HMS Shark (54S)

HMS "Shark" was a Royal Navy S-class submarine which was launched on 31 May 1934 and fought in the Second World War. "Shark" is one of 12 boats named in the song Twelve Little S-Boats.

She was surfaced whilst on patrol off Skudesnes, south-west Norway on 5 July 1940, when a seaplane was sighted astern. As the submarine submerged, she was bombed, the explosions causing considerable damage. Without steering gear and the hydroplanes jammed hard to rise, the submarine’s bow broached the surface, where she continued to be bombed. "Shark" began to sink by the stern and all high-pressure air was used to return her to the surface. Once on the surface she attempted to get underway steering on main engines, but was sighted yet again, and attacked. The submarine then tried fight off the aircraft succeeding in shooting down a Dornier Do 17.cite book |title=The Admiralty Regrets British Warship Losses of the 20th Century |last=Kemp |first=Paul |year=1999 |publisher=Sutton Publishing Ltd |isbn=0-7509-1567-6 |pages=p123] The No. 4 ballast tank was holed, and with more aircraft arriving she had no option but to capitulate. At about 0400 hours the next day three German minesweeping trawlers "M-1803", "M1806" and "M-1807" arrived to take "Shark" under tow but she began to sink stern first about convert|25|nmi|km|0 west-south-west of Egersund, Norway. [ [http://www.rnsubmus.co.uk/general/losses.htm Submarine losses 1904 to present day] , RN Submarine Museum, Gosport] The wreck of the "Shark" was found by a survey vessel whilst surveying a cable route in April 2008 at a position of 58.7N 4.35E at 251 metres depth.Fact|date=April 2008 Later the same week the vessel also charted the wreck of HMS "Salmon" after it appeared on her sonar scan.Fact|date=April 2008

ee also

* List of shipwrecks in 1940

References

*Colledge