HMS Traveller (N48)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Traveller.

HMS Traveller (N48) was a T-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Scotts, Greenock and launched in August 1941.

HMS Traveller in the Gareloch (southwest Scotland), in April 1942
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Traveller
Builder	Scotts, Greenock
Laid down	17 January 1940
Launched	27 August 1941
Commissioned	10 April 1942
Identification	Pennant number N48
Fate	Sunk on 4 December 1942
Badge
General characteristics
Class & type	British T class submarine
Displacement	1,090 tons surfaced 1,575 tons submerged
Length	275 ft (84 m)
Beam	26 ft 6 in (8.08 m)
Draught	16.3 ft (5.0 m)
Propulsion	Two shafts Twin diesel engines 2,500 hp (1.86 MW) each Twin electric motors 1,450 hp (1.08 MW) each
Speed	15.25 knots (28.7 km/h) surfaced Nine knots (20 km/h) submerged
Range	4,500 nautical miles at 11 knots (8,330 km at 20 km/h) surfaced
Test depth	300 ft (91 m) max
Complement	61
Armament	Six internal forward-facing 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes Two external forward-facing torpedo tubes Three external backward-facing torpedo tubes Six reload torpedoes 1 x 4-inch (102 mm) deck gun Three anti-aircraft machine guns

Career

Traveller spent most of her career serving in the Mediterranean. She was unsuccessful in most of her attacks, sinking the Italian merchantman Albachiara, but launching failed attacks against the Italian merchant ship Ezilda Croce, the Italian 'small light cruiser' Cattaro (the former Yugoslavian Dalmacija), the Italian tanker Proserpina (the former French Beauce) and the Italian torpedo boats Castore and Ciclone. She also claimed to have attacked two so far unidentified submarines.^[1]

Traveller left Malta on 28 November 1942 for a patrol in the Gulf of Taranto. She carried out a reconnaissance of Taranto harbour for a Chariot human torpedo attack (Operation Principal). The submarine did not return from the operation and was reported overdue on 12 December. She probably struck an Italian mine on or about 4 December.^[2]

During the war, Traveller was adopted by the Borough of Leyton in London as part of Warship Week. The plaque from this adoption is held by the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth.^[3]