World War II Database

1.  Alan Chanter says:
14 Jul 2020 12:23:45 AM

On patrol off the south-west corner of Norway on the morning of April 9th, 1940, the Royal Navy submarine Thistle (Lt. Wilfrid Frederick Haselfoot RN) sighted a German U-boat on the surface and fired torpedoes at it. Something, however, warned the enemy submarine and before they reached it, she had dived below the surface.

During the day Thistle was given orders to try and penetrate Stavanger harbour and attack German shipping believed to be there. When at dusk Thistle was able to surface and acknowledge the order, she also reported her unsuccessful encounter and was therefore told to return to the area in which it had occurred. Thus it came about that both Thistle and her same antagonist, U4, were prowling through the darkness on the night of the 9th seeking each other. This time the tables would be turned. A little after 0100 hrs, U4 sighted the British submarined silhouetted against the false dawn. And this time there was to be no escape from the torpedo which exploded against Thistle’s hull and blew her to pieces. She was the first British submarine loss in the Norwegian campaign. There would be others.