Voltelin James Howard Van der Byl DSC, RN
| Born | 4 May 1907 |
| Ranks
Retired: 31 Jan 1958 Decorations
|
Warship Commands listed for Voltelin James Howard Van der Byl, RN
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| HMS Taku (N 38) | Lt.Cdr. | Submarine | 24 Feb 1940 | 8 Oct 1940 |
Career information
We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.
Events related to this officer
Submarine HMS Taku (N 38)
4 Mar 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
On completion the repairs, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) proceeded from the Portsmouth Dockyard to Haslar. (1)
5 Mar 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) conducted special trials off Portsmouth. (1)
7 Mar 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) conducted exercises off Portsmouth. (1)
9 Mar 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) conducted exercises off Portsmouth. These included practice attacks on HMS Warrior II (Capt.(Retd.) A.E. Johnston, RN). (1)
11 Mar 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) conducted exercises off Portsmouth. (1)
12 Mar 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) is docked at the Portsmouth Dockyard in No.9 Dry Dock. (1)
30 Mar 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) is undocked. (1)
1 Apr 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) conducted compass adjustment trials off Portsmouth. (2)
2 Apr 1940
Around 2145A/2, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) departed Portsmouth for a trial period at Loch Long on the west coast of Scotland. She was escorted by HMS Malcolm (Capt. T.E. Halsey, RN) until 0730A/3 when HMS Foxhound (Lt.Cdr. G.H. Peters, DSC, RN) took over the escort. (2)
5 Apr 1940
Around 1200A/5, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) arrived at Loch Long. (2)
8 Apr 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) conducted torpedo discharge trials at Loch Long. (2)
9 Apr 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) conducted torpedo discharge trials at Loch Long. (2)
10 Apr 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) conducted torpedo discharge trials at Loch Long. (2)
11 Apr 1940
For the daily and attack positions of HMS Taku during her 1st war patrol see the map below.
(2)
11 Apr 1940
Around 0515A/11, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) departed Loch Long for her 1st war patrol. She is to patrol off Central Norway. She was escorted until 2145A/12 by HMS Notts County (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) J.K. Pollock, RN).
(3)
17 Apr 1940
While searching for five German destroyers reported to be in her area HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) fires four torpedoes at the British destroyer HMS Ashanti (Cdr. W.G. Davis, RN). Luckily all torpedoes fired missed their target. HMS Taku sustained some minor damage from depth charges dropped by HMS Ashanti.
Taku had received information that five German destroyers had been sighted off Stavanger at 1900A/16. They were steering northwards at 25 knots. It was estimated that these would pass close to Taku's position between 0330A/17 and 0400A/17.
0335A/17 - Sighted a ship bearing 240° steering 060° at high speed, distance was about 4 miles. Turned towards and commenced a surface attack. The ships silhouette was very similar to that of a German destroyer. In view of the previous report there was no doubt that this was an enemy destroyer.
0342A/17 - Fired four torpedoes from 3000 yards. One torpedo was seen to break surface. Taku dived immediately after firing. It was now rapidly getting lighter and immediately after firing the first salvo the destroyer changed course. Taku manoeuvred into position to fire a second salvo. The destroyer now turned directly towards and while doing so it was observed to have a tripod mast and twin gun mountings and it was identified as friendly. Taku went deep and the order was given to fire a yellow smoke candle and to transmit identity letter on S.S/T. When at 60 feet a pattern of depth charges exploded about 100 yards on the starboard bow. Taku now surfaced and established her identity by lamp. The destroyer was HMS Ashanti. Only minor damage was caused by the depth charges. (3)
18 Apr 1940
At 2130A/18, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) surfaced after a days submerged patrol. She then set course to proceed to Rosyth. (3)
20 Apr 1940
Around 0820A/20, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) ended her 1st war patrol at Rosyth. (3)
30 Apr 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) conducted compass adjustment trials off Rosyth. (2)
1 May 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) conducted gunnery exercises off Rosyth. (4)
2 May 1940
Around 1800A/2, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) departed from Rosyth for her 2nd war patrol. She is to patrol of southern Norway.
For the daily positions of HMS Taku during this patrol see the map below.
(3)
6 May 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
At 0230A/6, west of Stavanger in approximate position 58°50'N, 04°42'E, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) picked up HE of a reciprocal engine on the starboard bow bearing 235° (approximately). HMS Taku stopped the engines and turned towards. As HMS Taku was silhouetted against the eastern horizon and visibility was not good to the westward, HMS Taku dived. HE passed down the port side and then stopped. It started again five minutes later and the ship then made off to the southward at a higher speed then before. The ship was never seen through the periscope. HMS Taku remained dived until 2155A/6. (3)
8 May 1940 (position 56.45, 6.12)
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) attacked a German convoy with a full salvo of ten torpedoes and torpedoed and damaged the German torpedo boat Mowe east of Denmark in position 56°45'N, 06°12'E. After the attack HMS Taku was depth charged and hunted for over 6 hours.
The convoy attacked was made up of the German transports Palime (2863 GRT, built 1937) and Pelikan (3264 GRT, built 1935) escorted by torpedo boats Mowe and Kondor. They had departed the Elbe around 0445B/8 for Stavanger.
Mowe was damaged in the stern and towed to Wilhelmshaven by Kondor.
1715A/8 - Sighted two camouflaged merchant ships about 8000 tons each escorted by two torpedo boats and two aircraft. Bearing 175°, range 8000 yards. All ships were zig-zagging independently. Commenced attack. It was intended to fire five torpedoes at each of the merchant ships from outside the screen.
1736A/8 - Fired at the leading transport from 2000 yards. After the last torpedo was fired Taku went to 100 feet. One minute after firing three distinct explosions were heard. These were followed by an avalanche of depth charges. Taku meanwhile lost trim and bottomed at 150 feet. All motors were stopped. Taku was now hunted and depth charged until late in the evening.
2350A/8 - Left bottom after the hunters HE had ceased.
0150A/9 - Surfaced. Nothing in sight except some fishing vessels to the South and East. Proceeded to the north-west while charging. (3)
13 May 1940
At 2157A/13, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) surfaced and set course to return to Rosyth. (5)
15 May 1940
Around 0830A/15, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) ended her 2nd war patrol at Rosyth.
(3)
16 May 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) is docked in AFD 3 at Rosyth. (4)
18 May 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) is undocked. (4)
22 May 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) conducted engine trials and exercises off Rosyth. (4)
23 May 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) is wiped at Rosyth. Also compass adjustment trials were carried out. (4)
27 May 1940
Around 0500A/27, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) departed from Rosyth for her 3rd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the North Sea.
For the daily positions of HMS Taku during this patrol see the map below.
(3)
1 Jun 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
At 0150A/1, in position 54°40'N, 04°11'E, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) almost collided with a small black conical buoy with white buff attached. The buoy was only three feet high and was considered to be too small to be a navigational buoy. It was lost from of sight in the bad visibility and not seen again.
Between 0945A/1 and 1015A/1, a large number of distant explosions were heard thought to be probably bombs. These may have come from the northern half of this patrol area where ORP Orzel (Kpt.mar. (Lt.Cdr.) J. Grudzinski, DSO) had been ordered to patrol. (3)
9 Jun 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) and HMS Triad (Lt.Cdr. E.R.J. Oddie, RN) were ordered into the Heligoland Bight to intercept the German battlecruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst in case they returned from operations off northern Norway to Germany.
The German battlecruisers however entered Trondheim. (6)
10 Jun 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 2045A/10, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) received a signal to leave patrol and return to Rosyth.
She surfaced at 2300A/10 and set course accordingly. (3)
12 Jun 1940
Around 2115A/12, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) ended her 3rd war patrol at Rosyth. (3)
18 Jun 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) conducted compass adjustment trials at Rosyth. (7)
20 Jun 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) is docked in AFD 3 at Rosyth. (7)
21 Jun 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) is undocked. (7)
28 Jun 1940
Around 1230A/28 HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) departed from Rosyth for her 4th war patrol. She is to patrol of central Norway.
In the morning, before departure, compass adjustment trials had been carried out.
For the daily positions of HMS Taku during this patrol see the map below.
(3)
29 Jun 1940
At 0913A/29, in rough weather conditions, in approximate position 57°05'N, 00°31'W, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) sighted a surfaced submarine. HMS Taku subsequently dived and sent a recognition signal on SS/T.
The submarine in question, Rubis (Lt. G.E.J. Cabanier) had also sighted the British submarine and turned away. (3)
5 Jul 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
At 2244A/5, west-north-west of Namsos, in position 64°48'N, 09°25'E, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) is bombed by an enemy aircraft. On sighting the aircraft HMS Taku dived and when at 45 feet the bomb exploded overhead abaft the conning tower. Only some minor damage was sustained. (3)
9 Jul 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
At 1825A/9, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) surfaced after a day of submerged patrol. She then left patrol to return to Rosyth. (3)
12 Jul 1940
Around 1930A/12, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) ended her 4th war patrol at Rosyth. (3)
13 Jul 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) conducted compass adjustment trials at Rosyth. (8)
15 Jul 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) conducted compass adjustment trials at Rosyth. (8)
25 Jul 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) conducted gunnery exercises off Rosyth. (8)
27 Jul 1940
Around 2000A/27, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) departed from Rosyth for her 5th war patrol. She is to patrol off Norway.
For the daily positions of HMS Taku during this patrol see the map below.
(3)
7 Aug 1940
At 2102A/7, an Hudson from 269 Squadron ((Pilot Officer J.B. Weightman) reported having attacked submarine with three 250-lb A/S bombs (one failed to explode) in position 61°13'N, 00°49'E proceeding on course 150°. The aircraft had attacked the submarine which was U-52 which was returning to Kiel where she arrived on the 13th, after a short stopover at Heligoland from the evening of the 11th to the afternoon of the 12th. The German U-boat was severely shaken but had sustained no damage during the aircraft attack.
Upon receiving this signal at 2316A/7, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN), which was in approximate position 59°45'N, 02°45E, about 100 nautical miles away, altered course to the north-east to try to intercept as it was thought the enemy submarine was proceeding to Bergen.
No enemy submarine was seen though. (9)
8 Aug 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
At 2305A/8, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) surfaced after a day of submerged patrol. She then set course to return to Rosyth. (3)
11 Aug 1940
Around 1010A/11, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) ended her 5th war patrol, which had been uneventful, at Rosyth. (3)
18 Aug 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) briefly conducted a post repair basin dive trial at Rosyth. (10)
22 Aug 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, RN) conducted exercises in the Firth of Forth. (10)
28 Aug 1940
Around 1800A/28, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) and HMS Porpoise (Lt.Cdr. J.G. Hopkins, RN) departed Rosyth for Rothesay. (10)
30 Aug 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 0615A/30, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) and HMS Porpoise (Lt.Cdr. J.G. Hopkins, RN) arrived at Stornoway.
They departed again to continue their passage to Rothesay around 1415A/30. (10)
31 Aug 1940
Around 1400A/31, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) and HMS Porpoise (Lt.Cdr. J.G. Hopkins, RN) arrived at Rothesay. (10)
2 Sep 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) departed from Rothesay for her 6th war patrol. She is to patrol in the Bay of Biscay off the Gironde estuary.
Passage south through the Irish Sea was made together with HMS Porpoise (Lt.Cdr. J.G. Hopkins, RN). They were escorted by HMS Rosemary (Lt.(Retd.) H.V. Wheeler, RN).
The submarines parted company with the escort around 1915A/3 near Bishops Rock.
For the daily positions of HMS Taku during this patrol see the map below.
(3)
11 Sep 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
At 1100A/11, north of the Gironde estuary, in approximate position 45°47'N, 01°32'W, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) sighted a small southbound coaster. She was well inside the 10 fathom line.
At 1500A/11, in approximate position 45°53'N, 01°37'W, a small vessel was sighted though to be an E-boat (motor torpedo boat) [could also have been an R-boat / motor minesweeper] right astern proceeding on course 140°. She was lost out of sight around 1540A/11 as she was entering the Gironde estuary. (3)
16 Sep 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
At 2207A/16, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) surfaced after a day of submerged patrol off the Gironde estuary. She then set course to return to the U.K. (3)
20 Sep 1940
Around 0730A/20, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) ended her 6th war patrol at Falmouth. She and HMS Porpoise (Lt.Cdr. J.G. Hopkins, RN) departed around 1930A/20, for Holy Loch escorted by HMS Rosemary (Lt.(Retd.) H.V. Wheeler, RN). (11)
22 Sep 1940
Around 1200A/22, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) arrived at Holy Loch from Falmouth. (11)
24 Sep 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) is wiped (degaussed) at Holy Loch. (11)
25 Sep 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) conducted compass adjustment trials at Holy Loch. (11)
30 Sep 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) conducted D/G trials off Helensburg. (11)
1 Oct 1940
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) conducted compass adjustment trials at Holy Loch. (12)
4 Oct 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) conducted exercises in Loch Long. (13)
8 Oct 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
In the morning, HMS Taku (Lt.Cdr. V.J.H. Van der Byl, DSC, RN) conducted noise trials at Holy Loch.
In the afternoon, Lt.Cdr. Van der Byl left the ship and Lt. Lt. Turner, RN assumed command temporarily. (13)
Sources
- ADM 173/16571
- ADM 173/16572
- ADM 199/1846
- ADM 173/16573
- ADM 173/16573 + ADM 199/1846
- ADM 199/373
- ADM 173/16574
- ADM 173/16575
- ADM 199/1846 + KTB of U-52 for the period of 27-07-1940 to 13-08-1940 (NARA, T 1022, roll 2828, PG 30049)
- ADM 173/16576
- ADM 173/16577
- ADM 173/16578
- ADM 53/16578
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.
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