Tribune file photo [6065]

Tribune

CountryUnited Kingdom
Ship ClassT-class Submarine
BuilderScotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Greenock, Scotland, UK
Laid Down3 Mar 1937
Launched8 Dec 1938
Commissioned17 Oct 1939
Decommissioned1 Jul 1947
Displacement1,090 tons standard; 1,575 tons submerged
Length275 feet
Beam27 feet
Draft14 feet
MachineryTwo diesel engines at 2,500hp each, two electric motors at 1,450hp each, two shafts
Speed15 knots
Range4,500nm at 11 knots
Crew59
Armament6x internal forward torpedo tubes, 4x external forward torpedo tubes, 6x spare torpedoes, 1x100mm deck gun
Submerged Speed9 knots

Contributor:

ww2dbaseTribune, part of the first group of T-class submarines, began her WW2 career with a rather lacking record off Northern and Western Europe with Lieutenant Commander G. P. S. Davies and then Lieutenant E. F. Balson. Her record in the North Sea was rather terrible. On 17 Jan 1940, she fired six torpedoes against an enemy submarine in the Skagerrak Strait northeast of Skagen, Denmark, and all torpedoes missed; an interesting fact with this attack was that no German submarine reported this attack. On 22 Jun, she made an torpedo attack against a German merchant ship off Standlandet, Norway; once again, all torpedoes missed. On 6 Sep, she made an attack with two torpedoes against German submarine U-56 northeast of St. Kilda, Outer Hebride Islands, Scotland, UK; both torpedoes missed, and once again the German submarine reported no such attack. On 16 Dec, she attacked the German tanker Karibisches Meer in the Bay of Biscay east of Ile de Yeu, France, with all torpedoes missing the target. Three days later, in the Bay of Biscay off Belle Ile, France, she attacked German merchant ship Birkenfels with similar ineffectiveness.

ww2dbaseIn early 1943, Tribune was transferred to the Mediterranean, where she achieved some limited successes. On 10 Jan 1943, she attacked and damaged French merchant ship Dalny 15 nautical miles off of San Remo, Italy; Dalny beached off Cape Cervo, Sardinia, Italy to prevent sinking, and Tribune followed up her attack with another torpedo on the following day to further damage the French ship. On 22 Mar, she damaged the German tanker Präsident Herrenschmidt by torpedo in the Tyrrhenian Sea. On 30 Mar, she fired torpedoes at Italian merchant ship Benevento north of Ustica, Italy; all torpedoes missed. After WW2, she was sold for scrap in Jul 1947 and was broken up in Nov that year.

ww2dbaseSource: Uboat.net.

Last Major Revision: May 2008

Photographs

Submarine Tribune underway, Sep 1942; photo taken from atop the conning tower

Tribune Operational Timeline

17 Oct 1939 Tribune was commissioned into service.
6 Sep 1940 British submarine HMS Tribune attacked German submarine U-56 40 miles west of Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland; all torpedoes fired missed.
26 Sep 1940 British submarine HMS Tribune fired four torpedoes at German submarine U-138 off Lorient, France. All torpedoes missed.
1 Jul 1947 Tribune was decommissioned from service.




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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Commenter identity confirmed Alan Chanter says:
5 May 2008 02:45:59 PM

U.S. Submarines, of course, ALWAYS achieve 100% success?
2. Ian Sutherland says:
18 Apr 2016 04:32:02 AM

Saw Antiques Roadshow last evening when Lt.Porters medals were displayed. He commanded HMS TRIBUNE when they landed a small party on the coast of Corsica in Jan 43.
In 1994 we were in Corsica and stumbled on a fine memorial obelisk to the event on 50th anniversary. The wording said 'HMS' but did not have the actual name of the submarine.
The special group of three were all killed before the Germans withdrew from Corsica in October 1943. The group was led by a Belgian Lieutenant.

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Submarine Tribune underway, Sep 1942; photo taken from atop the conning tower


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