| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Submarine |
| Class | T |
| Pennant | P 311 |
| Mod | Third Group |
| Built by | Vickers Armstrong (Barrow-in-Furness, U.K.) |
| Ordered | 2 Sep 1940 |
| Laid down | 25 Apr 1941 |
| Launched | 5 Mar 1942 |
| Commissioned | 7 Aug 1942 |
| Lost | 8 Jan 1943 |
| History | P 311 was the only unnamed T-class boat, she was due to have been named Tutenkhamen but lost before she could be renamed. She was fitted to carry three Chariot human torpedoes. HMS P 311 (Cdr. Richard Douglas Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) was lost while engaged in Operation Principle, the Chariot attack on Italian cruisers at La Maddalena. HMS P 311 left Scotland in November 1942 with sister-boats HMS Thunderbold and HMS Trooper after addition of human torpedo deck-mounted watertight containers, direct for Malta. P 311 departed from Malta on 28 December 1942. She sent her last signal on 31 December 1942 from position 38º10'N, 11º30'E. After this signal she was not heard from again and she is presumed sunk by Italian mines in the approaches to Maddalena on or around 2 January 1943. She was reported overdue on 8 January 1943 when she failed to return to base. The wreck was found off Tavolara Island in 2015 by Italian diver Massimo Bondone. Apparently she fell victim to a minefield laid by the Italian minelayer Durazzo on 27.09.1941. See also this page (offsite link). |
| Former name | P 91 |
Commands listed for HMS P 311 (P 311)
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Lt.Cdr. Richard Douglas Cayley, DSO, RN | 8 Jun 1942 | 8 Jan 1943 |
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Notable events involving P 311 include:
The history of HMS P 311 as compiled on this page is extracted from the patrol reports and logbooks of this submarine as well as several other files.
This page was last updated in November 2018.
5 Aug 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) departed her builders yard at Barrow for Holy Loch. She was escorted by HMS La Capricieuse (Lt.Cdr. G.W. Dobson, RNR). (1)
6 Aug 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) arrived at Holy Loch to begin a period of trials and training. (1)
9 Aug 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted exercises in the Clyde area. (1)
10 Aug 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted exercises in the Clyde area. (1)
11 Aug 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted exercises in the Clyde area. (1)
16 Aug 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) shifted from Holy Loch to Arrochar where she commenced her torpedo discharge trials the same day. (1)
17 Aug 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted torpedo discharge trials off Arrochar. (1)
18 Aug 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted torpedo discharge trials off Arrochar. (1)
21 Aug 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted torpedo discharge trials off Arrochar. (1)
22 Aug 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted torpedo discharge trials off Arrochar. (1)
23 Aug 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) shifted from Arrochar to Holy Loch after having completed her torpedo discharge trials the previous day. (1)
27 Aug 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted exercises and trials in the Clyde area. (1)
28 Aug 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted minelaying trials in Loch Long. (1)
30 Aug 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted trials in the Clyde area. (1)
31 Aug 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted noise trials in Loch Goil. (1)
1 Sep 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted attack exercises in the Clyde area during which HMS La Flore (T/A/Lt.Cdr. F.C. Hopkins, DSC, RNR) served as target. (2)
2 Sep 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted attack exercises in the Clyde area during which HrMs Jan van Gelder (Lt. P.L.M. van Geen, RNN) served as target. (2)
3 Sep 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted attack exercises in the Clyde area during which HMS Cutty Sark (Cdr.(Retd.) R.H. Mack, RN) served as target. (2)
4 Sep 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted S.T.U. (mine detection) trials in the Clyde area. (2)
5 Sep 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) shifted from Holy Loch to Campbeltown. (2)
6 Sep 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Campbeltown with HMS Boarhound (Skr. A. Keable, RNR) and HMS Spaniel. (2)
7 Sep 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Campbeltown with HMS Boarhound (Skr. A. Keable, RNR) and HMS Spaniel. (2)
8 Sep 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) participated in A/S exercises off Campbeltown. (2)
9 Sep 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) participated in A/S exercises off Campbeltown. Upon completion of these HMS P 311 proceeded to Holy Loch. (2)
11 Sep 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted noise trials in Loch Goil. (2)
13 Sep 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) departed from Holy Loch for Plymouth. She has to be modified at the Devonport Dockyard to carry the containers that hold the Chariot human torpedoes. During the passage south through the Irish Sea she was escorted by HrMs Jan van Gelder (Lt. P.L.M. van Geen, RNN). (2)
15 Sep 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) arrived at Plymouth. After disembarking ammunition and torpedoes she enters Devonport Dockyard on the 17th. (2)
19 Sep 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted torpedo discharge trials off Arrochar. (1)
20 Sep 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) conducted torpedo discharge trials off Arrochar. (1)
5 Oct 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) left dock at the Devonport Dockyard. (3)
10 Oct 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) is docked again at the Devonport Dockyard. She left dock the next day. (3)
5 Nov 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) departed Plymouth for Port HHZ. At that secret base in North-West Scotland she was to take on board Chariot human torpedoes. During the passage north she was escorted by HMS Cutty Sark (Cdr.(Retd.) R.H. Mack, RN). (4)
8 Nov 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) arrived at Port HHZ (Loch Cairnbawn). (4)
12 Nov 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) departed from Port HHZ (on the North-West coast of Scotland) bound for Malta. She is not stop at Gibraltar so not to alert the German and Italian spies stationed in 'neutral' Spain on the Chariot containers on her deck.
Passage south through the Irish sea was made together with HMS Trooper (Lt. J.S. Wraith, DSO, DSC, RN). They were escorted by HMS La Capricieuse (Lt.Cdr. G.W. Dobson, RNR). (4)
30 Nov 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) arrived at Malta. (5)
28 Dec 1942
HMS P 311 (Cdr. R.D. Cayley, DSO and 2 Bars, RN) departed from Malta for a Chariot attack on La Maddalena. This was her 1st war patrol. (6)
Media links
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Sources
- ADM 173/17489
- ADM 173/17482
- ADM 173/17483
- ADM 199/1909
- ADM 199/424
- ADM 199/1925
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.
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