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Notable events involving Spearhead include:

The history of HMS Spearhead as compiled on this page is extracted from the patrol reports and logbooks of this submarine.

This page was last updated in September 2013.

19 Dec 1944
HMS Spearhead (T/Lt. R.E. Youngman, RNR) departed her builders yard for Holy Loch. (1)

20 Dec 1944
HMS Spearhead (T/Lt. R.E. Youngman, RNR) arrived at Holy Loch to begin a period of trials and training. (1)

13 Jan 1945
HMS Sibyl (Lt. H.R. Murray, RN) conducted attack exercises in the Clyde area.

These were followed by night radar tracking exercises with HMS Sardonyx (Lt.Cdr. L.F.L. Hill, RNR), HMS Sidon (Lt. H.C. Gowan, RN) and HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR). (2)

28 Jan 1945
HMS Spearhead departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow. She made the passage together with HMS Sibyl (Lt. H.R. Murray, RN). They were escorted by HMS Bridgewater (Cdr.(Retd.) R.H. Mack, RN). (3)

29 Jan 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) arrived at Scapa Flow to participate in A/S exercises. (3)

11 Feb 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) departed the Scapa Flow for the Clyde. She made the passage together with HMS Sibyl (Lt. H.R. Murray, RN) and HMS Sceptre (Lt. H.J. Bartlett, DSC, RN). They were escorted by HMS Bridgewater (Cdr.(Retd.) R.H. Mack, RN). (4)

12 Feb 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) arrived at Holy Loch to continue her work up period on the Scottish West coast. (4)

4 Mar 1945
HMS Scotsman (Lt. A.H.B. Anderson, DSC, RNR) conducted attack exercises in the Clyde area during which HMS Jan van Gelder (Lt. P.D. O'Driscoll, RNR), HMS Sardonyx (Lt.Cdr. L.F.L. Hill, RNR) and HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) served as targets. These included night exercises. (5)

5 Mar 1945
HMS Scotsman (Lt. A.H.B. Anderson, DSC, RNR) conducted night attack exercises in the Clyde area during which HMS Sardonyx (Lt.Cdr. L.F.L. Hill, RNR) and HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) served as targets. Upon completion of these exercises HMS Scotsman returned to Holy Loch. (5)

6 Mar 1945
HMS Scotsman (Lt. A.H.B. Anderson, DSC, RNR) conducted attack exercises in the Clyde area during which HMS Jan van Gelder (Lt. P.D. O'Driscoll, RNR), HMS Sardonyx (Lt.Cdr. L.F.L. Hill, RNR) and HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) served as targets. (5)

19 Mar 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) departed Rothesay for Lerwick. She made (part of) the passage together with HMS Taurus (Lt. P.E. Newstead, DSC, RN), HMS Vagabond (Lt. I.M. Stoop, DSC, RN ) and HrMs O 23 (Lt.Cdr. A.J. Schouwenaar, RNN). They were escorted by HMS Shikari (Lt. E.A. Tyrer, DSC, RN). (6)

21 Mar 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) arrived at Lerwick. She departed later the same day for her 1st war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off Norway near Bergen.

For the daily positions of HMS Spearhead during this patrol see the map below.

HMS Spearhead 1st war patrol click here for bigger map (7)

1 Apr 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) ended her 1st war patrol at Lerwick. Several enemy submarines had been sighted during this patrol but they could not be attacked. (7)

3 Apr 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) departed Lerwick for Holy Loch. She was escorted by HMS Bridgewater (Cdr.(Retd.) R.H. Mack, RN). En-route HMS Taurus (Lt. P.E. Newstead, DSC, RN) joined. (8)

5 Apr 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) arrived at Holy Loch. (8)

9 Apr 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) was docked at Holy Loch. (8)

12 Apr 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) was undocked. (8)

21 Apr 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) and the French submarine Morse (Lt. O. Chauveau) departed the Clyde for Gibraltar. They joined convoy OS 124 / KMS 98 for the passage. HMS Spearhead was to proceed to the Far East.

For the daily positions of HMS Spearhead during this passage see the map below.

HMS Spearhead passage Clyde - Subic Bay click here for bigger map (8)

30 Apr 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) arrived at Gibraltar. (8)

1 May 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) departed Gibraltar for Malta. (9)

5 May 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) arrived at Malta. (9)

11 May 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) departed Malta for Suez. (9)

15 May 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) arrived at Port Said. (9)

16 May 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) transited the Suez Canal Southbound. (9)

17 May 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) departed Suez for Aden. (9)

22 May 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) arrived at Aden. (9)

23 May 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) departed Aden for Trincomalee. (9)

2 Jun 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) arrived at Trincomalee. (10)

9 Jun 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) departed Trincomalee for Subic Bay. (10)

25 Jun 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) arrived at Subic Bay. (10)

6 Jul 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) was docked at Subic Bay for bottom scraping and painting. She was undocked later the same day. (11)

14 Jul 1945
during 14 to 16 July 1945 HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) conducted exercises off Subic Bay. These included night exercises. (11)

21 Jul 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) conducted exercises off Subic Bay. (11)

23 Jul 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) departed Subic Bay for Brunei Bay.

For the daily positions of HMS Spearhead during this passage see the map below.

HMS Spearhead passage Subic Bay - Brunei Bay click here for bigger map

26 Jul 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) arrived at Brunei Bay.

27 Jul 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) departed Brunei Bay for her 2nd war patrol (1st in the South-West Pacific area). She was ordered to tow midget submarine XE 4 to within 40 nautical miles from the Mekong Delta to find and cut two telephone cables (Operation Sabre).

We have been unable to find a report of this mission so far so no further details can be given for the moment. The mission was a succes.

For the daily positions of HMS Spearhead during this patrol see the map below.

HMS Spearhead 2nd war patrol click here for bigger map (7)

4 Aug 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) returned to Subic Bay with XE 4. (7)

5 Aug 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) departed Brunei Bay to resume her 2nd war patrol. She was sent to patrol off Singapore to perform lifeguard duties in that area. (7)

20 Aug 1945
HMS Spearhead (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.E. Youngman, RNR) ended her 2nd war patrol (1st in the South-West Pacific) at Subic Bay.

Folling a visit to Hong Kong Spearhead returned to the U.K. She arrived at Porstmouth on 5 December. She was paid off into reserve there on 27 December 1945. (7)