The Oruç Reis-class submarines were ordered by the Turkish Navy from the British company Vickers in 1939. They were similar to the British S-class submarines, but slightly smaller. They had the S-class machinery but only four bow torpedo tubes. The four boats were requisitioned by the Royal Navy on the outbreak of World War II and fought in the British fleet as the P611 class. Two submarines were delivered to the Turks in 1942 in order to bolster Turkish strength against the threat from Nazi Germany and the remaining surviving submarine was delivered to the Turkish Navy after the end of the war in 1945. P615 had been sunk in 1943. The three Turkish boats were scrapped in 1957.
P614 and P615 appear in the film We Dive at Dawn as HMS Sea Tiger.
Ships All were built by Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness.
+ Construction data Turkish name Namesake Royal Navy number Laid Down Launched Commissioned Fate Burak Reis Burak Reis 24 May 1939 19 October 194010 March 1942 (Royal Navy)17 January 1946 (Turkish Navy) Returned to Turkey 1945, Scrapped 1957 Murat Reis Murat Reis 24 May 193920 July 19407 January 1942 (Royal Navy)16 May 1942 (Turkish Navy)Returned to Turkey May 1942, Scrapped 1957 Oruç ReisOruç Reis 24 May 193919 July 19401 December 1941 (Royal Navy)9 May 1942 (Turkish Navy)Returned to Turkey May 1942, Scrapped 1957 Uluç Ali Reis Uluç Ali Reis 30 October 19391 November 19403 April 1942Sunk by U-boat 18 April 1943 near Sierra LeoneAllied Warships - HMS P 615 (P 615) uboat.net accessed 23 May 2020
See also A World War I warship paid for by Imperial Turkey but seized by the Royal Navy upon outbreak of war. Another World War I warship paid for by Imperial Turkey but seized by the Royal Navy upon outbreak of war.
References
External links
page from uboat.net