Sportsman to StratagemPage last Updated:
20-Dec-2007
| Name | Class | Pennant | Crew | Built | Builder
| Disposal Date | Method |
Sportsman
FS Sybille
| S3 | P229 | 48 | 17-Apr-42 |
HMDY Chatham | 23-Sep-52 | Sunk (not war) |  Originally
P79. Transferred to French Navy and renamed Sybille 1951. 23-Sep-52 disappeared in the Mediterranean 38 miles east of Toulon. Diving between Cannes and the island of Porquerolles. Cause of the loss, which cost 47 lives, still unknown (mid- 1980s). |
SpringerTanin
| S3 | P264 c/s MVQS | 48 | 2-Aug-45 |
Cammell Laird | 1958 | Sold | | Too late for service in war. Transferred to
Israeli Navy and renamed Tanin 1958.
Springer in 1952,
and below as Tanin in 1959 
|
SpurNarval (S160) | S3 |
| 48 | 17-Nov-44 |
Cammell Laird | 1969 | Scrap |  Lt. P.S. Beale. Eastern Fleet in 1945. Between 3 Aug and 23 Aug 1945,
Spur (Lt. P.S. Beale, RN) claimed the sinking of a total of 11 junks sunk by gunfire & demolition charges in the Strait of Malacca.
Transferred to
Portuguese Navy and renamed Narval 1948. Decommissioned 1969. |
Starfish | S1 | 19S, N19 | 36 | 27-Oct-33 |
HMDY Chatham | 09-Jan-40 | War Loss | 
Lt. T.A. Turner RN. Sailed from Blyth 5-Jan-40. Attacked German minesweeper 9-Jan-1940, off German North Sea coast in Heligoland Bight - attack failed due to communication problem. Returned to
Periscope Depth for second attack but struck by depth charges from German minesweeper M.7. Sat on bottom until 1815, then returned to the surface, confidential documents destroyed and s/m scuttled. Ship's company picked up by the waiting ships and taken as POWs.
Interesting website about the 'Log'
kept by a Canadian merchant mariner at the POW camp, "Marlag und
Milag Nord", including pictures, like that to right, of Starfish,
and other items, by fellow inmates, which included members of the Starfish
ships company.
|
StatesmanFS Sultane (S614) | S3 | P246, N22 c/s GGWQ | 48 | 14-Sep-43 |
Cammell Laird Birkenhead | 01-Jan-61 | Scrap |
 Lt. R.G.P. Bulkeley RN.
Damaged or sunk 44 vessels in 9 patrols in Far East (out of Trincomalee and Fremantle).
22 Aug 44, torpedoed and sank the Japanese army cargo ship Sugi Maru No.5 (1983 GRT, former Panamanian flagged,
Norwegian-owned Gran) off Port Blair, Andaman Islands in position 11º40'N, 92º45'E.
6 Oct 44, sank two Japanese sailing vessels with gunfire of the Mergui Archipelago, Burma.
29 Dec 44, sank a Japanese sailing vessel with gunfire north-east of Sumatra.
1 Jan 45, sank four small Japanese vessels with gunfire north-east of Sumatra.
6 Feb 45, sank two Japanese sailing vessels with gunfire in the Malacca Strait.
17 Feb 45, sank the Japanese trawler Matsujima Maru No.3 and the Japanese coasters Nippon Maru No.19, Nanyo Maru No. 17
and Nippon Maru No.14 with gunfire in the Malacca Strait in position 04º26'N, 98º16'E.
20 Feb 45, sank a small Japanese tanker with gunfire in the Malacca Strait.
5 Apr 45, sank seven small Japanese landing craft with gunfire and/or demolition charges in the Strait of Malacca.
6 Apr 45, sank three small Japanese landing craft and six sailing vessels with gunfire in the Strait of Malacca.
7 Apr 45, sank a Japanese sailing vessel with gunfire in the Strait of Malacca.
8 Apr 45, sank a Japanese sailing vessel with gunfire in the Strait of Malacca.
10 Apr 45, sank two Japanese sailing vessels with gunfire in the Strait of Malacca.
11 Apr 45, sank three Japanese barges with gunfire in the Strait of Malacca.
15 Apr 45, sank a Japanese sailing vessel with gunfire in the Strait of Malacca.
1 May 45, sank a small Japanese vessel in the Strait of Malacca.
5 May 45, sank two Japanese sailing vessels with gunfire in the Strait of Malacca.
9 May 45, sank a Japanese sailing vessel with demolition charges in the Strait of Malacca.
15 May 45, sank a Japanese coaster with gunfire in the Strait of Malacca.
On 9 May 45, the Japanese heavy cruiser Haguro and destroyer Kamikaze left Singapore for a transport run to
the Andaman Islands. Statesman, with Subtle, sighted them the next day in the Malacca Strait. To intercept the
Japanese ships a task force made up of 2 battleships, 1 heavy cruiser, 2 light cruisers, 4 escort carriers and 8 destroyers
left Trincomalee. Aircraft from the escort carriers attacked the Nicobar Islands on the 11th, forcing Haguro and Kamikaze to
head back to Singapore. On the 14th, the Japanese ships again depart Singapore for the Andaman Islands. They were spotted the next day
north-east of Sabang by aircraft the British escort carrier HMS Shah. A few hours later they
were attacked by aircraft from the British escort carrier HMS Emperor, causing light damaged to Haguro. Meanwhile,
Japanese aircraft had sighted Allied destroyers closing in on Haguro and once again the Japanese ships reverse course.
In anticipation on the Japanese reversal of course the commander of the British 26th DF, Capt. M.L. Power, CBE, DSO*, RN, on board
HMS Saumarez and the other British destroyers HMS Venus , HMS Verulam, HMS Vigilant and HMS Virago
plotted a course to intercept the Japanese ships which they did shortly before midnight on the 15th. After careful manoeuvering, the
destroyers began attacking the Japanese ships from all sides shortly after 0100 on the 16th. The Haguro was hit by torpedoes
and gunfire and sank around 0230 in position 04º49'N, 99º42'E but not before she hit the Saumarez with gunfire.
The escorting Japanese destroyer Kamikaze escapes with only minor damage.
26 Jun 45, sank a Japanese sailing vessel with gunfire north of Sumatra.
14 Aug 45, sank 5 Japanese sailing vessels with gunfire and demolition charges in the Strait of Malacca.
18 Aug 45, torpedoed and sank a derelict wreck drifting in the Straits of Malacca, described as probably a coaster.
Possibly the last British submarine-launched torpedo of the war.
Streamlined 44-45(?) see Seraph.
Loaned
to France as Sultane 52-59. A sad end.....
|
Sterlet | S2 | 22S, N22 | 39 | 6-Apr-38 |
HMDY Chatham | 18-Apr-40 | War Loss |  Portsmouth 1937-40. Lt.Cdr. G.H.S.
Haward RN. On patrol during German invasion of Norway, attacked convoy of three vessels 12 Apr 40, missed. 15 Apr 40, torpedoed gunnery
training ship Brummer, south of Larvik,
Norway in position 58-40'N, 09-56'E.
18 Apr 40, sunk in
Kattegat/Skagerrak, (c 58-00'N, 11-00'E) - possibly by depth charges from German anti-submarine trawlers UJ-1124, UJ-126, UJ-127, but could have hit a minefield when returning to UK.
|
Stoic | S3 | P231 | 48 | 09-Apr-43 |
Cammell Laird Birkenhead | 01-Jul-50 | Scrap |  Lt. P.B. Marriot, DSC, RN.
3 Jun 44, sank two small Japanese sailing vessels with gunfire off Penang.
8 Jun 44, sank a small Japanese vessel with gunfire in the Strait of Malacca.
12 Jun 44, torpedoed and sank the Japanese transport ship Kainan Maru (1134 GRT) off Phuket, Siam, 07º54'N, 98º27'E.
13 Jun 44, claimed to sink a landing craft with gunfire off Penang.
17 Jun 44, sank two small Japanese sailing vessels with gunfire and demolition charges off Penang.
13 Jul 44, sank the Japanese fishing vessel Nanyo Maru No.55 with gunfire off Mukomuko, western Sumatra.
25 Oct 44, sank a Japanese coaster with gunfire in the Java Sea.
31 Oct 44, sank a Japanese sailing vessel with gunfire off the north-east tip of Java, in position 07º40'S, 114º13'E.
Also bombarded warehouses and fuel tanks at Jangka Island.
16 Dec 44, torpedoed and sank the Japanese auxiliary gunboat Shoei Maru (1986 GRT) west of Sunda Strait, 05º45'S, 104º43'E.
Deep diving trials 1948, Kyle, Scotland, boat lowered to crush depth. (532ft)(riveted boat). Supreme and Varne
were used for similar tests.
|
Stonehenge | S3 | P232 | 48 | 15-Jun-43 |
Cammell Laird | 22-Mar-44 | War Loss | (Lt Cdr Verschoyle-Campbell+),
5 Feb 1944,
sank the Japanese merchant vessel Koryo Maru No.2 (726 GRT) north of Penang, Sumatra, 05°46'N 99°52'E. Stonehenge had
sailed on 1 Feb 44 for the Penang approaches; on 5 Feb, Stonehenge sank an 889-ton ferry by gunfire. She had first fired
two torpedoes at a range of 800 yards but they ran under. Later the same day she fired another four torpedoes at a small
merchant ship in ballast but the target sighted the tracks and avoided them. Between the 6th and the 8th, she carried out
a special operation to land agents. On 12th, she attacked an escorted seaplane carrier, firing four torpedoes followed by
a fifth in error. The range was 1200 yards and it was glassy calm and the enemy probably avoided the torpedoes.
Stonehenge was counter attacked but got away her stern torpedo at the escort, hitting but only damaging Choko Maru, a
net tender of 890 tons. The hunt continued during Stonehenge's withdrawal and she suffered minor damage.
Nevertheless she got away a single torpedo that completed the destruction of Choko Maru, in position 05º46'N, 99º52'E.
Later, in Nicobar Islands area - 'overdue, presumed lost'. Sailed from Trincomalee, Ceylon and arrived in patrol area between
northern Sumatra and Nicobar Islands on 25th February. Overdue on 20th March, cause of loss unknown; lost with all hands.
See also recent research by Lesley Hanan. |
Storm | S3 | P233 | 48 | 01-May-43 |
Cammell Laird Birkenhead | 01-Sep-49 | Scrap |
Lt Cdr E Young DSO DSC RNVR, author of 'One of our Submarines'. (First Volunteer Reserve (RNVR)
officer to command a submarine - his medals are on display at the RN Submarine
Museum). Far East 1944-45.
12 Mar 44, sank a small Japanese vessel with gunfire in the Malacca Strait.
15 Apr 44, torpedoed and sank Japanese minesweeper W 7 (738 tons) off the Andaman Islands, 11-34'N, 93-08'E.
18 Jun 44, torpedoed and sank the Japanese auxiliary gunboat Eiko Maru (3011 GRT) in the Strait of Malacca off Penang,
Malaya, 05-59'N, 99-10'E.
20 Jun 44, torpedoed, but missed, the German submarine Type VIIF U-boat U-1062 in the Malacca Strait.
23 Jul 44, sank the Japanese army cargo ship Kiso Maru (554 GRT) and two Japanese patrol vessels with gunfire off Port Owen,
Andaman Islands, 14-00'N, 96-50'E.
1 Aug 44, sank 4 Japanese sailing vessels with gunfire of the Mergui Archipelago, Burma.
2 Sep 44, sank five small Japanese vessels with gunfire.
29 Oct 44, sank two Japanese sailing vessels with gunfire in the Gulf of Boni, Celebes, Dutch East Indies.
1 Nov 44, sank two Japanese sailing vessels with gunfire in the Gulf of Boni, Celebes, Dutch East Indies.
2 Nov 44, sank seven Japanese sailing vessels with gunfire in the Gulf of Boni, Celebes, Dutch East Indies.
Scrapped at Troon.
Storm in the East,
showing off the camouflage markings.
 Storm,
returning to Gosport |
Stratagem | S3 | P234 | 48 | 9-Oct-43 |
Cammell Laird Birkenhead | 22-Nov-44 | War Loss |
(Occasionally incorrectly referred to as Strategem.) Lt Cdr CR Pelly DSC RN. Sailed Trincomalee, Ceylon,
10 Nov 44 for patrol in vicinity of Malacca.
7 Aug 44 made unsuccessful torpedo attack on German Type IXD2 U-boat U-181 in the Strait of Malacca near Penang.
19 Nov 44, torpedoed and sank the Japanese tanker Nichinan Maru (1945 GRT) in the Malacca Strait, 01-36'N, 102-53'E.
Lost 22-Nov-1944, off SW Malaya in Malacca Straits - by depth charges of Japanese destroyer,
after being detected by aircraft. Bow struck bottom and began flooding. Unable to shut watertight door.
Crew scuttled boat. Some ten men escaped from the stricken boat, though only 8
managed to make it to the surface alive. Those eight were taken prisoner, of which only three survived captivity.
Further reference.
and more details.
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Strongbow to Sturgeon