SHE was Turbulent by name and turbulent by nature, a superb fighting machine guided like a rapier by her captain, Commander 'Tubby' Linton.

By the time hundreds of thousands of tons of German and Italian shipping knew HMS Turbulent was there they were already a statistic, a bar sewn onto the submarine's 'Jolly Roger' signifying a shipping victim.

It has never been established where nor precisely when the Turbulent met her own nemesis in March 1943 when she went down with all hands, but it was probably as the result of being depth-charged off the Sardinian coast.

What is a matter of record is that her skipper, Newport-born John 'Tubby' Linton, became one of the leading submarine aces of the Second World War, a striking figure, who with his black beard and cool, level eyes commanded the Turbulent with buccaneering dash.

With the Turbulent's sinking the memory of Commander Linton also slipped into the depths of obscurity and was covered by the silt of years.

It was not until the mid- 1980s that Newport Maritime Trust commissioned a casting fixed to a bollard near Town Bridge as a memorial to the submariner, and later still when a group of Newport veterans, the Wetherspoons pub chain, the South Wales Argus and the Royal Navy itself embarked upon a campaign to restore Linton's memory.

"We were delighted when, last year, Wetherspoon's agreed to name their pub in Cambrian Road and the modern HMS Turbulent sent up some crew members to help us celebrate," said Doug Piddington, secretary of the Newport branch of the Royal Naval Association.

"And to stand here on the casing of the modern submarine that continues the Turbulent's name is an intensely moving experience for us old sailors. "We feel that an important part of Newport's maritime history has been picked out in gold letters.

"The modern Turbulent is magnificent and so has been the reception by her crew. They have all won a special place in our affections."

Mrs Michelle Waterhouse, from Wetherspoons, accompanied the veterans. "When it was suggested we name one of our Newport pubs after Tubby Linton we agreed immediately. It seemed the obvious thing to do," she said.

"Tubby, the Turbulent and Newport are a big part of one another."

The new Turbulent is a Trafalgar-class hunter-killer submarine and one of the workhorses of the submarine fleet. Capable of firing cruise missiles or deadly guided torpedoes, she is at 4,500 tons three times the displacement of Tubby's wartime T-class boat.

Her captain, Commander Andy Coles, praised his veteran visitors, many of whom served in the Second World War.

"Newport's Tubby Linton has rightly been praised for his daring exploits," he said, as the Turbulent and her crew of 130 made ready to leave their Devonport base for a patrol.

"It is also marvellous that these guys from Newport have taken it upon themselves to not only remember a great commander, but to make links with the Turbulent of today.

"Despite the hectic preparations getting ready to go to sea we have been delighted to welcome Newport Royal Naval Association members aboard."

Despite her size - she is as big as a frigate - the large crew and the size of her weaponry and equipment makes the modern Turbulent a crowded place. Sailors sleep in bunk spaces only 18 inches high, with some bunks shared on a shift basis.

"Every inch of space is needed for weapons and equipment, which means that there's not that much left over for the crew," said Michael Teague, 32, of Trevethin, Pontypool, the father of two children and Turbulent's medical orderly.

"I changed branches to be here. I suppose you could say the living conditions are a downside, but it's made up for by the sense of comradeship and the submariners' feeling of being part of an lite."

As he sampled the fare in the senior rates' mess before being taken to the Turbulent's mooring, RN Association chairman Frank Batterham said: "The navy didn't have food like this in our day.

"There's no doubt the lads are looked after well, as they deserve to be after the rigours of a long patrol.

"She's a big boat, but then she's got lots to do. The submariners of Tubby's day would find a lot that was familiar to them."

Lieutenant Commander Simon Asquith, the Turbulent's executive officer, said that the Newport veterans had been able to see the sub preparing for a patrol.

"People are rushing around all over the place, making sure that every last detail is taken care of.

"All this would have been familiar to Tubby Linton and his crew, although the sort of boats we drive now are more habitable and comfortable.

"The sense of esprit de corps is still very much the same. I wouldn't mind betting that after being shown the ropes a submariner from Tubby's era would be able to fit right in."