. J. | Leading Telegraphist |
| Walker, C. R. | Able Seaman |
| Way, W. S. | Telegraphist |
| Webber, H. R. | Leading Stoker |
| White, D. P. | Able Seaman |
| Wilson, E. | Able Seaman |
Source: Malta Defiant & Triumphant – Rolls of Honour 1940–1943, George Cross Island Association.
References
- George Cross Island Association. Malta Defiant & Triumphant – Rolls of Honour 1940–1943.
- British Admiralty Naval Staff Histories.
- Royal Navy Submarine Museum historical records.
- Imperial War Museums Collections.
- uboat.net – Allied Warships – HMS Odin.
- Naval-History.net – Royal Navy Submarine Casualties.
Commemorated in Malta
HMS Odin is commemorated on the Submarine Roll of Honour at Fort St Elmo, Valletta, overlooking the Grand Harbour, recognising Allied submarines that operated from Malta during the Second World War and were lost on active service.