HMS Urge (N17) was a U-class submarine of the Royal Navy Tenth Submarine Flotilla (known as the "Fighting Tenth"), based at Lazaretto in Marsamxett Harbour. During her distinguished WWII service in the Mediterranean, she carried out secret reconnaissance missions, landed commando units, and damaged Axis warships including the Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto.
Final Departure & Disappearance
On April 27, 1942, under heavy siege conditions, HMS Urge departed Grand Harbour bound for Alexandria, Egypt. She carried 32 crew members, 11 other naval personnel, and a war correspondent. She failed to arrive at Alexandria and was officially listed as lost with all hands.
- Depth: 130 meters (426 feet)
- Location: 2 nautical miles off Grand Harbour, Malta
- Discovery Date: Late 2019 (Malta Maritime Archaeology Project)
- Legal Designation: Protected Historic War Grave (Ministry of Defence / Heritage Malta)
2019 Rediscovery & High-Resolution Sonar Logs
In 2019, a joint research project led by the University of Malta, Heritage Malta, and maritime researcher Francis Dickinson (grandson of Commander Tomkinson) identified a submarine target using autonomous multibeam sonar. High-definition ROV footage confirmed the hull rested upright on the seabed at 130 meters depth, showing heavy damage to the bow from an enemy magnetic mine, confirming her fate.