HMS Usurper (P56)

HMS "Usurper" (P56) was a Royal Navy U-class submarine built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name "Usurper".

Career

"Usurper" had a shortlived career with the Royal Navy. During her work-up patrol off the Norwegian coast, she made a torpedo attack on the German submarine U-467. The target was not hit. On being assigned to operate in the Mediterannean, she sank the French ship "Château Yquem".

inking

"Usurper" had left Algiers on 24 September 1943 with instruction to patrol off La Spezia. On 3 October 1943 she was ordered to move to the Gulf of Genoa. No further contact was made and she failed to return to Algiers on 12 October 1943 as expected. The German anti-submarine vessel UJ-2208/"Alfred" reported attacking a submarine in the Gulf of Genoa on 3 October 1943 and it is believed that this may have been the "Usurper".

References

*cite web | url= http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3561.html | title= HMS "Usurper" (P 56) | work= uboat.net
*cite web | url= http://home.cogeco.ca/~gchalcraft/sm/page30.html | title= Ursula to Utmost | work= British submarines of World War II
*cite web | url= http://www.rnsubmus.co.uk/general/losses.htm | title= Submarine losses 1904 to present day | work= RN Submarine Museum, Gosport
*Colledge
*Submarines, War Beneath The Waves, From 1776 To The Present Day, by Robert Hutchinson