HMS Oswald (N58)

Home > War Memorials > Submarine Roll of Honour > HMS Oswald

📍 HMS Oswald Submarine Memorial

Location Map Coordinates 35.902231, 14.519625

Royal Navy O-class submarine operating from Malta during the Second World War.

HMS Oswald (N58), O-class Royal Navy submarine operating in the Mediterranean during the Second World War. — HMS *Oswald* (N58), one of the Royal Navy's O-class submarines that served from Malta during the early years of the Second World War.

Overview

HMS Oswald (N58) was an O-class submarine of the Royal Navy built during the inter-war years for service in overseas waters. During the early stages of the Second World War she joined the Royal Navy's Mediterranean submarine flotilla operating from Malta, undertaking offensive patrols against Italian naval and merchant shipping.

Unlike many submarines commemorated on the Malta Submarine Roll of Honour, HMS Oswald was not destroyed by mines or depth charges. Instead, after a determined surface engagement with the Italian destroyer Ugolino Vivaldi, she was rammed during the night of 1 August 1940. The damaged submarine was abandoned and scuttled, while her surviving crew became prisoners of war.

Although many members of her crew survived the sinking, HMS Oswald herself was permanently lost and is commemorated on the Submarine Roll of Honour overlooking Malta's Grand Harbour.

Technical Specifications

Class	O-class submarine
Pennant Number	N58
Builder	Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness
Launched	19 January 1929
Commissioned	1 April 1930
Length	275 ft (83.8 m)
Displacement	1,350 tons surfaced; 1,870 tons submerged
Speed	15 knots surfaced; 9 knots submerged
Armament	Eight 21-inch torpedo tubes, one 4-inch deck gun
Complement	Approximately 54 officers and men

Operational History

Following the outbreak of war in September 1939, HMS Oswald joined the Royal Navy's submarine force based at Malta. From the island she carried out patrols against Italian naval units and merchant shipping, helping enforce Britain's blockade of Axis supply routes across the central Mediterranean.

The opening months of Italy's entry into the war were among the most dangerous faced by British submarines. Operating close to heavily defended enemy ports and convoy routes, submarines frequently encountered destroyers, aircraft and minefields. Malta nevertheless remained the principal offensive submarine base in the Mediterranean, with vessels such as Oswald playing an important role in disrupting Axis operations.

Loss of HMS Oswald

On the night of 1 August 1940, HMS Oswald encountered the Italian destroyer Ugolino Vivaldi while operating in the Mediterranean. The destroyer detected the submarine and, after a brief engagement, deliberately rammed her.

The collision caused catastrophic structural damage which made it impossible for the submarine to continue fighting or escape beneath the surface. Lieutenant Commander David Fraser, RN, ordered the crew to abandon ship before HMS Oswald was scuttled to prevent capture.

Most of the crew survived the sinking and were rescued by the Italian Navy before spending the remainder of the war as prisoners. Despite the comparatively low loss of life, HMS Oswald herself became one of the earliest Royal Navy submarines lost while operating from Malta and remains commemorated on the island's Submarine Roll of Honour.

Roll of Honour – Crew Lost

Four members of HMS Oswald's crew lost their lives during the action with the Italian destroyer Ugolino Vivaldi on 1 August 1940. The remaining members of the crew were rescued by the Italians and spent the rest of the war as prisoners of war. The following names are reproduced from Malta Defiant & Triumphant – Rolls of Honour 1940–1943.

Name	Rank / Rating
Chaffe, W G	Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class (ERA 2)
Woodfield, L N	Leading Steward
Young, F G	Stoker 1st Class
Wood, F H	Leading Seaman

Legacy

The loss of HMS Oswald demonstrated the dangers faced by Royal Navy submarines during the opening months of the Mediterranean campaign. Unlike many submarines later lost through mines or prolonged anti-submarine attacks, Oswald was overcome during a rare surface action in which she was rammed by an enemy destroyer.

Although most of her crew survived and endured years as prisoners of war, the submarine herself became a total loss. HMS Oswald is remembered among the submarines that operated from Malta and is commemorated on the Submarine Roll of Honour overlooking Grand Harbour.

The sacrifice and service of HMS Oswald, together with the many submarines that sailed from Malta, formed part of the sustained Allied submarine offensive that severely disrupted Axis supply routes to North Africa throughout the Second World War.

Gallery

HMS Oswald (N58), O-class Royal Navy submarine operating from Malta during the Second World War. — HMS *Oswald* (N58). Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museums (where applicable) or other acknowledged source.

References

George Cross Island Association, Malta Defiant & Triumphant – Rolls of Honour 1940–1943.
Royal Navy patrol reports and Admiralty records.
J. J. Colledge & Ben Warlow, Ships of the Royal Navy.
Imperial War Museums photographic archive.
The National Archives (United Kingdom).

Page last updated: August 2026