HMS Otus (N92)
{{short description|Submarine of the Royal Navy}}
{{other ships|HMS Otus}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image= Hms otus submarine.jpg |Ship caption= HMS Otus }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=United Kingdom |Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}} |Ship name=HMS Otus |Ship ordered=2 December 1926 |Ship awarded= |Ship builder=Vickers-Armstrongs (Barrow-in-Furness, U.K.) |Ship laid down=31 May 1927 |Ship launched=31 August 1928 |Ship christened= |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned=5 July 1929 |Ship recommissioned= |Ship decommissioned=March 1946 |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship renamed= |Ship reclassified= |Ship refit= |Ship captured= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship identification=Pennant number N92 |Ship fate=Scuttled near Durban, South Africa in 1946 |Ship homeport= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class={{sclass|Odin|submarine|0}} submarine |Ship displacement=*1,781 tons surfaced
|Ship length={{convert|283|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|30|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship draught={{convert|16|ft|1|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship propulsion=*Diesel-electric
|Ship speed=*{{convert|17.5|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}} surfaced
|Ship range=*{{convert|8400|nmi|km|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|10|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}} surfaced
|Ship endurance= |Ship test depth={{convert|300|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship complement=53-55 officers and men |Ship armament=*8 × British 21 inch torpedo torpedo tubes (6 bow, 2 stern) with 16 reloads |Ship armour= |Ship aircraft= |Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship honours= |Ship notes= }} |
HMS Otus was an O-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Vickers-Armstrongs of Barrow-in-Furness on 31 May 1927, launched on 31 August 1928{{cite web|url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-12SS-01O-Otus.htm |publisher=naval-history.net |title=HMS OTUS (N.92) - O-class Submarine |accessdate=18 April 2015}} and commissioned on 5 July 1929.
Service history
Otus was first commissioned for service with the 4th Submarine Flotilla on the China Station, and when the war broke out in 1939 she was deployed with the 1st Submarine Flotilla based at Alexandria with the Mediterranean Fleet. From July to December 1941 the submarine was based at Malta from where she carried out interception patrols with the 1st Flotilla.
During 1941 she carried out patrols off Azores in defence of HG convoys on passage to and from Gibraltar, and with {{HMS|Olympus|N35|2}} for patrol of Oran to intercept Vichy {{ship|French battleship|Dunkerque||2}} reported to about to attempt passage to France during Operation Principal.
On 14 August 1941 she was involved in a friendly fire incident, when the submarine {{HMS|Talisman|N78|2}} under the command of Lt.Cdr. M. Willmott, RN mistook her for an enemy submarine and fired several torpedoes at her, approximately {{convert|140|nmi|lk=in}} north-west of Alexandria (position 32°41'N, 27°35'E).{{cite web|url=http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3399.html |publisher=u-boat.net |title=HMS Otus (N92) |accessdate=18 April 2015}}
On 3 September 1941, under command of Lt. R.M. Favell, RN, Otus unsuccessfully fired a torpedo at an unidentified enemy armed merchant cruiser of 4000 tons, approximately {{convert|175|nmi}} east of Valletta, Malta.
During 1943 she was transferred to Simonstown, South Africa for purposes of anti-submarine training.
During December 1944 she was nominated to be withdrawn from service. She was paid-off and transferred to Reserve status. During 1945 she was transferred to Durban, South Africa. Otus was scuttled off Durban in September 1946.
Discovery of the wreck
The wreck was located during March 2013 approximately {{convert|8|km|nmi}} south-east of the Durban Harbour entrance, at an approximate depth of {{convert|100|m|ft|abbr=on}}.{{cite web |title=Submarine found off Durban - HMS Otus |url=http://www.calypsoushaka.co.za/submarine_durban |website=Calypso Dive Centre |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917032933/http://www.calypsoushaka.co.za/submarine_durban |archive-date=17 September 2013 |url-status=usurped}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{cite journal|last1=Caruana|first1=Joseph|year=2012 |title=Emergency Victualling of Malta During WWII|journal=Warship International|volume=LXIX |issue=4 |pages=357–364 |issn=0043-0374}}
{{coord|29|52|21|S|31|05|39|E|display=title}}
{{British Odin class submarine}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Otus (N84)}}
Category:Odin-class submarines of the Royal Navy