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Sealion (N 72)

Built By: Cammell Laird (Mersey)
Build Group: S2
Fate: Used as Anti-submarine target off Isle of Arran, 3rd March 1945.

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Commanders

1934-1939: Mediterranean.
1939: Home Station.
1940: 3rd Flotilla. HMS Cyclops, Harwich.
1941: 6th Flotilla. HMS Titania, Blyth.
1941: Detached. Polyarnoe, Nr. Murmansk.

Was part of the submarine force which was in the Kattegat and off the coast of Norway during the German invasion of Norway.

Served as a marker submarine in December 1941 in Operation Anklet, the raid on the Lofotens.

Events

16-05-1933 Laid Down
16-03-1934 Launched
21-12-1934 Completed
28-10-1939 Left Portsmouth on her first war patrol in the North Sea.
06-11-1939 HMS Sealion fires 6 torpedoes against the German submarine U-21 off the Dogger Bank. All torpedoes fired missed their target. The enemy submarine surfaced and an attempt was made to engage her with the deck gun, but this proved impossible due to the heavy seas.
11-04-1940 HMS Sealion had her first success with the sinking of the German merchant ship August Leonhardt off the Danish island of Anholt in the Skaggerak.
06-05-1940 HMS Sealion attacks the German merchant Moltkefels with 3 torpedoes about 19 nautical miles south-west of Vaderob. However the torpedoes miss their target.
03-07-1940 HMS Sealion fires 6 torpedoes against a German convoy off the Boknafjord, Norway. None of the torpedoes found it's target and Sealion was heavily depth charged following this failed attack.
08-07-1940 HMS Sealion fires a torpedo at the beached wreck of the German merchant Palime off Obrestadt. The Palime was beached after hitting a mine on 5 June 1940 that was laid by HMS Narwhal.
29-07-1940 HMS Sealion attacked the German submarine U-62, first with torpedoes and then with her deck gun. Due to the wrong range having been entered by the sight-setter, the shells fell far short and U-62 dived and escaped.
04-08-1940 HMS Sealion torpedoes and sinks the Norwegian merchant Toran off Homborsund, Norway.

Having sunk the leading ship in a convoy she was lucky to escape when the second ship passed right over her breaking her periscopes.
06-08-1940 HMS Sealion fires four torpedoes against the German merchant Clare Hugo Stinnes off Kristiansand, Norway. All torpedoes missed their target.
05-02-1941 After allowing the evacuation of passengers. HMS Sealion sinks the (German controlled) Norwegian Ryfylke with high explosive shells off Honningsvag, Norway.
30-05-1941 HMS Sealion fires 6 torpedoes against the German submarine U-74 in the Bay of Biscay about 45 nautical miles south-west of Belle-Ile Island, France. All six torpedoes missed their target.
07-07-1941 HMS Sealion sinks the French fishing vessels Gustav Eugene and Gustav Jeanne with gunfire off Ushant.
08-07-1941 HMS Sealion sinks the French fishing vessel Christus Regnat with gunfire off Ushant.
09-07-1941 HMS Sealion sinks the French fishing vessel St Pierre d'Alcantara with gunfire off Ushant.
18-11-1941 HMS Sealion sinks the Norwegian tanker Vesco off the Laksefjord, Norway.
05-12-1941 HMS Sealion torpedoes and sinks the Norwegian merchant Island north of Mehavn, Norway.
03-03-1945 Used as Anti-submarine target off Isle of Arran
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