Her duties also included coming to the assistance of any allied ships, naval or merchant, that might be damaged and require towing to safety.

On 13 November 1941, the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal was torpedoed some 30 miles[clarification needed] off Gibraltar by the German submarine U-81.

After damage control efforts seemed to have stabilised the subsequent flooding, the commander of Force H, Sir James Somerville sped into Gibraltar aboard the battleship HMS Malaya to organise salvage operations.

The true site of the sinking was not discovered until Ark Royal’s wreck was located by a film crew in 2002.

Thames continued in service with the Navy until 1944, by which time the allies had largely secured control of the Mediterranean.