Snapper (N 39)

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Snapper (N 39)

Built By:	Chatham Dockyard (Medway)
Build Group:	S2
Fate:	Lost in the Bay of Biscay cause unknown on 11th February 1941.

Snapper

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Commanders

1935:	Lieutenant	John Wallace Linton
1936:	Lieutenant	William Alexander Keith Napier Cavaye
1939:	Lieutenant	William Donald Aelian King
1940:	Lieutenant	Geoffrey Vernon Prowse

1935: Portsmouth.
1936-1939: Mediterranean.
1939: Home Waters.

Carried out patrols in North Sea, Skagerrak and Biscay in 1939. She was involved in the Norwegian campaign sinking one ship of 6,200 tons in addition to two small ships and two minesweepers of an aggregate 2,500 tons.

Roll of Honour

Died: 11-02-1941
Alston, George Michael Hamilton
	Sub Lieutenant		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 22

Ashby, Eric Arthur Ernest (RNR)
	Lieutenant		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 28

Bashford, Fred George Sidney James MID C/KX 83867
	Leading Stoker		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 25

Bell, Alfred C/KX 82831
	Leading Stoker		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 28

Chittleburgh, Leslie William D/JX 149652
	Leading Seaman		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 20

Clements, Ronald Frederick D/J 111140
	Leading Seaman		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 31

Connolly, Reuben MID P/JX 125604
	Petty Officer Telegraphist		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 30

Cooper, Arthur John DSM C/M 35070
	Engine Room Artificer 1st Class		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 37

Dearn, Archie Sidney Albert D/J 105902
	Petty Officer		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 34

Dobbie, Richard C/SSX 18111
	Able Seaman		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 21
	CWGC has C/SS 18117

Dodson, Richard Arthur Wilkinson C/SSX 25367
	Telegraphist		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 20

Doucy, Charles Arthur P/JX 167380
	Able Seaman		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 21

Farmer, Robert Gale D/KX 84307
	Leading Stoker		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 25

Furlong, James William C/MX 52491
	Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 26

Gray, James Leonard C/SSX 20054
	Able Seaman		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 23

Halloran, Daniel Patrick MID (Ex.M38824)
	Warrant Engineer	Born: 07-10-1917	Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 23

Hill, Walter Ernest Henry C/KX 94286
	Stoker 1st Class		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 21

Hobbs, Ronald Arthur C/JX 148131
	Leading Telegraphist		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 20

Jones, Kenneth Watkins D/MX 52698
	Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 25

Laker, John William C/J 103942
	Chief Petty Officer		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 34

Lawson, Myles Edward MID C/JX 127646
	Leading Seaman		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 29

Matthews, Edward George MID C/JX 106725
	Petty Officer		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 33

McCleave, Thomas John D/KX 108584
	Stoker 1st Class		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 21

Mellows, George Harry MID D/JX 127284
	Able Seaman		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 30

Munro, William C/KX 88739
	Leading Stoker		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 25

Nesling, Reginald Ashton C/JX 140123
	Leading Signalman		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 23

Palmer, Stephen P/SS 10028
	Able Seaman		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 40

Parsons, Victor John DSM P/KX 82762
	Leading Stoker		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 26

Penny, Raymond Roy P/SSX 18730
	Leading Seaman		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 21

Plumb, Charles MID C/KX 78684
	Stoker Petty Officer		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 37

Pownall, Harold William P/J 114652
	Leading Telegraphist		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 32

Prowse, Geoffrey Vernon
	Lieutenant		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 28

Rosewarne, William Alfred D/J 125972
	Able Seaman		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 30

Stewart, Archibald DSM D/J 103391
	Petty Officer		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 35

Straw, Clarence C/KX 79136
	Stoker 1st Class		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 31

Talbot, Edward Bartle
	Lieutenant		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 25

Thompson, Edward Hutchinson D/JX 134059
	Telegraphist		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 27

Undy, Joseph C/MX 70111
	Engine Room Artificer 5th Class		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 21

Watson, James C/KX 94647
	Stoker 1st Class		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 21

White, Kenneth Rhesa P/KX 92291
	Stoker 1st Class		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 23

White, Percival John P/J 46779
	Able Seaman		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 40

Winder, John Thurston D/MX 60552
	Engine Room Artificer 4th Class		Died: 11-02-1941	Aged: 21

Events

18-09-1933	Laid Down

25-10-1934	Launched

14-06-1935	Completed

03-12-1939	HMS Snapper is mistakenly attacked by a British aircraft when returning to Harwich after a patrol in the North Sea. Although suffering a direct hit no damage was done.

12-04-1940	HMS Snapper sinks the small German tanker Moonsund with gunfire off Larvik, Norway.

14-04-1940	While operating in the Skaggerak HMS Snapper torpedoes and sinks the German merchant Florida.

15-04-1940	Still operating in the Skaggerak HMS Snapper torpedoed and sinks the German auxiliary minesweepers M 1701/H.M. Behrens and M 1702/Carsten Janssen north-east of Skagen, Denmark.

06-05-1940	HMS Snapper attackes the German armed merchant cruiser Schiff 21/Widder with 2 torpedoes east of Denmark. However the torpedoes miss their target.

25-06-1940	HMS Snapper torpedoes and sinks the German armed trawler V 1107/Portland south of Stavanger, Norway.

03-07-1940	HMS Snapper torpedoes and sinks the Norwegian merchant Cygnus west of Hadryet, Norway.

11-02-1941	HMS Snapper sailed from the Clyde to patrol in the Bay of Biscay off Ushant. She was not heard from again. It is possible that she fell victem to German minefield. However it is also possible that she was sunk by German warships since a submarine attacked the German minesweepers M-2, M-13 and M-25 on the night of the 10/11th February in the area where Snapper might have been. The submarine was subjected to a counterattack in which 56 depth charges were dropped

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Length overall	217 ft
Beam	23 ft 6 inch
Depth	11 ft
Displacement	872 tons (surface)
	990 tons (submerged)
Diving Depth	350 ft
Speed	Surface 15 knots (design)
	Surface 14.75 knots (service)
	Submerged 10 knots (design)
	Submerged 9 knots (service)
No. of shafts	2
Endurance	Surface: 6000 miles at 10 knots (design)
Armament (i)	6 x 21 inch bow tubes
	1 21 inch stern tube
	(13 torpedoes carried)
	1 x 3 inch gun
	3 x 0.303 inch machine-guns
	1 x 20mm Oerlikon cannon
Complement	5 Officers and 35 Ratings.
Note	(i) The armament of submarines of this class varied considerably. For example: 23 boats were fitted with the six bow tubes only; 18 vessels, intended to operate in the Far East, had their 3 inch guns replaced by 4 inch guns; whilst, in some boats, the Oerlikon cannon replaced, rather than supplemented, the three machine-guns.

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Snapper (N 39)

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