HMS Oswald (Lt.Cdr. David Alexander Fraser, RN) was rammed and sunk about 15 nautical miles south-east of Cap Spartivento, Italy in position 37º46'N, 16º16'E by the Italian destroyer Vivaldi on 1 August 1940. 3 dead, 52 survivors.

On 30 July 1940 Oswald had attacked an Italian convoy, missing, then sent a contact report about Italian naval units transiting the Straits of Messina and moved to the Ionian Sea. By now, all Italian ASW forces in the area were aklerted to her presence and were on the lookout.

On 1 August she was spotted while running surfaced, 12 nm south of Capo Spartivento Calabro, a scant 2500 m away by an Italian Destroyer Division consisting of Ugolino Vivaldi, Nicoloso da Recco, Antonio da Noli and Antoniotto Usodimare: Vivaldi was closest and came about immediately, impacting the boat at 2305 hrs and sinking her. There were 3 dead and 52 survivors rescued by the destroyers.

An inquiry held after the return of the crew from Italian prison camps revealed that Lt.Cdr. Fraser had been deciphering a signal when the lookouts on the bridge spotted the approaching destroyers. Contrary to standard practice, Fraser was not wearing night-vision gogles and as a result was quite unable to see anything in the darkness when he was called to bridge and took no action, thereby allowing the sub to be rammed by Vivaldi.
Fraser was court-martialed for (presumably) dereliction of duty, but the proceedings of the trial have never been made public.

Commanding Officers:
Lt.Cdr. Geoffrey Mainwaring Sladen, RN
2 August 1939 - February 1940

Lt.Cdr. David Alexander Fraser, RN
February 1940 – 1 August 1940