Sydney James Ansell

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Panel 38, Column 1

HM Submarine Odin

Odin class submarine Odin was laid down by HM Dockyard at Chatham in Kent on 23 June 1927, launched on 5 May 1928 and commissioned on 21 December 1929. The name Odin refers to the 74-gun, Danish man-of-war surrendered to the British in 1807.
She served with the 5th Flotilla at Portsmouth in 1929–1930, with the 4th Flotilla at Hong Kong from 1930–1939, with the 8th Flotilla at Colombo in Ceylon in 1939–1940, and with the 1st Flotilla at Alexandria in Egypt in 1940. HMS Odin went missing on her 1st Mediterranean war patrol.

She was sunk, off Capo Santo Vito in the Gulf of Taranto by Italian destroyers Strale and Baleno. After Odin attacked Italian heavy cruisers Fiume and Gorizia, Strale sighted HMS Odin at 23.21 on 13th June 1940. The destroyer turned to attack, first with torpedoes, and then with gunfire. Strale then attempted to ram the submarine, which fired a torpedo from a stern tube before diving.

Having failed to ram the submarine, the Strale launched a pattern of depth charges before returning to her designated patrol. At 0157 the torpedo boat Baleno sighted Odin surfacing about 9 miles from the position of the original attack. The Baleno also attempted to ram the submarine, which once again dived to avoid her pursuer. Passing over the area, Baleno dropped two depth charges, turned and dropped three more.

Later that morning aerial reconnaissance by the Italian Air Force revealed oil slicks near Cape Saint Vito in both attack areas. The Italians believed the attacks to be on two separate submarines. But it is believed that both attacks were on Odin. The first badly damaging the submarine, the second finished her off. 53 men were lost including Able Seaman Sydney Ansell from Worksop. (Wikipedia & wrecksite.eu)

NB. There is no doubt that Odin was lost 13/6/1940. However, CWGC cites 27/6/40 as date of death for 48 of her crew, 14th June for 3, June 28th for 1 man, and 19th June for another.

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