Eric Roland John Oddie DSO, RN
| Birth details unknown |
| Ranks
Retired: 1 Aug 1947 Decorations
|
Warship Commands listed for Eric Roland John Oddie, RN
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| HMS Narwhal (N 45) | Lt.Cdr. | Submarine | 18 Jul 1939 | 26 Feb 1940 |
| HMS Triad (N 53) | Lt.Cdr. | Submarine | 27 Feb 1940 | 15 Aug 1940 |
| HMS Indomitable (92) | Cdr. | Aircraft Carrier | 24 Jan 1944 | 30 Jan 1944 |
Career information
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Events related to this officer
Submarine HMS Narwhal (N 45)
25 Feb 1940
German U-boat U-63 tried to attack convoy HN-14, in doing so she was sighted by the British submarine HMS Narwhal (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN). The escorting destroyers HMS Escort (Lt.Cdr. J. Bostock, RN), HMS Inglefield (Capt. P. Todd, RN) and HMS Imogen (Cdr. C.L. Firth, RN) were warned. They located, attacked and sank U-63 with depth charges south east of the Shetland Islands.
Submarine HMS Triad (N 53)
28 Feb 1940
HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) is docked at Rosyth.
2 Mar 1940
HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) left dock.
13 Mar 1940
HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) departed from Rosyth for her 6th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the North Sea and Skagerrak.
For the daily positions of HMS Triad during this patrol see the map below.
HMS Triad 6th war patrolclick here for bigger map
25 Mar 1940
The German merchant ship Ostpreussen (3014 GRT, built 1920) is observed aground off Hirtshalls. She is in Danish territorial waters and cannot be attacked.
27 Mar 1940
HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) ended her 6th war patrol at Rosyth.
8 Apr 1940
HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) departed from Rosyth for her 7th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Skagerrak.
For the daily and attack positions of HMS Triad during this patrol see the map below.
HMS Triad 7th war patrolclick here for bigger map
11 Apr 1940
HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) torpedoed and sank the German troop transport Ionia (3102 GRT, built 1922) in the Skagerrak south of the Oslofjord, Norway in position 58°30'N, 10°35'E.
0630 hours - Commenced attack on 4000 tons merchant vessel in position 58°55'N, 10°32E'. Two torpedoes were fired, the second torpedo hit the target. She sank at 0705 hours after an attempt to take her in tow fails.
Triad was hunted by A/S trawlers during the whole day.
13 Apr 1940
At 1250 hours HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) is bombed by an aircraft while submerged at 50 feet. The sea is glassy calm but the submarine escapes damage (position is near 58°52'N, 10°20'E).
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At 2200 hours Triad sights two destroyers crossing her stern, she cannot turn fast enough to fire her torpedoes. The patrol report notes tersely 'the lack of a stern tube was keenly felt'. The targets may have been the German torpedo-boats Jaguar and Falke which have sailed from Kristiansand for Fredrikshaven but this would mean that the submarine was some 60 miles off position. Her log lacks precision due to the stress of working deeply in enemy waters so the error is not impossible. Otherwise, the vessels may have been enemy A/S trawlers.
14 Apr 1940
While patrolling off the Oslo Fjord, an area that was heavily patrolled by German A/S vessels and aircraft, HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) attacks a convoy of two merchant vessel escorted by a destroyer and later a destroyer with torpedoes. Both attacks however failed to produce hits on the targets.
1748 hours - In position 58°49'N, 10°45'E fired two torpedoes against two merchant vessels escorted by a destroyer. Range was very long, 12000 yards. No hits were obtained.
2130 hours - Surfaced.
2204 hours - Sighted a destroyer in position 58°44'N, 10°19'E. Fired two torpedoes. Range was 2 nautical miles. No hits were obtained.
2205 hours - Dived. Another ship, possibly a cruiser passed overhead.
15 Apr 1940
While charging the batteries on the surface HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) is detected by an enemy surface vessel. Triad dived and was depth charged.
2312 hours - In position 58°43'N, 09°50'E two flares were fired into the air about one nautical mile away. Triad dived and was subsequently depth charged. Eight charges were dropped, all were fairly close.
0047 hours (16th) - Surfaced.
These events had most likely something to do with the sinking of the German gunnery training ship Brummer that was torpedoed and sunk by HMS Sterlet around that time. Brummer was escorted by the Torpedo boats Falke, Jaguar and the sloop F 5.
19 Apr 1940
HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) fires four torpedoes against a German convoy in the Skagerrak south of the Oslofjord in position 58°18'N, 10°49'E. All torpedoes fired however missed their target.
0445 hours - Sighted ' what was thought to be the German depot ship Tsingtao escorted by four A/S trawlers. Started attack.
0459 hours - In position 58°18'N, 10°49'E fired four torpedoes from 9000 yards. All missed.
The targets were actually M 581/Nautilus escorting Moltekefels (7862 GRT, built 1940), Hanau (5892 GRT, built 1921) and Porto Alegre (6105 GRT, built 1936) that were returning to Germany.
20 Apr 1940
HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) attacked a German convoy with six torpedoes. One or two hits were claimed.
0930 hours - Sighted a convoy of three ships escorted by four destroyers and one MTB.
1008 hours - Near position 58°14'N, 10°50'E fired six torpedoes from 2700 yards. Triad went deep upon firing. One or two hits were claimed.
1020 hours - Depth charging started. They were quite close causing some minor damage. Triad retired to the South at slow speed. HE slowly faded away.
Triad had now expanded all torpedoes.
According to German sources this convoy was made up of Togo (5042 GRT, built 1938), Pionier (3264 GRT, built 1934) and Ahrensburg (2988 GRT, built 1939). They were escorted by the torpedo-boats Jaguar, Falke, escort vessels F-5, F-8 and five R-boats. No torpedo hits were obtained.
23 Apr 1940
HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) ended her 7th war patrol at Rosyth.
6 May 1940
HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) departed from Rosyth for her 8th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the North Sea to the North-West of the Dutch coast.
For the positions of HMS Triad during this patrol see the map below.
HMS Triad 8th war patrolclick here for bigger map
9 May 1940
At 0047 hours HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) sighted a submarine on the surface in position 53?22'N, 03?36'E. This was thought to be the French submarine Calypso (Lieutenant de Vaisseau (= Lt.) J.M. Petit).
In fact it was German U-boat U-7 that also reported sighting a submarine at 0145 hours (zone +1 = German time) in position 53?21N, 03?45'E.
15 May 1940
At 1200 hours HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) stops the Danish fishing trawler Siscator (33 GRT) in position 54?36'N, 04?00'E. (The Danish Siscator was fishing from the Dutch port of IJmuiden). After inspection she was allowed to proceed.
18 May 1940
HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) ended her 8th war patrol at Rosyth.
29 May 1940
HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) departed from Rosyth for her 9th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the North Sea to the North-West of the Dutch coast.
For the daily positions of HMS Triad during this patrol see the map below.
HMS Triad 9th war patrolclick here for bigger map
12 Jun 1940
HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) ended her 9th war patrol at Rosyth.
15 Jun 1940
HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) is docked at Rosyth.
19 Jun 1940
HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) left dock.
27 Jun 1940
HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) departed from Rosyth for her 10th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the West coast of Norway, near Trondheim.
For the daily and attack positions of HMS Triad during this patrol see the map below.
HMS Triad 10th war patrolclick here for bigger map
28 Jun 1940
At 0855 hours HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) is bombed by a biplane believed to have been a German Heinkel 59 in position 57?24'N, 00?36'E. Triad escapes without damage.
3 Jul 1940
At 2330 hours HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) is bombed by a flying boat as she is charging her batteries near position near 64°53'N, 07°59'E. Triad suffers no damage.
7 Jul 1940
At 1930 hours HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) is bombed by a seaplane near position 65°15'N, 08°32'E and sustains slight damage to the CO2 cooling system, lamps and telephones.
9 Jul 1940
HMS Triad (Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, DSO, RN) makes a torpedo attack on a so far unidentified vessel. The vessel had Swedish markings on her side but might have been a German Q-ship.
0525 hours - In position 65°29'N, 07°03'E fired two torpedoes against a vessel with Swedish markings on her side. The target was about the size of a large trawler. Range was 1000 yards. Both torpedoes were set to 4 feet and due to the heavy swell they may have been affected.
13 Jul 1940
HMS Triad (Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, DSO, RN) ended her 10th war patrol at Rosyth.
27 Jul 1940
HMS Triad (Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, DSO, RN) departed from Rosyth for her 11th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the West coast of Norway, near Bergen.
For the positions of HMS Triad during this patrol see the map below.
HMS Triad 11th war patrolclick here for bigger map
3 Aug 1940
HMS Triad (Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, DSO, RN) attacks German U-boat U-46 with gunfire. U-46 dived before hits were obtained.
2218 hours - Dived near position 58°33'N, 01°23'E. Almost at once picked up loud diesel HE. Shortly afterwards sighted a type 7 U-boat 1000 yards away.
2230 hours - Surfaced for gun action. Fired three rounds at a range of 3500 yards before the U-boat dived. The last shot was seen to fall close to the U-boat.
2235 hours - Dived and manoeuvred to attack with torpedoed or to ram. Contact was however soon lost.
4 Aug 1940
HMS Triad (Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, DSO, RN) ended her 11th war patrol at Rosyth.
8 Aug 1940
HMS Triad (Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, DSO, RN) proceeds from Rosyth to Dundee.
9 Aug 1940
HMS Triad (Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, DSO, RN) is docked at Dundee for a short refit before she is to proceed to the Mediterranean.