HNoMS ''Ula'', previously HMS ''Varne'', a British-built U-class submarine, and a member of the third group of that class to be built. She never actually served under the name ''Varne'', being transferred before commissioning to the

exiled ''Exiled'' () is a 2006 Hong Kong action drama film produced and directed by Johnnie To, and starring Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, Nick Cheung, Josie Ho, Roy Cheung and Lam Suet, with special appearances by Richie Jen and Simon Yam. The action ta ...

Royal Norwegian Navy The Royal Norwegian Navy ( no, Sjøforsvaret, , Sea defence) is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for naval operations of Norway. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 in mobilized state, 3 ...

as HNoMS ''Ula'' (S300). In 1944 she sank a German U-boat during one of her patrols off Norway. She remained in Norwegian service and was scrapped in 1965.

Service history

Originally built for

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

as ''Varne'', it was planned that the Royal Dutch Navy should man her and name her ''Haai''. The Dutch crew (mainly 34 from the decommissioned submarines ''KIX'', ''KX'' and ''KXII'') needed to be brought to the UK from Sydney via Cape Town. Their ship from Cape Town was the merchant vessel , which was unescorted and was attacked and sunk in the Atlantic, 48.30N 28.50W, by the German U Boat Type VIIc on the night of 29 October 1942. ''Varne'' was transferred to the Royal Norwegian Navy as HNoMS ''Ula'' (P66) in 1943, remaining there for the remainder of her career. She carried out 14 patrols during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, operating as part of the 'Norwegian Section' of the 9th Submarine Flotilla at

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

. On 19 April 1944, under CO Lt Valvatne RNoN, south east of Løten on the western Boknafjorden, near

Stavanger Stavanger (, , American English, US usually , ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. It is the fourth largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the a ...

, Norway, the submarine fired a salvo of four torpedoes. The target was the German Type VIIc

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...

at about range. One torpedo hit its target just behind the conning tower and the U-boat was blown in two and sunk, though eight crew survived. This was the most notable of ''Ula''s victims during her 14 patrols. She sank several other targets, mostly merchant ships, during her war service, all of which was spent on the Norwegian patrol. ''Ula'' was the

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

submarine which sunk the most enemy tonnage in the Atlantic in the Second World War. ''Ula'' continued in Norwegian service until 1965, when she was broken up in Hamburg.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ula (1943) Ships built in Barrow-in-Furness 1943 ships World War II submarines of the United Kingdom British U-class submarines of the Royal Norwegian Navy World War II submarines of Norway