HMS Tigris Submarine Memorial

The Loss of H.M.S. Tigris

The TIGRIS (Lieutenant-Commander G.R. Colvin) left Malta on 18 February 1943 for patrol in the area off Naples north of 40°N and east of 12°30'E, with instructions to patrol at the CO's discretion near Bocca Piccola (the area of water separating Capri from the mainland) or Punta Carena (the south-western extremity of Capri) by day, withdrawing at least 15 to 20 miles from the coast by night. The TIGRIS was ordered to leave patrol on 6 March and return to Algiers, passing through 38°50'N, 11°34'E at 0900/7 and 38°10'N, 04°28'E at 2200/9, thence on the surface at the CO's discretion to rendezvous with her escort in 36°56'N, 03°18'E at 0700/10. She failed to make the rendezvous and did not reply to signals. She had not reported since leaving for patrol.

It is virtually certain that the TIGRIS was sunk on the forenoon of 27 February to the south of Capri by the German A/S vessel UJ 2210. UJ 2210 was one of three vessels of the 22nd A/S Flotilla, the others were UJ 2201 and UJ 2209, returning to Naples from patrol in the southern part of the Tyrrhenian Sea. At 1041A in grid square CJ 6782 (approximate coordinates 40°26'N, 14°16'E) a faint sonar contact was obtained by the Senior Officer's boat, UJ 2201, which was classified "submarine". As, however, UJ 2201 had in tow UJ 2209 in tow, the latter having engine defects due to bomb damage, she was unable to follow up the contact and thus ordered UJ 2210 to take it over. Sonar conditions were excellent, the sea was glassy calm and visibility was good. UJ 2210 soon gained contact, a strong, clear echo in the S-gear being accompanied by pronounced hydrophone effect, and she delivered four attacks in all, firing a 15-charge pattern set to varying depths on each occasion. Contact was quickly regained following each of the first three runs. After the first and second the target had been moving right but after the third had become stationary until just before the fourth run-in, when it again started to move right. No result was apparent until after the third attack, when there was a heavy upheaval of water and a surge of air to the surface, and a considerable quantity of oil was brought up. After the fourth attack there occurred a similar but more extensive disturbance of water, and the oil patch increased to cover a wide area. Additionally, four irregular, powerful bursts of air reached the surface, breaking-up noises were clearly audible in the torpedo HE detection set, and a piece of wreckage in the shape of a plank, painted grey and about 1½ metres long, broke surface. Contact was lost following the last attack and was not regained during the three-hour-long search that ensued, which probably indicates that the submarine had sunk to the bottom (the depth of water was between 450 and 550 fathoms).

If the TIGRIS was UJ 2210's target, which must be considered very possible, and she was damaged rather than destroyed, she undoubtedly would have reported her situation on surfacing after dark, all the more so since the surface evidence points to the damage having been serious enough to force her to leave patrol. Under the circumstances, therefore, and in the absence of any evidence to indicate that she was lost through any other cause, it is proposed to record that the TIGRIS was sunk by UJ 2210 on 27 February 1943 in approximate position 40°26'N, 14°16'E.

Rapport dwar it-telfa ta' HMS Tigris fis-27 ta' Frar 1943, ippreżentat minn Diane White, it-tifla tal-kaptan tas-sottomarin, Logutenent Kmandant G. R. Colvin

A report on the loss of HMS Tigris on 27 February 1943, presented by Diane White, daughter of the captain of the submarine, Lieutenant-Commander G. R. Colvin

Summary of Vessel & Loss Details