HM Submarine Perseus

HM Submarine Perseus had joined the 1st Flotilla at Alexandria in early August 1940. From the tragic loss of this old war-horse and her crew in December 1941 came one of the most courageous submarine escapes of the war. Leading Stoker John Capes had served in Malta before the outbreak of war.

During that period Leading Stoker Capes had been involved in a minor traffic accident involving a hired car and a horse-drawn cab. The affair had dragged on and it was not until September 1941 that John Capes, a submariner serving with the 1st Flotilla, was able to work his passage in a submarine carrying supplies to Malta to settle the matter. By November the affair had still not been resolved so Capes was ordered to return to Alexandria.

On 24th November Capes joined Perseus as a passenger for his return to Alexandria. Perseus (Lt Cdr ECF Nicolay) sailed from Malta on the 26th As part of her passage East she was to patrol to the East of Greece.

Dawn of 3rd December found the submarine's crew at diving stations. Two torpedoes were fired and it is believed the target was hit. By the 6th Perseus was off the island of Cephalonia, largest of the Greek Ionian Islands. What took place on that Saturday night, and of events that followed, is related by John Capes.

'At 2200 on 6th December there was a terrific explosion, which I believe was due to the submarine striking a mine. All starboard buoyancy was lost and the submarine assumed an angle of 90 degrees She sank rapidly and touched bottom, bow-first, at a perpendicular angle. Finally she settled full length on the seabed, still retaining a starboard angle. At this time I was standing on the steering wheel in the after end. From some object I received a considerable blow on the posterior. Every pipeline and valve in the after ends rear compartment was broken. All lighting failed within fifteen seconds of the explosion. I found that of the crew of fifty-five, only five beside myself showed life after the submarine had finally settled. There were no officers, petty officers, or sailors, but five other stokers all from the after-end and rear compartments. I believe that all forward personnel must have been instantly killed by the explosion and subsequent flooding.

"Eventually two lamps of the secondary lighting were found and switched on. The DSEA equipment was taken from the locker and donned. The submarine was then flooded by means of the underwater gun, water rising rapidly to about 31/2 to 4 feet. The hatch trunking was then pulled down. A pipe was then disconnected from the high-pressure airline and the valve cracked slightly open to allow air to enter the after end compartment. It was felt that the compartment would be completely flooded without a chance of escape; since water was rising rapidly owing to punctures of the exterior hull.

The DSEA hatch-clips were taken off and the trunking was then attached to the deck. All this was extremely difficult to accomplish, the starboard ship's side being used as a deck and the fact that a drum of oil and a drum of enamel had burst and greased the water, making it hard to keep the DSEA nose-clip on. At this point only one other stoker besides myself remained. The submarine settled itself on the bottom, taking a still steeper starboard angle. Pressure on the 'Z' tank first showed at 60 pounds but on the submarine resettling, the gauge was on the FULL stop and showing 70 pounds or more.

I attempted to leave with the DSEA torch, but owing to the blast of air coming through the DSEA canvas trunking and dislodging my nose-clip I was forced to return to the compartment. I refitted my nose-clip, etc., and re-entered the outside hatch. The jumping wire was not visible. I proceeded to the surface. The DSEA apron controlled speed very efficiently. The time taken to ascend was about one and a half minutes. A few feet from the surface I saw a mine, which I judged to be 10 to 15 feet down.

"On surfacing I used the torch to SOS towards land; there was no answer, neither was there any sign of other survivors in the sea. I judged the time taken to reach the surface from the time of the explosion was about one and a half hours. I began to swim towards shore, about five or six miles away, reaching it some six hours later at dawn. I was extremely weak, and fearful lest a sentry whom I had sighted on a hill a mile distant should see me. However, I safely reached a small cave.

At 10.00 two villagers entered the cave and seemed extremely surprised to find me there. After some discussion one left, returning later with dry clothes which I donned; thereupon the two villagers dug a shallow hole in which I lay until nightfall. At night I was removed by donkey to the village of Navrata, about two miles away. There, in the house of Gerasinos Vallianos, I remained for fourteen days. The villagers were generally suspicious of me, thinking me a German spy, but nevertheless I was well treated and a doctor was brought to treat me. In addition to Vallianos, the two Phokas brothers were very helpful.

'At the end of fourteen days I had sufficiently recovered to make a journey on foot of three miles to Hionata, escorted by Vallianos. At Hionata I remained four days in the house of a family who would not reveal their name. On the fourth day Italians came to the house in search of food. I was passed off as an invalid. I was then removed to the house of Nicolas Baldas where I remained two days. On my seventh day in Hionata I was taken by car to the house of Yianni Kritikos in Rosata, about twenty miles from Hionata. The same evening I journeyed on foot to Pharaklata and stayed there four days in the house of Yianni Pollatos. On December 24th Italians came to occupy the village and I left on foot."

During the course of the next eighteen months John Capes was hidden and well-cared for in different villages at considerable risk to the Greeks. He was in hiding in Argostoli when the news he was hoping for finally arrived. "On 25th May 1943, Cleo Pollatos came to the house and told me I would be leaving Cephalonia, since she understood arrangements had been made for my escape. On 26th May I was taken to the house of George Metaxas where an unknown Greek showed me a note from Major Parish.

On 27th May I was taken by car to Poros with Cleo Pollatos, Metaxas and his wife, and a further unknown man. Outside Poros I was met by Gerasimos Kanthoros. I was introduced to Evangelatos and Captain Milton, who gave me details for my escape. On the early morning of the third day I was taken to an empty house overlooking the quay, where I remained until 30th May. On the morning of 30th May I was taken to a small bay, about three miles distant, by Vanthoros and his brother Nicholas.

Sentries had been posted on the hill behind the bay, and at each end of it to warn the escapee's if the Italians came. At 0930 an Italian MTB swept round the headland and proceeded close inshore and at slow speed in the direction of Argostoli. I and my companions hid in the rocks and were not observed. At 10.00 a caique appeared and hove to close inshore. A boat was lowered in which I and Nicholas Vanthoros were taken to the caique. The caique then sailed and arrived safely at Kioste on 2nd June 1943 after a three days voyage."

John Capes was fortunate to have been in the after end when Perseus struck the mine but from that point onwards it was Capes's iron resolve and courage, which had saved his life. Remember that even after clearing Perseus Capes was still five or more miles from help. Throughout the ordeal Capes had kept a steady nerve. Had this inner toughness not been present, Capes would not have survived. John Capes returned home and in time assumed naval duties. Awarded the British Empire Medal, Chief Petty Officer Capes remained in the Navy until the 1950's.

Lt Cdr Edward Nicolay, Perseus captain, was the only son of Col BU Nicolay. He had entered Osborne in September 1920 and had joined submarines as a sub-lieutenant eight years later. In 1935 he was appointed to his first command, H33. Later came Seawolf, Otus, and Taku. In December' 1941 he was awarded the DSO for successful patrols in Taku, Lt Cdr Nicolay left a widow.
 

Reproduced with kind permission from
Submariners News

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