Sunfish file photo [6087]

Sunfish (S-class)

CountryUnited Kingdom
Ship ClassS-class Submarine
BuilderChatham Dockyard, Kent, England, United Kingdom
Laid Down27 Jul 1935
Launched30 Sep 1936
Commissioned2 Jul 1937
Decommissioned27 Jul 1944
Displacement670 tons standard; 960 tons submerged
Length209 feet
Beam24 feet
Draft11 feet
MachineryTwin diesel/electric
Speed14 knots
Crew39
Armament6x533mm forward torpedo tubes, 12 torpedoes, 1x76mm gun, 1x0.76mm machine gun
Submerged Speed10 knots
Recommissioned by Russia26 Jun 1944

Contributor:

ww2dbaseSunfish was commissioned into British Royal Navy service before the European War, but was refitting when the war began. On 19 Feb 1940, she fired four torpedoes at the German submarine U-14 30 nautical miles northwest of Helgoland, Germany, but all torpedoes missed. On 9 Apr, she torpedoed and sank the German merchant ship Amasis in the Kattegat northeast of Denmark. On the following day, she torpedoed and missed the merchant ship Hanau at 1150, missed an auxiliary patrol vessel at 1520, but at 2000 she torpedoed and sank the German merchant ship Antares; all the action took place in the Kattegat. On 13 Apr, she damaged the German ship Schürbeck, again in the Kattegat. On the following day, she sank the German ship Oldenburg by torpedoes. On 5 Dec 1940, she sank the Finnish merchant ship Oscar Midling in Sildegapet, Norway. On 7 Dec, she damaged the Norwegian merchant ship Dixie off Stadlandet, Norway.

ww2dbaseOn 10 Apr 1944, Sunfish was transferred on loan to the Russian Navy, who recommissioned the ship as V-1. On 27 Jul 1944, she was attacked by a Royal Air Force Coastal Command B-24 Liberator bomber as she was mis-identified as a German submarine; the Russian Captain 2nd Class Fisanovic further the confusion by diving instead of staying on the surface to fire recognition signals, which mistakenly confirmed the attacker's belief that she was a hostile vessel. V-1 sustained heavy damage, and sank shortly. All crew, including the British liaison staff, were lost.

ww2dbaseSource: Uboat.net.

Last Major Revision: Jun 2008

Photographs

Crew of HMS Sunfish practice on the 76-mm (3-in) deck gun while skipper Lt. Hilary John Bartlett watched, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK, 4 Nov 1943

Sunfish (S-class) Operational Timeline

2 Jul 1937 Sunfish (S-class) was commissioned into service.
30 Sep 1941 German bombers attacked shipyards at Tyneside in northern England, United Kingdom; submarine HMS Sunfish was badly damaged during the attack.
27 Jul 1944 Sunfish (S-class) was decommissioned from service.




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds




Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Search WW2DB
Submarine Sunfish (S-class) Photo Gallery
Crew of HMS Sunfish practice on the 76-mm (3-in) deck gun while skipper Lt. Hilary John Bartlett watched, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK, 4 Nov 1943


Famous WW2 Quote
"Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue."

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, 16 Mar 1945


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!