HMS Salmon (N65)

HMS "Salmon" was a Royal Navy S-class submarine which was launched April 30, 1934 and fought in World War II. "Salmon" is one of 12 boats named in the song Twelve Little S-Boats.

On December 4, 1939 while on patol in the North Sea "Salmon" topedoed and sank U-36.cite book | last = Huchthausen | first = Peter A. | authorlink = Peter Huchthausen | title = Shadow Voyage: The Extraordinary Wartime Escape of the Legendary SS Bremen | publisher = John Wiley & Sons | date = 2005 | location = Hoboken, New Jersey | id = ISBN 0471457582 | oclc = 55764562 | pages = pp. 164, 227]

On December 12, 1939 "Salmon" sighted the German liner SS "Bremen". While challenging "Bremen", an escorting Dornier Do 18 seaplane forced "Salmon" to dive. After diving the "Salmon's" commander, Lieutenant Commander E. O. Bickford, decided not to torpedo the liner because he believed she was not a legal target.http://web.ukonline.co.uk/chalcraft/sm/salmon.html ] Bickford's decision not to fire on "Bremen" likely delayed the start of unrestricted submarine warfare in World War II.

On December 13, 1939 "Salmon" sighted a fleet of German warships. She fired a spread of torpedoes which damaged two German cruisers (one was "Leipzig", the other, her younger sister ship, "Nürnberg"). "Salmon" evaded the fleet's destroyers, which hunted her for two hours.

She was lost, probably sunk by a mine, on July 9, 1940.

References

*

ee also

* List of shipwrecks in 1940

External links

* [http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3424.html HMS Salmon at Uboat.net]