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Notable events involving Undaunted (i) include:

The history of HMS Undaunted as compiled on this page is extracted from the patrol reports of this submarine as well as several other files [see sources] and was created in March 2013. Corrections and details regarding information from the enemy's side (for instance the composition of convoys attacked) is kindly provided by Mr. Platon Alexiades, a naval researcher from Canada.

[No logbooks of this submarine are available. Therefore it is not possible to display maps of her daily and attack positions.]

This page was last updated in April 2025.

29 Dec 1940
Around 1130A/29, Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) departed her builders yard at Barrow for Holy Loch. She was escorted by HMS La Capricieuse (Lt.Cdr. S.A. Jones, RNR). (1)

30 Dec 1940
Around 0930A/30, Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) arrived at Holy Loch to begin a period of trials and training.

En-route from Barrow acceptance trials had been carried out and she was then placed in full commission at Holy Loch.

[As no logs are available for HMS Undaunted no details for the trial and work-up period can be given.] (1)

21 Jan 1941
Around 0700B/21, HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) and FFS Minerve (Lt. P. Sonneville) departed Holy Loch for Dundee. They were escorted by HMS White Bear (Cdr.(Retd.) C.C. Flemming, RN). (2)

24 Jan 1941
HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) and FFS Minerve (Lt. P. Sonneville) arrived at Dundee from Holy Loch. Their escort, HMS White Bear (Cdr.(Retd.) C.C. Flemming, RN), proceed on to Rosyth. (3)

26 Jan 1941
HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) proceeded from Dundee to Rosyth where she is taken in hand for repairs at the Rosyth Dockyard. (3)

8 Feb 1941
HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) is docked in the floating dock (AFD 3) at the Rosyth Dockyard. (4)

15 Feb 1941
HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) is undocked. (4)

20 Feb 1941
HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) proceeded from Rosyth to Dundee. (3)

3 Mar 1941
HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) proceeded from Dundee to Rosyth. Also A/S exercises were carried out with HMS Gleaner (Lt.Cdr. K.E. Oom, RAN) and several trawlers. (3)

6 Mar 1941
HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) proceeded from Rosyth to Dundee. (3)

9 Mar 1941
Around 1125A/9, HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) departed Dundee for her 1st war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off south-west Norway near Bergen. (5)

18 Mar 1941
At 0700A/18, HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) sighted a ship of about 2000 tons crossing the Selbjorn Fjord. HMS Undaunted then proceeded up the fjord to investigate. One small armed drifter was sighted as well as many diesel motor craft carrying deck cargoes of boxes. HMS Undaunted retired from the fjord around 1330A/18 when fog reduced visibility to only 200 yards.

At 2005A/18, HMS Undaunted left patrol to return to Dundee. (6)

19 Mar 1941
At 0608A/19, HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) dived for the day. A good HE watch was kept as an enemy submarine was expected to pass trough the area. [Admiral submarines signal timed 1528A/18].

At 1608A/19, the HE watch was ceased as the enemy submarine should be well past by now. [Admiral submarines signal timed 1534A/19].

The enemy submarine referred too must have been U-37 which was passing through the area on her passage from her last war patrol to Kiel. (6)

21 Mar 1941
Around 1020A/21, HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) ended her 1st war patrol at Dundee. (5)

23 Mar 1941
ORP Sokol (Kpt.mar. (Lt.Cdr.) B. Karnicki) and HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) departed Dundee for Harwich. They were joined off the Tay estuary by HMS Leda (Cdr. R.C.V. Ross, DSO, RN) which came from Aberdeen. Around 1915A/23, they were joined off Blyth by HMS Sealion (Cdr. B. Bryant, DSC, RN) and HMS Sunfish (Lt. G.R. Colvin, RN). (5)

24 Mar 1941
Around 2045A/24, ORP Sokol (Kpt.mar. (Lt.Cdr.) B. Karnicki), HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN), HMS Sealion (Cdr. B. Bryant, DSC, RN) HMS Sunfish (Lt. G.R. Colvin, RN) and HMS Leda (Cdr. R.C.V. Ross, DSO, RN) arrived at Harwich. (5)

25 Mar 1941
Around 1230A/25, ORP Sokol (Kpt.mar. (Lt.Cdr.) B. Karnicki), HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN), HMS Sealion (Cdr. B. Bryant, DSC, RN) and HMS Sunfish (Lt. G.R. Colvin, RN) departed Harwich for Portsmouth. They were escorted by HMS Sheldrake (Cdr.(Retd.) E.H. Hopkinson, RN). (5)

26 Mar 1941
Around 1300A/26, HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) arrived at Portsmouth. (5)

3 Apr 1941
Around 1800A/3, HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) departed Portsmouth for Gibraltar. She was escorted out by HMS Cape Palliser (T/Lt. D.C. Hayes, RNVR). (3)

13 Apr 1941
HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) arrived at Gibraltar from Portsmouth. (3)

14 Apr 1941
Around 1800A/14, HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) departed Gibraltar for Malta. (3)

21 Apr 1941
HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) arrived at Malta from Gibraltar. (3)

29 Apr 1941
P.M., HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) departed Malta for her 2nd war patrol (1st in the Mediterranean). She was ordered to sail through position 35°20' N, 12°46'E for area Z (34°40'N, 12°18'E). She was to relieve HMS Truant (Lt.Cdr. H.A.V. Haggard, RN) on a patrol line with HMS Upholder (Lt.Cdr. M.D. Wanklyn, RN), HMS Ursula (Lt. A.J. Mackenzie, RN) and HMS Upright (Lt. R.S. Brookes, DSC, RN).

HMS Undaunted was to relieve HMS Truant in position (Z) 34°40'N, 12°18'E. HMS Undaunted was to proceed through position 35°20'N, 12°40'E. HMS Undaunted was to arrive in position (Z) P.M. on the 30th.

HMS Undaunted did not return from patrol. It is not known what happened to her. (7)

1 May 1941
HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) sent her last signal at 1244B/1 May when she reported a large escorted convoy in position 34°40'N, 12°20'E, course 205°, speed 8 knots. This was the 23rd Seetransportstaffel consisting of the Italian troop transport Marco Polo (12567 GRT, built 1912) and the German transports Marburg (7564 GRT, built 1928), Kibfels (7764 GRT, built 1937), Reichenfels (7744 GRT, built 1936) and the Italian transports Birmania (5305 GRT, built 1930) and Rialto (6099 GRT, built 1927) escorted by the Italian destroyers Fulmine, Euro and the torpedo boats Canopo, Castore, Orsa and Procione. This convoy was on passage from Messina to Tripoli where they arrived at 2300B/1.

Rialto reported being narrowly missed by torpedo astern at 1251B/1. This was also seen from Marburg which was stationed behind Rialto and also by Fulmine and Canopo so this was undoubtedly an attack carried out by HMS Undaunted. (7)

1 May 1941
On 1 May 1941, the Italian light cruisers Eugenio di Savoia, Duca D'Aosta, Muzio Attendolo and the destroyers Antonio Pigafetta, Nicolo Zeno, Alvise da Mosto, Giovanni da Verrazzano, Nicoloso Da Recco and Emanuele Pessagno laid four minefields near Tripoli.

Minefield AS (anti-submarine) "I": 200 UMA mines from 33°03'5"N, 13°05'2"E to 33°04'N, 12°58'7"E.

Minefield AN (anti-naval) "F": 140 EMC mines from 33°04'5"N, 13°09'E to 33°07'1"N, 13°06'E.

Minefield AN "E": 140 EMC mines from 33°08.3' N, 13°14.4' E to 33°05.3' N, 13°11.8' E. Minefield AN "D": 140 EMC mines from 33°06'N, 13°20'3"E to 33°09'N, 13°17'5"E.

Possibly HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) was lost in one of these minefields, with minefield 'I' being the most likely candidate.

2 May 1941
The patrol line was cancelled at 0001B/2 and HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) was ordered to proceed to position (T) 32°50'N, 12°40'E which was to the west of Tripoli. (7)

3 May 1941
A Tripoli-based Cant Z.501 (piloted by S.T.V. Arnaldo Panaria of 188/3 Squadriglia) dropped bombs on an oil slick off Zuara and the Italian torpedo boat Pleiadi was summoned to the scene and dropped eleven depth charges. There was no confirmed sinking and later it was believed that it was oil seeping from the wreck of the tanker Persiano (Italian, 2474 GRT, built 1889) (sunk by HMS Tetrarch (Lt.Cdr. R.M.T. Peacock, RN) on 12 April 1941).

Could this oil slick have originated from HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN), unlikely, but it is a remote possibility.

Undaunted may have been mined north of Tripoli as the destroyers Alvise da Mosto and Giovanni da Verrazzano had just laid four minefields there on 1 May.

3 May 1941
The tanker Luisiano (Italian, 2631 GRT, built 1917) escorted by the torpedo boat Giuseppe La Farina sailed from Tripoli at 0644B/3 for Trapani.

At 1055B/3, the tanker sighted what was believed to be a torpedo track and took evasive action. An underwater explosion was felt followed by bubbles. It is possible that HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) had carried out an attack.

Giuseppe la Farina was sunk, apparently by a mine, at 1030B/3 to the north-east of Kerkennah, in position 34°55'N, 11°50'E.

9 May 1941
At 1410B/9, the destroyers HMS Jervis (Capt. P.J. Mack, DSO, RN) and HMS Kandahar (Cdr. W.G.A. Robson, DSO, RN) attacked an A/S contact to the south of Malta in position 34°59'N, 14°42'E and just before the attack HMS Kandahar heard what appeared to be an SS/T transmission.

HMS Jervis dropped 15 depth charges in 3 attack runs (3 - 6 - 6). HMS Kandahar made 1 depth charge run, dropping 6 charges.

Could this have been HMS Undaunted (Lt. J.L. Livesey, RN) ?. She was to have passed 15 miles east of this position on her way back from her patrol area to Malta but if the target of this attack this meant she would have left her patrol earlier than expected making this unlikely as she had sent no signal that she was doing so. HMS Undaunted was to leave patrol P.M. on the 10th so as to arrive at Malta around 0700B/12.

The mystery of HMS Undaunted's disappearance is still unsolved. She was declared overdue at Malta on 13 May. (8)