HMS Spearfish (69S)

HMS "Spearfish" was a Royal Navy S-class submarine which was launched April 21, 1936 and fought in World War II. "Spearfish" is one of 12 boats named in the song Twelve Little S-Boats. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to be named "Spearfish".

Her wartime career started inauspiciously, when on the 24th September, 1939, she was heavily damaged by German warships off Horns Reef. She was unable to submerge but nevertheless managed to escape. A rescue mission was undertaken by the British Humber force and Home Fleet, including the aircraft carrier HMS "Ark Royal", and the battleship HMS "Nelson", which performed escort duty whilst search and rescue attempts were made. "Spearfish" safely put in Rosyth on the 26th, and repairs were completed in early March 1940.

Another notable action occurred on April 4 1940, when whilst patrolling in the Kattegat when she torpedoed and damaged the German pocket battleship "Lützow", putting her out of action for over a year. Later that year, on May 20, she sunk two Danish fishing vessels with gunfire in the North Sea. [ [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3427.html HMS Spearfish] , Uboat.net] .

"Spearfish" sailed from Rosyth on July 31 1940 to patrol off the Norwegian coast. On August 1 she was spotted on the surface by U 34 under the command of Wilhelm Rollmann who attacked and sank her. There was only one survivor. [ [http://www.rnsubmus.co.uk/general/losses.htm Submarine losses 1904 to present day] , RN Submarine Museum, Gosport]

References

*Colledge

ee also

* List of shipwrecks in 1940