Seraph to SidonPage last Updated:
3-Jan-2008
| Name | Class | Pennant | Crew | Built | Builder
| Disposal Date | Method |
Seraph | S3 | S189/P219 c/s MKKN | 48 | 01-Oct-41 | Vickers Armstrong Barrow |
1-Dec-65 | Scrap | 
Carried out a number of intelligence gathering and special operations, the most famous of which was
Operation Mincemeat, made famous by a book and a film entitled "The Man Who Never Was". After going through her working up trials she
carried out a 14-day patrol off Norway in July 42. On her way to the Mediterranean she was bombed in error by an RAF Whitley aircraft
off Cape Finisterre, without damage. Assigned to the 8th Submarine Flotilla in the Mediterranean on 25 August 42; selected to carry out
special operations. See details - see also Sceptre, Satyr, Statesman, Solent,
Selene and Sleuth.
1963 Paid off. While awaiting disposal at Portsmouth in 1963, various parts, including a periscope, were removed for incorporation in a monument
to be erected at the Military College of South Carolina, USA, dedicated to British/US cooperation during WW2. Broke tow on way to scrapping, adrift
for 24 hours on 15 Dec 1965. Scrapped Briton Ferry.
|
Severn | River | 57F | 61 | 12-Jan-35 |
Vickers Armstrong Barrow | 01-Apr-45 | Scrap |  Based Portsmouth 1934-35,
Med 35-39, Freetown 1939, Home 1040-41, Med 1941-44. eastern Fleet from 1944. Sank one ship off Norway June 1940, two ships
in 1941. Torpedoed and sank Italian submarine Michele Bianchi west of Gibraltar 7-Aug-41. Supply boat for Greek islands of
Leros and Samos Oct-Nov 1943. Scrapped at Bombay 1946.
|
Shakespeare | S3 | P221 | 48 | 01-Dec-41 |
Vickers Armstrong Barrow | 14-Jul-46 | Scrap |
 Lt
Ainslie: Sunk Italian submarine Velella off the Gulf of Salerno 7
September 1943. Lt D Swanston; Sank Japanese merchant Unryu Maru off Andamans 31 Dec
44. Damaged 3 Jan 45, South East Asia, off Port Blair area, Andaman Islands, (See Details) -
by gunfire of Japanese merchant ship, and later damaged in bombing attack. Surfaced to engage the merchantman and damaged by
return fire, unable to dive. Later attacked from the air, 15 crew injured and radio destroyed. Headed for the patrol area of
sister s/m, Stygian, who
radioed for help and sent engineers to assist repairs. Returned Trincomalee two days later. Beyond
repair and written off for scrap. |
Shalimar | S3 | P242 | 48 | 22-Apr-43 |
HMDY Chatham | 01-Jul-50 | Scrap | | Lt W.G. Meeke. Eastern Fleet 11/44 to 7/45
(left Dunoon 11-Aug-44, returned Portsmouth 6-Oct-45). Only one commission. Laid up at Harwich 1945-50. Scrapped at Troon.
 |
Shark | S2 | 54S, N54 | 39 | 31-May-34 | HMDY Chatham | 06-Jul-40 |
War Loss |  Portsmouth 1934, Med 35-39. 1939 5th Flotilla, Portsmouth, then 3rd Flotilla. Lt P.N. Buckley.
Fired five torpedoes at a convoy of German transports, off Norway, 15
Apr 40. Missed with all. On 5 Jul 40, while on patrol off Skudesnes, south west Norway, Shark was on the surface when a seaplane
was sighted astern. As the submarine submerged to avoid the aircraft two or three bombs exploded close to the stern, followed closely by
at least two more. The explosions caused considerable damage. Without steering gear and the hydroplanes jammed hard to rise, the
submarine’s bow broached the surface to be greeted by more bombs. The submarine began to sink by the stern and all high-pressure
air was used to return her to the surface. Once on the surface Shark got underway steering on main engines. Being sighted yet
again the submarine came under sustained attack and No. 4 ballast tank was holed. Finally more aircraft arrived and
Shark had no option but to capitulate. At about 0400 three trawlers - M1803, M1806, M1807 - arrived to take
Shark under tow but the submarine was beyond saving, she began to sink at the stern. Ships company captured. Details |
Sibyl | S3 | P217 | 48 | 01-Apr-42 | Cammell Laird Birkenhead | 01-Mar-48 | Scrap | Sometimes referred to as Sybil(?). Commanded by Lt. E.J.D. Turner, DSC, sailed 8-Nov-42 for a
Special Ops. rendezvous on the south coast of France. Picked up four staff officers and officials, including one woman, of General Giraud's staff. Took them to Algiers on 11-Nov. See also
Seraph.
14 Mar 43, torpedoed and sank the Italian merchant Pegli (1595 GRT) 6 nm W of Cape Gallo, Sicily, Italy, 38º14'N, 13º13'E.
23 Sep 43, torpedoed and sank the French (in German service) merchant St.Nazaire (2910 GRT) about 8 nm west of
Sestri Levante, Italy, 44º13'N, 09º13'E.
30 Sep 43, torpedoed and sank the German auxiliary minesweeper M 7022/Hummer (278 GRT, former French Auguste Denise)
about 12 nm NE of Bastia, Corsica, 42º49'N, 09º40'E.
15 Nov 43, sank the Greek sailing vessel Trias with gunfire off Mitylene, Greece.
19 Nov 43, sank a Greek sailing vessel with gunfire in the Gulf of Saloniki, Greece.
20 Nov 43, sank two Greek sailing vessels with gunfire in the Gulf of Saloniki, Greece.
21 Nov 43, sank a Greek sailing vessel with gunfire in the Gulf of Saloniki, Greece.
8 Jan 44, sank the Greek sailing vessel Taxiachos (32 GRT) with gunfire off Cape Baba, Turkey.
9 Jan 44, sank a sailing vessel with gunfire off Baba Burnu, Turkey.
Later in Eastern Fleet (Lt. HR Murray, RN,
3 July 44 – Oct 45). Between 8 May and 31 May 1945, sank five Japanese sailing vessels with gunfire and scuttling charges in the Malacca Strait. 10 Jul 45, sank 11 small Japanese vessels with gunfire in the Stait of Malacca.
The pictures here were kindly sent to me by Mike Caswell.
|
Sickle | S3 | P74, P224 | 48 | 17-Aug-42 |
Cammell Laird Birkenhead | June 1944 | War Loss |
Lt. James Ralph Drummond DSO, DSC RN.
11-Jan-1943 - 1st Patrol off north Norway covering convoy JW52. April 1943 - Arrived Gibraltar.
23 Apr 43, attacked the Italian merchant Mauro Croce (1049 GRT) off Sagunto, Spain. The torpedoes ran under the target and Sickle
fired 19 rounds with her deck gun but failed to hit the target.
15 May 43, torpedoed and sank the German auxiliary submarine chaser UJ-2213/Heureux (1116 GRT) south of Nice, southern France, 43º25'N, 07º25'E.
21 May 43, attacked the German submarine U-755 in position 42º50'N, 06º00'E but the torpedoes missed the target.
21 May 43, torpedoed and sank the German submarine Type VIIC Uboat U-303 south of Toulon, France, 42º50N, 06º00E.
18 Jul 43, sank the Italian auxiliary minesweepers No. 61/ Costante Neri (100 GRT) and No. 164/ Rosa Madre (39 GRT)
with gunfire 7 nm N of Gorgona, Italy.
19 Jul 43, sank the Italian auxiliary minesweeper V 131/Amgiola Maria C. (65 GRT) with gunfire off Porto Vecchio, Italy.
21 Jul 43, torpedoed and damaged the Italian merchant Oriani (2320 GRT) 8 miles WNW of Elba.
28 Aug 43, torpedoed and sank the German escort vessel SG-10/Felix Henri (2526 GRT) east of Corsica, France, 42º24'N, 09º41'E.
18 Nov 43, sank a sailing vessel with gunfire off Leros island, Greece.
19 Nov 43, torpedoed and sank the Italian merchant (in German service) Giovanni Boccaccio (3160 GRT) off Monemvasia, Greece.
25 Nov 43, sank two sailing vessels with gunfire near Milos island, Greece, 37º22'N, 24º15'E.
26 Dec 43, sank two Greek sailing vessels with gunfire east of Mykonos Island, Greece.
8 May 44, sank three sailing vessels with gunfire, scuttling charges and ramming, in the Doro Channel (between Euboea Island and Andros Island).
12 May 44, sank a sailing vessel with gunfire off Standia Island, Greece.
14 May 44, probably sank a sailing vessel with gunfire north of Rhetymon, Crete, 36º00'N, 25º00'E.
4 Jun 44 - Attacked Mitylene harbour and was counter-attacked by two patrol craft. One crew member lost
overboard - AB Blake - later picked up and taken prisoner. AB DJ Mackay injured and taken below, but later died
of his injuries.
6 Jun 44, sank the German merchant Reaumur (549 GRT) with gunfire in the Aegean between Andros and Skyros islands, 38º24'N, 24º35'E.
9 Jun 44, attacked the German transport Lola (309 GRT) to the west of Lemnos, Greece.
12 June signalled that she had spotted a convoy in the approach to Steno Pass. 14-June was ordered to return
from her patrol but was not heard of again. Presumed sunk by mines in the Antikithera Channel. No survivors.
Last British boat lost in the Med.
| Sidon | S3 | P259 c/s MKKS | 48 | 04_Sep_44 | Cammell Laird Birkenhead |
16_Jun_55 | Sunk (not war) |  Eastern Fleet. At 0825 on 16-Jun-55, Sidon (Lt. H.T. Verry) was lying alongside the depot
ship Maidstone at Portland when one of her torpedoes exploded. The torpedoes had no warheads, but did have the new volatile hydrogen
peroxide propellant. The crew had just embarked the torpedoes before going to sea for trial firings. A sudden up-rush of air and smoke poured
through the conning tower hatch. Her captain and others who were on the bridge, and others from Maidstone, entered the boat to assist
rescue operations. At 0845 the submarine sank without warning by the bows. There were 56 men onboard at the time - crew, trainees and trials
personnel for the trip. Three officers and ten ratings lost their lives but the remainder were saved. The wreck was raised on
23 Jun 55 and beached the next day. The 13 bodies were recovered on 25 Jun
55. A/S target 6/57. Lies a few miles West of Portland intact and upright. Another explosion of the hydrogen-peroxide torpedo at Arrochar
torpedo range caused the development of the Mk12 torpedo to be cancelled.
|
|
Simoom to Spearhead
