HMS Trooper (N91) was a T-class submarine of the Royal Navy, launched in March 1942 by Scotts in Greenock. Designed for wartime service, she featured the typical specifications of a T-class vessel, optimized for operations in the Mediterranean and surrounding waters. During her short but active career, HMS Trooper primarily operated in the Mediterranean theater, engaging in offensive actions against Italian shipping and naval targets. Her notable combat achievements include sinking the Italian tanker Rosario, the Italian merchant ship Forli, and an Italian submarine, Pietro Micca. She also sank a sailing vessel and damaged two other enemy vessels. In addition, Trooper participated in Operation Principal, an early wartime mission involving human torpedoes aimed at Italian ships in Palermo harbor. Her first operational patrol began from Beirut on 26 September 1943, during which she was tasked with covering the Aegean Sea near the Dodecanese islands. On 14 October 1943, HMS Trooper challenged the Levant Schooner Flotilla F8 off Alinda Bay in Leros. She failed to return from this patrol and was reported overdue on 17 October 1943. Initially presumed to have been lost to German mines around Leros, her final resting place remained unknown for decades until her discovery. The wreck was located at a depth of 253 meters in the Icarian Sea, north of Donousa Island, Greece. The remains were found in three sections—bow, mid-section, and stern—likely sunk by a German EMF mine containing 350 kilograms of Hexanite. This discovery, made by Greek researcher Kostas Thoctaridis, ended an 81-year mystery and provided closure to the families of the 64 crew members lost aboard. German claims that Trooper was sunk by the Q-ship GA.45 on 15 October 1943 were refuted, as the attacking vessel was actually HMS Torbay, which escaped unscathed. The wreck's identification and the circumstances of her sinking have significant historical importance, shedding light on her final moments and the perilous nature of wartime submarine operations.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.