WWII Submarine Roll of Honour Plaque, Fort St Elmo
The definitive historical register and full text transcriptions of the marble commemorative plaque honoring Allied submarines lost operating from Malta.
📍 WWII Submarine Roll of Honour Plaque
Location Map Coordinates 35.902064, 14.519484
Historical Overview
Fixed permanently into the historic perimeter walls along the Submariners' Walkway at Fort St Elmo in Valletta, this marble plaque serves as the central Roll of Honour for the Allied undersea campaigns during the Second World War. Overlooking the exact coastal waters where transit occurred, the memorial inventories 31 distinct submarines operating out of local bases (such as HMS Talbot on Manoel Island) that never returned to port.
The Commemorative Plaque Facade
Header & Inscribed Quote
SUBMARINES OPERATING FROM MALTA LOST IN WWII "OF ALL BRANCHES OF MEN IN THE FORCES, THERE IS NONE WHICH SHOWS MORE DEVOTION AND FACES GRIMMER PERILS THAN THE SUBMARINERS. GREAT DEEDS ARE DONE IN THE AIR AND ON THE LAND; NEVERTHELESS, NOTHING SURPASSES YOUR EXPLOITS" - WINSTON CHURCHILL WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
Roll of Honour: Lost Submarines Directory
The following structural index reproduces the exact distribution layout across national naval forces as recorded on the marble monument:
| Submarine | Type / Official Designation | Navy |
|---|---|---|
| UNITED KINGDOM (Royal Navy) | ||
| CACHALOT | Grampus-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| GRAMPUS | Grampus-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| ODIN | Odin-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| OLYMPUS | Odin-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| ORPHEUS | Odin-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| OSWALD | Odin-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| P.32 | Unnamed U-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| P.33 | Unnamed U-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| P.36 | Unnamed U-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| P.38 | Unnamed U-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| P.39 | Unnamed U-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| P.48 | Unnamed U-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| P.311 | Unnamed T-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| PANDORA | Parthian-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| PERSEUS | Parthian-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| REGENT | Rainbow-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| SICKLE | S-class submarine (P224) | Royal Navy |
| SPLENDID | S-class submarine (P228) | Royal Navy |
| TEMPEST | T-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| TETRARCH | T-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| THUNDERBOLT | T-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| TIGRIS | T-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| TRAVELLER | T-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| TRIUMPH | T-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| TRITON | T-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| UNDAUNTED | U-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| UNION | U-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| UPHOLDER | U-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| URGE | U-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| USK | U-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| UTMOST | U-class submarine | Royal Navy |
| FRANCE (Forces Navales Françaises Libres) | ||
| NARVAL | Requin-class submarine | Free French Navy |
| GREECE (Royal Hellenic Navy) | ||
| GLAUKOS | Katsonis-class submarine | Royal Hellenic Navy |
The "Resurgam" Memorial at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum pays tribute to the over 5900 British submariners who lost their lives in service. Named after Reverend George Garrett’s pioneering 1879 steam-powered submarine, this poignant bronze and stone monument sited in front of HMS ALLIANCE serves as a central point of remembrance.