HNoMS Ula (1943)

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.

Notable career events

Originally built for Royal Navy 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 Capetown. Their ship from Capetown 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, operating as part of the 'Norwegian Section' of the 9th Submarine Flotilla at Dundee. On 19 April 1944, under CO Lt R M Saars RNoN, 1km south east of Loten on the western Bokanfjorden, near Stavanger, Norway, the submarine fired a salvo of 4 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 [ [http://home.cogeco.ca/~gchalcraft/sm/page31.html British Submarines of World War II website] ] .

This was the most notable of "Ula"'s victims during her 14 patrols. She sank several other targets, mostly merchant ships, during her war service, all of which was spent on the Norwegian patrol [ [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3570.html U-boat. net website] ] .

The "Ula" was the allied submarine which sunk the most enemy tonnage in the Atlantic during the Second World War.Fact|date=March 2008

"Ula" continued in Norwegian service until 1965, when she was broken up in Hamburg. She gave her name to the Ula class submarine, a class of six boats built in the 1980s and 1990s for the Royal Norwegian Navy. A British V class submarine (successors to the U class) was also named HMS "Varne" but carried the pennant number P81.

References

External links

* [http://www.submariners.co.uk/Boats/Barrowbuilt/UV_Class/ Submariners Association - U and V class submarines]