HMS Thistle (N24)
HMS Thistle ( N24 ) [A 1] was a submarine of the British Royal Navy. The warship was used in World War II and sunk on 10 April 1940 by the German submarine U 4, which was the first combat loss of British T- class submarines.
Service history
See also: History of the Triton - class and detailed history of the T- class
After the war began in September 1939, the submarine was used off the Norwegian coast. The patrols of the following months were largely uneventful.
In April 1940, the German armed forces began with the company Weserübung the landings in Denmark and Norway. The Royal Navy was aware of the German plans, so that all available British submarines were stationed in the run along the approach route of the invasion fleet, including the HMS Thistle.
On April 9, the day of the invasion, the HMS Thistle, the German submarine U, the German U- boat discovered west of Stavanger 4 commander hazel Foot was at 17:05 clock at 59 ° 0 ' N, 5 ° 10' O595 .1666666666667 attack with a fan of four torpedoes. All torpedoes missed their target and the U 4 escaped.
The next day, the same German U- boat discovered 20 nautical miles west of Stavanger at 59 ° 0 ' N, 5 ° 0' O595 HMS Thistle first. The German commander Oblt.z.S. Hans -Peter Hinsch did not hesitate and ordered a torpedo attack. The German torpedoes hit their targets devastating.
The HMS Thistle sank on 10 April 1940 with the entire crew.
Commander
- Lt.Cdr. Robert William Stirling Hamilton (October 18, 1938-1940 )
- Lt.Cdr. Wilfrid Frederick hazel Foot (1940 - † April 10, 1940 )