| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Submarine |
| Class | T |
| Pennant | P 339 |
| Built by | Vickers Armstrong (Barrow-in-Furness, U.K.) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 30 Sep 1941 |
| Launched | 27 Jun 1942 |
| Commissioned | 3 Nov 1942 |
| End service | |
| Loss position | |
| History | Loaned to the Royal Netherlands Navy on 4 June 1948 and commissioned into the Royal Netherlands Navy as Dolfijn (offsite link) the same day. Decommissioned and returned to the Royal Navy on 7 December 1953. Recommissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Taurus on 8 December 1953. Scrapped at Dunston-on-Tyne in April 1960. Commanding Officers: Lt. Peter Edward Newstead, DSC, RN |
Commands listed for HMS Taurus (P 339)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Lt.Cdr. Mervyn Robert George Wingfield, RN | Sep 1942 | 4 Sep 1944 |
| 2 | Lt. Peter Edward Newstead, DSC, RN | 4 Sep 1944 | Oct 1945 ? |
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Noteable events involving Taurus include:
2 Mar 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, RN) sinks the small French merchant Clairette with gunfire off Cape Ferrat, southern France.
6 Mar 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, RN) torpedoes and sinks the Spanish merchant Bartolo (3120 GRT) off Marseille, southern France.
10 Mar 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, RN) torpedoes and sinks the Italian merchant Derna (1769 GRT) off Sete, southern France.
13 Mar 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, RN) sinks the French tug Ghrib (82 GRT) and two barges with gunfire off Cassis, southern France.
13 Apr 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, RN) sinks the Portugese Santa Irene (520 GRT) with gunfire about 30 nautical miles south-east of Bastia, Corsica, France in position 42º19'N, 09º53'E. (see map)
14 Apr 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, RN) sinks the small Italian tanker Alcione C. (521 GRT) with gunfire off the east coast of Corsica, France in position 42º16'N, 09º36'E. (see map)
15 Apr 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, RN) sinks the Italian sailing vessel Luigi (433 GRT) with gunfire 52 nautical miles south-west of Civitavecchia in position 41º32'N, 10º47'E. (see map)
27 May 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, RN) departs Malta for her 5th Mediterranean war patrol at 1700 hours (no time zone given in the patrol report but this was most likely -3). Taurus is ordered to patrol in the northern Aegean.
3 Jun 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, RN) sinks two sailing vessels (one caique and one schooner) with gunfire in the Aegean Sea off Euboea island.
The first target (a laden caique of about 60 tons) was spotted at 1220 hours (no time zone given in the patrol report but this was most likely -3). At 1248 hours Taurus surfaced and engaged with the gun. 31 rounds were expended before the tarket sank in position 38º28'5N, 24º17'E.
While the above action was in progress a second vessel was sighted. This ship was identified as a schooner of about 120 tons sailing northwards. As soon as the first target was sunk Taurus submerged again (at 1257 hours) and an attack on the second target was commenced. At 1352 hours Lt.Cdr. Wingfield surfaced about 2000 yards on the beam of the target. 17 rounds were expended before the target sank in position 38º28N, 24º14'E.
After the attacks Taurus proceeded northwards. (see map)
5 Jun 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, RN) sinks two caiques with gunfire off Skiathos.
At 1830 hours (no time zone given in the patrol report but this was most likely -3) two southbound caiques, of 50 tons each, were sighted and an attack commenced.
At 1912 hours Taurus surfaced and and opened fire at 3000 yards. 6 rounds were fired at one of the caiques which then commenced to settle. The crew abandoned ship instantly.
Fire was now shifted to the other caique that was about a mile away. 6 rounds were fired, with no hits, before an aircraft was seen approaching from the east. Taurus dived immediately.
With the aircraft gone Taurus surfaced at 1937 hours and re-started the attack on the caique that had not been hit. At 1943 hours this caique was sunk in position 39º25'N, 23º15'E.
Fire was now shifted to the first caique attacked and this one burst into flames before sinking at 1948 hours a mile north of the other one. (see map)
6 Jun 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, RN) sinks a Greek caique with gunfire west of Mitylene, Greece in position 39º15'N, 25º45'E.
At 1526 hours (no time zone given in the patrol report but this was most likely -3) Taurus surfaced and sank a 50 tons caique with gunfire. Soon after the first rounds were fired the caiques crew hoisted a white flag, so Lt.Cdr. Wingfield allowed the to abandon their ship with a dinghy.
At 1830 hours, just as Lt.Cdr. Wingfield wanted to surface to sink another caique, an aircraft was sighted that continued to patrol the area. This attack eventually had to be abandoned. (see map)
11 Jun 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, RN) sinks two caiques with gunfire and one by ramming off Piscopi, Greece.
At 1600 hours (no time zone given in the patrol report but this was most likely -3) Taurus sighted a medium sized caique of 40 tons to the north-west near Piscopi Island. Taurus surfaced and chased the target and opened fire with the deck gun at 2000 yards. The target sank at 1730 hours in position 36º26'N, 27º32'E.
Another caique was sighted inshore so Taurus closed to sink this one as well. 7 rounds were enough to sink this caique of 25 tons in position 36º26'N, 27º27'E. This 2nd caique was flying the Italian flag. (see map)
15 Jun 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, RN) ends her 5th Mediterranean war patrol at 0830 hours (no time zone given in the patrol report but this was most likely -3) when she arrives at Beirut.
8 Jul 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, RN) sinks two Greek sailing vessels through ramming off Skyros, Greece.
Taurus also torpedoes and damages the Greek merchant Konstantinos Louloudis (4697 GRT) off Skyros, Greece.
9 Jul 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, RN) sinks four sailing vessels with two torpedoes and gunfire at Kastron harbour, Lemnos, Greece. Two sailing vessels were damaged in the attack.
2114 hours (time zone -3) - Just before dark two torpedoes were fired into the harbour. Taurus surfaced three minutes later and proceeded to bombard the inside of the harbour. The two torpedoes were seen to explode, one amongst several caiques. A warehouse was set on fire, other buildings were slighly damaged and several shots were dropped on the Italian headquarters. Four caiques were sunk, one of 150 tons, one of 100 tons and two smaller ones.
12 Jul 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, RN) sinks the small Greek Romano (39 BRT) and 12 small sailing vessels with gunfire in the Gulf of Saloniki.
13 Nov 1943
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, DSC, RN) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese submarine I-34 (offsite link) south of Panang, Malaya in position 05º17'N, 100º05'E. (see map)
6 Feb 1944
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN) sinks a Japanese tugboat and a barge with gunfire south-west of Sumatra.
18 Apr 1944
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN) lays mines off Penang.
22 Apr 1944
HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN) sinks the Japanese salvage vessel Hokuan I-Go (558 GRT) and a tug with gunfire off Malaya in position 07º10'N, 99º20'E. (see map)
27 Apr 1944
The Japanese submarine I-37 is damaged when she hits a mine that was possibly laid by HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN) on 18 April 1944 south of Penang in position 05º03'N, 100º12'E. (see map)
12 May 1944
The Japanese transport ship Kasumi Maru (971 GRT) is sunk in Straits of Malacca in position 03º50'N, 99º30'E after hitting a mine laid by HMS Taurus (Lt.Cdr. M.R.G. Wingfield, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN) on 18 April 1944. (see map)