HMS Union (N56)

History
Name:	HMS Union
Builder:	Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down:	9 December 1939
Launched:	1 October 1940
Commissioned:	22 February 1941
Fate:	sunk 20 July 1941
General characteristics
Displacement:	960 long tons (980 t) surfaced 1,150 long tons (1,170 t) submerged
Length:	192 ft (58.5 m)
Beam:	16 ft (4.9 m)
Draught:	15 ft 9 in (4.8 m)
Installed power:	615 bhp (459 kW) (diesel) 825 hp (615 kW) (electric)
Propulsion:	2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed:	11.25 kn (20.84 km/h; 12.95 mph) surfaced 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) submerged
Range:	4,050 nmi (7,500 km; 4,660 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) on the surface
Test depth:	200 feet (61.0 m)
Complement:	33
Armament:	4 × bow 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes 1 × 12-pdr deck gun

HMS Union was a British U class submarine, of the second group of that class, built by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 9 December 1939 and was commissioned on 22 February 1941.

Career and sinking

Union spent much of her short career operating in the Mediterranean, where she sank the Italian merchant Pietro Querini. Her success was short-lived however. Union sailed from Malta at 1 o’clock on the morning of 14 July 1941 with orders to intercept a convoy north of Tripoli the following day. On 20 July 1941 she was sunk with all hands during an attack on the convoy by the Italian torpedo boat Circe. When she failed to return to Malta she was reported overdue on 22 July 1941.^[1][2]

References

• Akermann, Paul (2002). Encyclopaedia of British Submarines 1901–1955 (reprint of the 1989 ed.). Penzance, Cornwall: Periscope Publishing. ISBN 1-904381-05-7. 
• Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6. 
• 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. OCLC 67375475. 
• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7. 
• McCartney, Innes (2006). British Submarines 1939–1945. New Vanguard. 129. Oxford, UK: Osprey. ISBN 1-84603-007-2. 

External links

• The abandoned Pietro Querini photographed by a Malta-based RAF Blenheim. The vessel later sank

Coordinates: 36°27′23″N 11°42′21″E / 36.45639°N 11.70583°E / 36.45639; 11.70583

British U-class submarine
Royal Navy	First group Undine Unity Ursula Second group Umpire Una Unbeaten Undaunted Union Unique Upholder Upright Urchin Urge Usk Utmost Third group Ultimatum Ultor Umbra Unbending Unbroken Unison United Universal Unrivalled Unruffled Unruly Unseen Unshaken Unsparing Unswerving Untamed Untiring Uproar Upstart Usurper Uther Vandal Varangian Varne Vitality Vox P32 P33 P36 P38 P39 P41 P47 P48 P52
Other operators  Royal Danish Navy Springeren  Free French Naval Forces Curie  Royal Hellenic Navy Amphitriti Xifias  Royal Netherlands Navy Dolfijn  Royal Norwegian Navy Uredd Ula  Polish Navy Dzik Sokół  Soviet Navy V-2 V-3 V-4
Preceded by: T class Followed by: P611 class List of submarines of the Royal Navy List of submarine classes of the Royal Navy

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in July 1941
Shipwrecks	1 Jul: Adjutant 5 Jul: Anselm 11 Jul: HMS Defender 14 Jul: Lesbian 19 Jul: HMS Umpire 20 Jul: HMS Union 23 Jul: HMS Fearless 27 Jul: Smelyi 30 Jul: HMS Cachalot
Other incidents	14 Jul: Georgic
1940 1941 1942 June 1941 August 1941