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Notable events involving Spur include:

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

This page was last updated in November 2013.

16 Feb 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) departed her builders yard for Holy Loch. (1)

17 Feb 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) arrived at Holy Loch to begin a period of trials and training. (1)

22 Mar 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) collided with HMS Jan van Gelder south of the Isle of Arran. The bow of Spur was damaged and this required repairs. (2)

3 Apr 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) shifted from Holy Loch to Greenock where she was docked at the Scott's Shipyard for repairs to her damaged bow. (3)

19 Apr 1945
With her bow repaired HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) shifted from the Scott's Shipyard at Greenock to Holy Loch to resume here training programme. (3)

23 Apr 1945
HMS Scotsman (Lt. A.H.B. Anderson, DSC, RNR) conducted night attack exercises in the Clyde area during which HMS Shikari (Lt. E.A. Tyrer DSC, RN) and HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) served as the targets. Upon completion of these exercises HMS Scotsman proceeded to Holy Loch. (4)

10 Jun 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) departed Holy Loch for passage to the Far East. The first leg of the trip was to Gibraltar. She made the passage together (until Aden) with HMS Scotsman (Lt. A.H.B. Anderson, DSC, RNR) and HMS Turpin (A/Lt.Cdr. J.S. Stevens, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN).

No log is available for HMS Spur for this period so no map can be displayed. (5)

16 Jun 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) arrived at Gibraltar. (5)

17 Jun 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) departed Gibraltar for Malta. (5)

21 Jun 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) arrived at Malta. (5)

26 Jun 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) departed Malta for Port Said. (5)

30 Jun 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) arrived at Port Said. (5)

4 Jul 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) transited the Suez Canal Southbound and then set course towards Aden. (5)

9 Jul 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) arrived at Aden. (5)

10 Jul 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) departed Aden for Trincomalee. (5)

20 Jul 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) arrived at Trincomalee. (5)

3 Aug 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) departed Trincomalee for her 1st war patrol (also 1st in the Far East). She was ordered to patrol in the Malacca Strait together with HMS Statesman (Lt. R.G.P. Bulkeley, RN). Unfortunately HMS Statesman developed a defect and was delayed for 6 days so Spur operated single for the first part of the patrol.

For the daily and attack positions of HMS Spur during this patrol see the map below.

HMS Spur 1st war patrol click here for bigger map (6)

11 Aug 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) sank a sailing vessel with gunfire in the Malacca Strait in approximate position 05°57'N, 100°06'E.

(All times are zone -6.5)
1500 hours - A sail, apparently larger then any other previously sighted was seen to the North-East, on a gradually closing course.

1536 hours - Course was altered to close this craft. When closer it was seen to have 2 sails.

1620 hours - Surfaced to close. The vessel was larger then expected.

1625 hours - Opened fire from 1500 yards.

1630 hours - After 29 rounds had been fired the vessel dipped by the bows and sank in 9 fathoms of water. The crew was stuggling to get into 2 boats but they capsized. They were then picked up.

1647 hours - Set course for deeper water.

The survivors were put on a fishing vessel at dawn the next morning. (6)

13 Aug 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) sank 5 sailing vessels with gunfire in the Malacca Strait between Langkawi and Penang.

(All times are zone -6.5)
0604 hours - When light increased 2 sails were seen bearing 020°. Closed to investigate.

0652 hours - Surfaced in position 112°, Pulau Paya, 8.3 nautical miles and fired 1 round. The craft, a small junk, struck her mainsail and anchored. Proceeded alongside and put a boarding party onboard. The junk was carrying a cargo of rice and oil, and was of about 50 tons displacement. The crew of 6 were ordered to take to their small boat and a demolition charge was placed but the charge did not explode. 5 Rounds were then fired from short range, 3 of which hit and the junk sank. While engaged in this action, 2 more sails were sighted to the North-West. Closed at high speed to investigate. The vessel proved to be a large 120 tons junk.

0820 hours - Fired 1 round that hit the foremast. The crew then abandoned ship and a boarding party was placed on board. The cargo appeared to be firewood but this was suspicious. The boarding party left the vessel again and she was sunk with gunfire. 5 Rounds were fired and again 3 hits were obtained before the junk sank like a stone, very stange for a ship with a cargo of firewood. Course was then set to the North-East to close newly sighted sails.

1030 hours - A junk of about 50 to 70 tons was sighted inshore. Due to her being inshore of a minefield fire was opened from 4000 yards. The vessel settled on the bottom after 19 rounds for several hits.

1155 rounds - Dived in position 05°48'5"N, 100°15'E.

---------------------------------------

1820 hours - Surfaced in position 300°, Song Song Rocks, 4.5 nautical miles and closed the shore. Two vessels were seen at anchor off Pulau Biden.

1850 hours - Fired a warning shot and continued to close.

1855 hours - Fire was opened, the first junk, about 50 tons, sank after 8 rounds. The second junk, about 30 tons, sank after 4 rounds. Withdrew to the westward. Set course towards rendez-vous with HMS Statesman of Pulau Jerak. (6)

14 Aug 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) sank 5 junks with gunfire, demolition charges and fire in the Malacca Strait.

(All times are zone -6.5)
0629 hours - Made rendez-vous with HMS Statesman.

0922 hours - Sighted sail bearing 140 degrees. Altered course to close.

0955 hours - Fired a warning shot at a junk.

0958 hours - The crew did not appear to abandon ship, nor to strike sails so opened fire. Straddled with the 5th round. The crew then abandoned ship so ceased fire.

1005 hours - Proceeded alongside and placed the boarding party aboard. Position was 03°42'N, 100°17'E.

1015 hours - Re-embarked the boarding party after a demolition charge had been placed. Proceeded clear. The junk was no. 1179 and carried a cargo of Tobacco, tea and oil with a crew of 4. Displacement was about 40 tons. The charge, due to ignite after 2.5 minutes was not seen to explode although smoke was seen coming from the hold.

1020 hours - 3 Round were then put into her with the 3" gun and the junk exploded in a large cloud of black smoke.

1045 hours - Closed the crew in their small boat and took them on board.

1248 hours - Sighted a sail ahead and closed at speed.

1335 hours - As the range closed the junk hauled down its sail and anchored.

1340 hours - Placed the boarding party on board. The cargo proved to be flour. The junk was a little over 10 tons. It was decided to put our prisoners on board this small junk and allowed it to proceed.

1350 hours - Proceeded clear and closed another sail bearing 170 degrees.

1420 hours - Put the boarding party on another junk. The cargo was rice. She was about 25 tons in size.

1428 hours - Placed a larger demolition charge then previously used. Took the crew of the junk on board and proceeded clear.

1432 hours - The charge exploded and the junk sank.

1435 hours - Set course for the small 10 tons junk boarded at 1340 hours to put the survivors on board her.

1500 hours - Placed the survivors on board the junk and set course to sails sighted earlier.

1600 hours - Opened fire with the 4" gun on a 50 tons junk close inshore, range was 5000 yards. The vessel turned towards the shore but sank after being hit 4 times. Engaged a second and larger junk at anchor, range was 6000 yards. The depth of the water made it impossible to get closer.

1607 hours - This craft settled into the water, but although repeatedly hit she did not sink but she was left a total wreck. Displacement of this junk was about 100 tons.

1615 hours - HMS Statesman joined again. Proceeded in company.

1709 hours - A clutch of three junks was sighted ahead and at ...

1728 hours - HMS Statesman placed a boarding party on the nearest and closed the one furthest away. HMS Spur closed the middle one, a junk of about 25 tons.

1730 hours - Placed the boarding party onboard the junk.

1739 hours - Took the crew of the junk on board and set the cargo of copra alight.

1800 hours - Proceeded clear and set course towards two sails to the South-East but had to abandon the chase as the sails were behind a minefield. Set course towards 'our ' small junk to disembark our prisoners again.

1915 hours - Disembarked our prisoners. Proceeded together with HMS Statesman. (6)

23 Aug 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) ended her 1st war patrol (also 1st in the Far East) at Trincomalee. (6)

4 Oct 1945
HMS Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) departed Trincomalee for Bombay. At Bombay she performed A/S training duties for about 4 weeks. She left Bombay on 5 November 1945 for the U.K. where she arrived (at Rothesay) on 13 December. (5)