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Narwhal (N 45)

Built By: Vickers (Barrow)
Build Group: G2
Fate: Narwhal left Blyth on 22nd July 1940. On the afternoon of 23rd July, an aircraft reported attacking a submarine in the area where Narwhal should have been. Narwhal did not report again, it was assumed this attack sank the submarine with all hands.
Narwhal
Narwhal
Narwhal
Narwhal

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Commanders
1935: Lieutenant Commander   John Ronald Stewart Brown
1939: Lieutenant Commander   Eric Roland John Oddie
1940: Lieutenant Commander   Ronald James Burch

1940 - 2nd Flotilla: HMS Forth, Rosyth.

Roll of Honour
61
Ackery, John Esmond DSC
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 27
Engineer Lieutenant
Ackroyd, John Robert Lindley
D/J 77746
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 38
Telegraphist
Andrews, Thomas Victor
C/MX 47587
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 34
Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class
Austin, Edward Arthur
P/J 113448
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 30
Petty Officer
Baillie, Alexander
D/SSX 13658
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 26
Telegraphist
Blyth, Charles George
D/KX 86034
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 23
Stoker 1st Class
Brooks, Kenneth
P/JX 136729
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 24
Able Seaman
Brown, Alec
D/JX 127778
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 30
Able Seaman
Buckland, Reginald Charles Sandercox
D/JX 133579
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 26
Able Seaman
Burch, Ronald James DSO
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 33
Lieutenant Commander
Commanding Officer
Burton, John William
C/JX 128525
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 29
Able Seaman
Cordery, Leslie
P/JX 139437
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 22
Leading Seaman
Cringle, John (RNVR)
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 22
Sub Lieutenant
Davis, Herbert James
D/KX 86121
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 24
Stoker 1st Class
Daw, Walter Sydney
D/J 70501
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 38
Signalman
Denner, William Frederick James DSM
D/J 92099
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 37
Chief Petty Officer
Duckham, Harry Roy
D/J 97177
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 35
Chief Petty Officer Telegraphist
Earwaker, Alec Edmund Green
D/J 110566
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 32
Able Seaman
Elvin, Herbert Constable
C/KX 79616
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 30
Leading Stoker
Frost, Walter John
C/KX 86539
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 29
Stoker 1st Class
Geeling, Edward Joseph
EAX 2943
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 27
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class
Golding, Henry Myles
C/MX 61415
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 22
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class
Govier, Frank Deveril
P/JX 138828
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 22
Able Seaman
Grant, Frederick Charles John
P/JX 148163
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 28
Leading Seaman
Green, Charles Sinclair DSC
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 27
Lieutenant
Grey, James William
C/MX 46477
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 32
Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class
Hearn, Albert Edmund
P/L 14463
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 35
Petty Officer Steward
Henderson, George Murdoch
D/MX 54091
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 33
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
Hendy, William George Roy
P/KX 84936
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 27
Leading Stoker
Horstead, Alfred Augustus
P/J 109737
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 31
Leading Seaman
Huelin, Godfrey John MID
P/J 139939
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 22
Leading Seaman
Jarvis, Albert Henry
D/J 113881
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 30
Petty Officer
Johns, William Henry
D/MX 49194
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 23
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class
Kitching, Henry Charles
C/KX 81233
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 28
Stoker 1st Class
Lawson, George
D/KX 89654
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 26
Stoker 1st Class
Marchant, William Cyril MID
C/JX 134145
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 25
Leading Telegraphist
Marsden, Harry
D/SS 121369
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 38
Stoker 1st Class
Mitchell, Robert George
P/MX 49772
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 29
Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class
Moor, John
D/J 107308
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 32
Able Seaman
Newell, Frank
P/J 108328
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 39
Able Seaman
Parish, James Charles MID
C/KX 81304
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 27
Leading Stoker
Prior, Thomas Watson Forster
D/KX 88321
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 22
Stoker 1st Class
Quin, Charles George MID
C/JX 128912
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 28
Leading Seaman
Richlieu, Thomas William
C/SSX 24993
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 19
Telegraphist
Robinson, Norman DSM
D/J 105359
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 34
Petty Officer
Ross, Adam
P/KX 77059
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 39
Stoker Petty Officer
Simnett, Samuel
C/JX 130091
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 28
Leading Seaman
Simpson, Frederick Edward
P/KX 91653
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 21
Stoker 1st Class
Smith, Joseph
D/KX 76233
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 32
Stoker 1st Class
Stearn, George Richard
P/J 71576
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 38
Able Seaman
Stone, Clifford William
D/KX 82824
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 25
Stoker 1st Class
Stubbington, William James
P/K 65986
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 34
Leading Stoker
Twynam, Humfrey Reginald Woodriff MID
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 23
Lieutenant
Born Humphrey served as Humfrey
Vincer, George William
P/KX 80499
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 27
Stoker 1st Class
Wells, George Harry
P/K 66454
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 36
Stoker Petty Officer
Whalebone, Frederick John DSM
C/J 108318
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 32
Chief Petty Officer
White, Stafford Radcliffe
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 31
Lieutenant Commander
Wilson, Aleck Neal MID
C/M 36173
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 34
Chief Engine Room Artificer
Wood, Albert John
P/MX 47058
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 32
Petty Officer Cook
Wood, Thomas Daniel
P/KX 82524
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 27
Stoker 1st Class
Yates, Richard Michael
C/K 62531
Born: 28th Sep, 1905.
Died: 23rd Jul, 1940.
Aged: 34
Leading Stoker
RN DoB 28/09/1904

Events

 29-05-1934   Laid Down
 29-08-1935   Launched
 28-02-1936   Completed
 04-04-1940   HMS Narwhal lays minefield FD 1 (50 mines) in the North Sea.
 13-04-1940   HMS Narwhal lays minefield FD 5 (50 mines) in the Kattegat.
 01-05-1940   HMS Narwhal torpedoes and sinks the German troop transport Buenos Aires and torpedoes and damages the German troop transport Bahia Castillo in the Kattegat about 20 nautical miles north of Anholt, Denmark.
 01-05-1940   HMS Narwhal lays minefield FD 6 (50 mines) in the Kattegat.
 11-05-1940   HMS Narwhal lays minefield FD 12 (50 mines) off Bud, Norway.
 03-06-1940   HMS Narwhal lays minefield FD 16 (50 mines) off Jaederens Point, Norway.
 12-06-1940   HMS Narwhal lays minefield FD 19 (50 mines) off Haugesund, Norway.
 04-07-1940   HMS Narwhal lays minefield FD 21 (50 mines) north of Kristiansund, Norway.
 22-07-1940   HMS Narwhal left the Humber on 22 July for a minelaying mission off Norway, she fails to return

On the afternoon of 23rd July she should have passed through (German) grid square 4856, where an aircraft reported attacking a submarine. This was believed to be Porpoise by the Germans but as Narwhal did not report again, it was assumed this attack sank her.

Official
G2 Specification
Length overall  289 ft
Beam  25 ft 6 inch
Draught  16 ft 10 inch
Displacement   1768 tons (surface)
  2053 tons (submerged)
Diving Depth  300 ft
No. of shafts  2
Speed  Surface 15 knots (design)
  Surface 16 knots (service)
  Submerged 8.75 knots (design)
  Submerged 8.9 knots (service)
Armament  6 x 21 inch bow tubes (12 torpedoes carried)
  1 x 4 inch gun
  50 x Mk XVI mines
Complement  55
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