The driver of a third chariot, Lt. H.F. Cook RNVR ( I am presuming this is your chap!) had ripped his suit on a net and was suffering from severe seasickness. His number 2, AB Worthy, drove the craft ashore to leave Cook and carry on alone, but he found the craft too difficult to handle alone and abandoned it in deep water. He swam back to where he had left Cook but
failed to find him. Worthy was also taken prisoner.
Of the two chariots that remained, XXII, manned by Lt. R.T.G. Greenland RNVR and Leading Signalman A.M. Ferrier, succeeded in penetrating the net by night and, crossing the harbour undetected, dived underneath the new Italian cruiser Ulpio Traiano. Once there, the two men successfully placed their charge under the ship's bottom. A second chariot, XVI, with Sub-Lt. R.G. Dove RNVR and Leading Seaman J.M. Freel in the saddles, also got through the net and, like the first chariot, crossed the harbour without being observed. There they selected the 8,500-ton transport Viminale as their target, dived beneath her stern and successfully fixed the charge. They made their way ashore and were taken prisoner.
Greenland and Ferrier were feeling more optimistic and tried to make their way to sea. They crashed through a net at full speed but came to a
sudden halt when they bumped into a merchant ship and further damaged their compass. They eventually abandoned their craft and swam ashore and were captured, joining the four others - P.O. Miln and AB Worthy, Sub.Lt Dove and L/Sea Freel - in captivity, firstly in Italy and then moved to a Marlag in Germany when Italy surrendered.
As a sad footnote, on release in May 1945, they found that their special pay for diving and chariot duties had been stopped from the time of their capture.
Principle was a hollow success - Of the eight chariots that set out from Malta, none returned. Three chariots and their crews were lost with P311. One two-man crew were brought back (Stevens and Carter) while, of the remaining four crews, six were in captivity and two more were dead. The operation caused the loss of two valuable T-Class submarines, P311 and Traveller.
Against this were the sinking of a new Italian cruiser, which may not have been able to put to sea anyway, due to fuel shortages, and damage to a troopship (which had nowhere to take any troops to). Other charges were laid by Greenland and Ferrier but were either made safe by Italian divers or were incorrectly set.