HMS Unique (N95)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Unique.

HMS Unique
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Unique
Builder	Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down	30 October 1939
Launched	6 June 1940
Commissioned	27 September 1940
Fate	Sunk around 10 October 1942
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	U-class submarine
Displacement	Surfaced - 540 tons standard, 630 tons full load Submerged - 730 tons
Length	58.22 m (191 ft 0 in)
Beam	4.90 m (16 ft 1 in)
Draught	4.62 m (15 ft 2 in)
Propulsion	2 shaft diesel-electric 2 Paxman Ricardo diesel generators + electric motors 615 / 825 hp
Speed	11.25 knots (20.84 km/h; 12.95 mph) max surfaced 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) max submerged
Complement	27–31
Armament	4 bow internal 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 2 external 10 torpedoes 1 - 3-inch (76 mm) gun

HMS Unique was a U-class submarine of the Royal Navy, of the second group of that class, built by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 30 October 1939 and was commissioned on 27 September 1940.

Career

She spent most of her career operating in the Mediterranean from mid 1941 under the command of Captain Arthur Hezlet, where she sank the Italian passenger/cargo ship Fenicia and the Italian troop transport Esperia. She also damaged the Italian cargo ship Arsia, which was later declared a total loss. On 5 January 1942, she made an unsuccessful attack on the Italian battleship Littorio.

Sinking

Unique left Holy Loch after a refit, for a patrol in the Bay of Biscay on 7 October 1942. She left her escort off the Scillies on 9 October. No more was seen or heard from her after that date. HMS Ursula was in the area on 10 October and reported hearing underwater explosions that led her to believe Unique was under attack, although the Germans made no claims of her sinking. She was reported overdue on 24 October 1942 when she failed to arrive at Gibraltar.

References

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• Hutchinson, Robert (2001). Jane's Submarines: War Beneath the Waves from 1776 to the Present Day. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-710558-8. OCLC 53783010.