HMS Umpire (N82)

{{short description|Submarine of the Royal Navy}}

{{other ships|HMS Umpire}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}

HMS Umpire (N82) was a Royal Navy U-class submarine built at Chatham Dockyard and sunk in an accident nine days after commissioning in July 1941 with the loss of 22 men.

The submarine was sunk while en route from Chatham to join the 3rd Submarine Flotilla at Dunoon, under the command of Lieutenant Mervyn Wingfield.{{cite web | url= http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3387.html | title= HMS Umpire (N 82) | work = Uboat.net | access-date=2007-02-24}} From Dunoon she was to carry out a single working-up patrol in the North Sea before heading to the Mediterranean.{{cite book | title= One of Our submarines | author = Edward Young | date = May 1998 | publisher = Wordsworth Editions Limited | isbn = 1-85326-681-7 |pages= 46–59 }} Young was on board the submarine when it sank She stopped overnight at Sheerness and joined a convoy headed North. The submarine suffered engine failure with one of the two diesel engines and as a result fell behind the convoy; the propellers were driven purely by electric motors on the surface and when submerged with no mechanical linkage to the diesel engines. The convoy passed a Southbound convoy around midnight while about {{convert|12|nmi|km|0}} off Blakeney, Norfolk, with the two convoys passing starboard to starboard; this was unusual since ships and convoys should pass port to port. No ships showed any lights because of the risk from German E-boats. However, an armed escort trawler, Peter Hendriks in the southbound convoy accidentally struck Umpire sinking her in 18 metres of water.{{cite web|url=http://www.rnsubmus.co.uk/general/losses.htm#umpire |title=Submarine losses 1904 to present day |work=Royal Navy Submarine Museum |access-date=2007-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070102110909/http://www.rnsubmus.co.uk/general/losses.htm |archive-date=2 January 2007 |url-status=dead }}

Four crew members were on the bridge when the submarine sank - Wingfield, the navigator and two lookouts.{{Cite web |url=http://todaysmemoir.net/Jul19.html |title=Todays memoir |access-date=21 February 2011 |archive-date=5 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305193127/http://todaysmemoir.net/Jul19.html |url-status=dead }} However, only Wingfield survived in the cold water to be picked up by the trawler. Several other personnel also survived, escaping from the sunken wreck using the conning tower or the engine room escape hatch, the majority wearing DSEA.{{cite journal |title=Submarine Casualties Booklet |publisher=U.S. Naval Submarine School |year=1966 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/8200 |access-date=2009-09-08 |journal= |archive-date=27 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727224438/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/8200 |url-status=usurped }} Chief ERA Killen received a British Empire Medal for leaving the submarine wearing DSEA to check for obstructions around the engine room hatch and then returning to the engine room to assist the other crew members in escaping. He remained in the engine room until everyone else there had escaped. 17 of the crew successfully escaped, 16 crew were lost.{{Cite web |title=Royal Navy casualties, killed and died, July 1941 |url=https://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1941-07JUL.htm |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=www.naval-history.net}}

Lieutenant Edward Young, one of the survivors from Umpire, later went on to command HMS Storm.

The wreck is designated as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.{{cite web | url = http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-environmental/mcga-dops_row_receiver_of_wreck/mcga-dops-row-protected-wrecks/mcga-dops-sar-row.htm | title = Protected Wrecks in the UK | work = Maritime and Coastguard Agency | access-date = 2007-02-24 | archive-date = 16 May 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100516031259/http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-environmental/mcga-dops_row_receiver_of_wreck/mcga-dops-row-protected-wrecks/mcga-dops-sar-row.htm | url-status = dead }}{{cite web |title= Statutory Instrument 2008/0950 | work=Office of Public Sector Information, 1 April 2008 | url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20080950_en_1 | access-date=2008-07-19}}