Technical Dive

110 m

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HMS Urge

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    HMS Urge

Location and General Information

HMS Urge was a Royal Navy U-class submarine that formed part of the 10th Submarine Flotilla based at the Lazaretto on Manoel Island, Malta. These small, 630-tonne submarines were found to be ideal for use in the shallow waters of the Mediterranean.

HMS Urge was laid down on 30 October 1939 and commissioned on 12 December 1940, under the command of Lieutenant EP Tomkinson. The submarine had an overall length of 58m and a beam of 4.9m and a draught of 4.62m. HMS Urge used two diesel-shaft electric drives for its main propulsion, powering the generators which in turn supplied electric power for the motors, and once submerged, batteries provided the main source of power. The submarine could reach speeds of up to 8 knots whilst underwater, but slower speeds would have been preferred to conserve power. 

The wreck site was discovered at a depth of 110 metres approximately 2km outside the Grand Harbour. A diver survey carried out in April 2021 by Heritage Malta, definitively identified the wreck as HMS Urge, laying to rest one of the last remaining Royal Navy mysteries from the Second World War and providing closure for the families of the crew and passengers that lost their lives.

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