Sunfish (N81) / V1 (USSR)
| Built By: | Chatham Dockyard (Medway) |
| Build Group: | S2 |
| Fate: | Bombed and sunk by a Liberator of No.86 Squadron, RAF on the 27th July 1944 while serving as Russian submarine V1 of the 9th Flottilla. |
Sunfish (N81) / V1 (USSR)
Sunfish (N81) / V1 (USSR)
HMS Sunfish was transferred to the Russians and recommissioned as V1
For a long time, the official story of her loss was that V1 had left her assigned transfer corridor and dived when the aircraft came in sight instead of staying on the surface and firing recognition signals as instructed.
However, the documents of the enquiries carried out by the Admiralty and the RAF about the incident show that it was actually the crew of the Liberator who was at fault, they were out of position and did not properly identify their target before attacking despite being warned about the presence of Allied submarines in their patrol area.
Roll of Honour |
2
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| Died: 31-03-1944 | |||||
| Andrews, Thomas Edward D/KX 156636 | |||||
| Stoker 1st Class | Died: 31-03-1944 | Aged: 19 | |||
| from Brierlev Hill. Staffordshire | |||||
| Died from injuries sustained in a fall from a train at Winwick, near Warrington, Lancashire. He was the son of Henry and Lottie Andrews of Brierley Hill. Liverpool Echo Friday 28th April 1944: TRAGEDY OF A FAMILY TWO SONS DEAD. ONE PRISONER, FOURTH LOST FROM TRAIN Recording an open verdict at the Winwick, near Warrington, inquest, today, on Thomas Edward Andrews, aged 19, Royal Navy stoker, of Brierley Hill. Staffs.. Coroner C. Bolton said was a very sad case, because Mr and Mrs Andrews had already lost two sons in this war while another son was a prisoner of war. Evidence showed that Andrews boarded a corridor train at Glasgow and before it reached Crewe one of the doors was opened. The coroner said no-one would ever know exactly how the fatality occurred. NOTE. Thomas Andrews’ two brothers who were also lost in the War were a Petty Officer lost in HMS Veteran and a Private in the South Staffordshire Regiment (2nd Airborne Battalion) who was killed in Libya. |
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| Died: 27-07-1944 | |||||
| Ravensdale, Sidney D/J87505 | |||||
| Petty Officer Telegraphist | Born: 24-02-1902 | Died: 27-07-1944 | Aged: 42 | ||
| from Leek, Staffordshire | |||||
| Serving as Communications Liaison in the Russian Submarine B1 (ex HMS Sunfish) | |||||
| Died when submarine B1 was sunk in error by RAF aircraft whilst en-route to Russia. Sidney Ravensdale had previously served in Submarines from 30th December 1927 to 23rd February 1932. He was recalled for further service in Submarines at the time of the Munich Crisis in 1938 and again on the outbreak of WWII in 1939. The son of Richard and Grace Hannah Ravensdale. A Royal Fleet Reservist (RFR/Po/B.18208) and the husband of Violet Ruby Ravensdale (nee Jay) |
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Events
| 22-07-1935 | Laid Down |
| 30-09-1936 | Launched |
| 02-07-1937 | Completed |
| 19-02-1940 | HMS Sunfish fired four torpedoes at the German submarine U-14 about 30 nautical miles north-west of Helgoland, Germany. All torpedoes fired missed their target. |
| 09-04-1940 | HMS Sunfish torpedoes and sinks the German merchant Amasis in the Kattegat. |
| 10-04-1940 | HMS Sunfish torpedoes and sinks the German merchant Antares in the Kattegat. Earlier that day, around 1150 hours she missed the German merchant Hanau with a torpedo and around 1520 hours she missed a German auxiliary patrol vessel with two torpedoes. |
| 13-04-1940 | HMS Sunfish torpedoes and damages the German Q-ship Schiff in the Kattegat. |
| 14-04-1940 | HMS Sunfish torpedoes and sinks the German Schiff 35/Oldenburg in the Kattegat. |
| 05-12-1940 | HMS Sunfish torpedoes and sinks the Finnish merchant Oscar Midling in Sildegapet, Norway. |
| 07-12-1940 | HMS Sunfish torpedoes and damages the Norwegian merchant Dixie off Stadlandet, Norway. |
| 10-04-1944 | Transferred to Soviet Navy |
| 27-07-1944 | Bombed and sunk by a Liberator of No.86 Squadron, RAF. |
Comments
Comment by: L. Forrester on August 31, 2018
My grandfather cpo telegraphist Sidney Ravensdale was lost as he was accompanying the sub with the Russian crew when they were sunk by coastal raf mistake, he seemed to be only British person on board, don’t know why he was the only one who went
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