HMS Utmost
HMS Utmost was a British U class submarine, of the second group of that class, built by Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 2 November 1939 and was commissioned on 17 August 1940. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name Utmost.
Career
Utmost spent most of her career operating in the Mediterranean, where she sank the Italian merchants Capo Vita, Enrico Costa, and Frederico C., and the German tanker Languste and also damaged the Italian merchant Manfredo Camperio. Utmost also attacked a convoy of five German merchants and three Italian destroyers and torpedoed and sunk the German merchant Heraklea and torpedoed and damaged Ruhr. An attack on another convoy made up of the German merchant Tilly L.M. Russ and the Italian merchant Cadamosto, escorted by the Italian torpedo boats and, was less successful. All torpedoes fired missed their targets.Utmost went on to destroy the Italian merchant Marigola, and together with her sister, since transferred to the Poles, ORP Sokół, sank the Italian merchant Balilla. Utmost later unsuccessfully attacked the Italian merchants Fabio Filzi and Siculo, as well as the Italian auxiliary minelayer Barletta. She also torpedoed and damaged the Italian cruiser.
The Commanding Officer received a Distinguished Service Order for a mission, which is believed to have been the landing of agents behind enemy lines.