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Thames (N 71)

Built By: Vickers (Barrow)
Build Group: River 1
Fate: HMS Thames was lost with all hands on 3rd August 1940.

The Submarine was on its first patrol in the North Sea following a refit. The cause of the loss is not known but may have been the result of striking a mine.

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1932-1934: Portsmouth.
1934-1939: Mediterranean.
1939: Portsmouth.
1939 - 2nd Flotilla: HMS Forth, Dundee.
1939 - 2nd Flotilla: HMS Forth, Rosyth.
1940 - 2nd Flotilla: HMS Forth, Dundee.

1933 - Despatched to the Baltic to asses the boat in ice covered seas.

1938-1939 - Completed journey around Africa.

1939-1940 - Served in Home Waters. Carried out war patrols in the North Sea and off Norway.

Roll of Honour
62
Abrams, William John Edward
P/J 108293
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 32
Petty Officer
Arnold, Frederick John
P/KX 84332
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 24
Stoker 1st Class
Baker, William John
C/M 39417
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 30
Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class
Balshaw, Harold Ridiough
D/LX 21494
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 31
Leading Steward
Bantick, William Charles George
C/KX 77712
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 31
Stoker 1st Class
Barford, William Alfred
P/J 100888
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 36
Able Seaman
Beach, Harry Richard
P/JX 134081
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 26
Leading Seaman
Bell, Ernest Harry
C/KX 85441
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 24
Leading Stoker
Bird, Frederick George
P/J 131057
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 28
Leading Seaman
Clark, Reginald Arthur Weaver
D/JX 125057
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 30
Petty Officer Telegraphist
Cummings, Abraham
D/KX 89724
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 25
Stoker 1st Class
Cunningham, Henry
D/KX 77606
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 34
Leading Stoker
Curtis, Harold Wilfred
P/J 17423
Born: 27th Oct, 1896.
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 43
Petty Officer
RN DoB 27/10/1894
Dean, Edwin
D/KX 81956
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 28
Leading Stoker
Dennison, George
P/JX 125285
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 30
Able Seaman
Dowling, Bertie
P/KX 75699
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 32
Stoker Petty Officer
Dunkerley, William Donald
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 32
Lieutenant Commander
Commanding Officer
Dyer, Arthur Henry
P/JX 136368
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 24
Able Seaman
Edwards, Leonard
D/KX 79973
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 31
Stoker Petty Officer
Flower, Herbert Charles
P/M 34522
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 36
Engine Room Artificer 1st Class
Ford, Albert Joseph
C.M 47965
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 25
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
Geard, Frederick Wiliam John
C/KX 86860
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 24
Stoker 1st Class
Godtbill, Percy William
C/KX 88740
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 23
Stoker 1st Class
Hall, Leonard Thomas
C/KX 85850
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 25
Leading Stoker
Harbert, Harry George
C/J 107261
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 33
Able Seaman
Harker, James Andrew
D/KX 80811
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 28
Stoker 1st Class
Harris, Leonard George Roland
P/JX 136307
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 24
Able Seaman
Hewett, John Parish
P/JX 134732
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 25
Leading Telegraphist
Hindson, Joseph
P/KX 91139
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 24
Stoker 1st Class
Howard, William Bertie
C/J 87254
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 38
Able Seaman
Irvine, Douglas
D/KX 89066
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 22
Stoker 1st Class
Johnston, Andrew Hunter
C/K 93627
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 20
Stoker 1st Class
Kane, Frederick
D/KX 78870
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 36
Stoker 1st Class
Keyzar, Herbert Fasham
P/M 34527
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 37
Chief Engine Room Artificer
Lee, John Edwin
D/MX 49596
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 35
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
Marner, James Harold
P/JX 127383
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 29
Leading Seaman
Millson, Reginald Victor
P/JX 137273
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 23
Able Seaman
Moody, Eric Robinson
P/JX 145045
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 20
Able Seaman
Morris, Fenton Harry
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 23
Lieutenant
Mott, Herbert Edwin
D/J 53601
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 39
Chief Petty Officer
Murgatroyd, Stanley Edward
D/J 114755
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 31
Petty Officer
Newell, Daniel Edward Treymain (RNR)
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 29
Lieutenant
O'Brien, Brian Eoghan
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 33
Lieutenant Commander Engineer
Owen, Robert
C/MX 46269
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 35
Engine Room Artificer 1st Class
Painter, Cyril Frederick Maguer
D/MX 52618
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 32
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
Parker, John Kelson
P/MX 54368
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 28
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
Parratt, Melvyn Bertram
D/J 134827
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 25
Able Seaman
Peterson, Archibald James
P/JX 164967
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 35
Leading Signalman
Ex.J96670
Ryan, Thomas Richard
C/KX 83436
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 25
Stoker 1st Class
Shepherdson, George Russell
D/J 107545
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 33
Able Seaman
Southwell, Albert Wilfred
D/MX 48279
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 29
Petty Officer Cook
Stokes, John
P/K 64755
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 36
Stoker 1st Class
Stribbling, William Arthur
C/J 107755
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 33
Telegraphist
Talbot, Francis Robert Cecil
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 26
Lieutenant
Taylor, Arthur
D/KX 89784
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 22
Stoker 1st Class
Taylor, Norman
P/JX 148934
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 19
Telegraphist
Timms, Francis John
C/J 101687
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 34
Able Seaman
Tindall, Ernest James
C/J 106647
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 33
Petty Officer Telegraphist
Trebilcock, Robert Cecil
P/JX 139160
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 23
Leading Seaman
Waite, Frank
D/K 58562
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 39
Stoker Petty Officer
Weeks, Charles Henry
D/J 115433
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 37
Able Seaman
Worrall, John Edward Wesney (RNR)
Died: 3rd Aug, 1940.
Aged: 21
Lieutenant

Events

06-01-1931  Laid Down
26-01-1932  Launched
14-09-1932  Completed
04-07-1940  Cdr Denis Vaughan Sprague, RN, the Commanding Officer of Thames died at Devonport.

In the early hours of Wednesday 3rd July 1940, all French Naval vessels at Plymouth were taken into Royal Navy control. The crew of the French Submarine Surcouf resisted the takeover and in the confusion, the Commander was shot, and he died later in hospital.
26-07-1940  HMS Thames torpedoes and sinks the German torpedo boat Luchs in the North Sea.
03-08-1940  HMS Thames was on her first war patrol when she went missing. She had sailed from Dundee on 22nd July to patrol in the North Sea. On the 22nd July Thames successfully attacked the German torpedo boat Luchs just west of the Skagerrak. The Luchs was acting as part of a screen for the battle cruiser Gneisenau, which is believed to been her original target, and that the Luchs had manoeuvred between the submarine and the battle cruiser just as the former fired her torpedoes. The shortened range and the ensuing explosions may have been the cause of the loss of the Thames although the favoured opinion is that the submarine struck a mine on the night of 2nd/3rd August.

Official
River 1 Specification
Length overall  345 ft
Beam  28 ft 3 inch
Depth  18 ft 3 inch
Displacement   2165 tons (surface)
  2680 tons (submerged)
Diving Depth  300 ft
Speed  Surface 21.75 knots (design)
  Surface 22.5 knots (service)
  Submerged 10 knots (design)
  Submerged 10.5 knots (service)
No. of shafts  2
Endurance  Surface: 10000 miles at 8 knots (design)
  Surface: 16100 miles maximum (service)
  Submerged: 10 miles at 10 knots (design)
  Submerged: 13 miles at 10 knots or 118 miles at 4 knots (service)
Armament  6 x 21 inch bow tubes
  (12 torpedoes carried)
  1 x 4 inch QF gun
Complement  5 Officers and 56 Ratings.
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