She was first commissioned for service with the 4th Submarine Flotilla on the China Station.
Wartime history
The crew of HMS Osiris.
In September 1939, she was nominated for service on the East Indies Station and deployed with the 8th Flotilla at Colombo for flotilla duties. During January 1940 she transferred to the British Mediterranean Fleet and was deployed with the 1st Submarine Flotilla based at Alexandria.[1]
On 16 August 1940, Osiris sank the Italian merchantman Morea (1,968 tons) approximately 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) west of Durazzo, Albania, with gunfire in a surface engagement, after Morea twice evaded torpedoes fired at the ship.[2]
During an attack carried out on a convoy in the Otranto Strait on 22 September 1940 Osiris torpedoed and sank one of the convoy escorts, the Italian torpedo boat Palestro (875 tons displacement), approximately 40 nautical miles (74 km; 46 mi) west of Durazzo, Albania (position 41°19'N, 18°34'E).[2] On returning to Alexandria, Osiris received a package from the commanding officer of the flotilla with instructions "not to come alongside unless this identity signal is showing". The package contained a Jolly Roger which was duly hoisted. From that day onward the Captain (S) gave each submarine in his flotilla a Jolly Roger as soon as she had achieved a success on patrol.[3]
On 14 July 1941 Osiris damaged the Italian merchant ship Capo d'Orso (3,149 tons) with gunfire in a surface engagement near Argostolion, Kefalonia, Greece.
In another surface engagement on 27 June 1943, Osiris sank the Italian sailing vessel Vittorina (11 tons) north of Crete (position 36°12'N, 26°45'E) with gunfire.[2]
During the Allied invasion of Sicily from July to August 1943, she was deployed on interception patrol to prevent Italian warships interfering with the landings.[1] From August 1943 she served with the Eastern Fleet training anti-submarine escorts before transferring to the new East Indies Fleet in November 1944.
United Kingdom
