*British, WW2, HMS Torbay – Original Photograph*
Approximate Dimensions: 25.2cm x 18cm
An original photograph of HMS Torbay circa 1943. This photograph originally formed part of the Lou Britton British Submarine Collection, which was acquired by the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport in 2007. HMS Torbay (N79) was a Royal Navy Group One T-class submarine, launched on 9 April 1940. She had an active career during World War II, serving in the Mediterranean and later the Pacific Far East.
Service Highlights
Mediterranean Operations:
-Sank 17 merchant ships (38,000 tons), 5 warships, and 24 sailing vessels.
-Involved in evacuations from Crete, including a record-setting rescue of 130 men in a single trip.
-Attacked Corfu Harbour in March 1942, sinking two transports and enduring 40 depth charges. Her commander, Lt. Cdr. Anthony Miers, received the Victoria Cross for this action.
-Allegedly involved in two war crime incidents in 1941, firing on survivors of sunken enemy vessels.
Other Engagements:
-Participated in Operation Flipper, landing commandos in November 1941.
-Survived a close encounter with a German Q-ship in 1943.
Far East Service:
-Sank several Japanese vessels and continued operations until the end of the war.
Postwar:
Torbay was sold on 19 December 1945 and scrapped in March 1947 at Briton Ferry, Wales.
The T-class submarines, designed in the 1930s, were the Royal Navy’s standard ocean patrol submarines. Of 53 built, they were active in the North Sea, Mediterranean, and Far East, despite limited opportunities to disrupt German shipping early in the war due to heavily mined waters and scarce targets.
*Condition*
Good used condition. Minor marks to the photograph. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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