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Swordfish (N 61)

Built By: Chatham Dockyard (Medway)
Build Group: S1
Fate: 7 November 1940 - Mined of St. Catherine's Point Isle of Wight

Swordfish

Swordfish

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Commanders
1932: Lieutenant Commander   Thomas Bennett Brunton
1937: Lieutenant   Rupert Philip Lonsdale
1939: Lieutenant   Cecil Bernard Crouch
1940: Lieutenant Commander   Andrew Niel Gillespie Campbell
1940: Lieutenant   Patrick James Cowell
1940: Lieutenant   Michael Armitage Langley DSC

1932-1935: Portsmouth
1935-1939: Home Fleet
1939-1940: North Sea, Channel, Biscay

She was attacked in error by Sturgeon but not hit.

Roll of Honour

41
Apps, David
C/JX 141903
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 21
Able Seaman
Blackmore, William George
D/SSX 17741
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 29
Able Seaman
Bush, Roland William MID
C/J 109431
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 32
Chief Petty Officer
Buttress, Harry
D/KX 81751
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 30
Leading Stoker
Cox, James Frank
P/J 60278
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 40
Leading Seaman
Crean, William John
D/KX 82122
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 29
Leading Stoker
Dando, Trevor John Bladon
C/J 105215
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 35
Petty Officer
Davies, Harold MID
P/JX 127080
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 30
Leading Signalman
Fry, Alexander Frederick (RNR)
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 25
Lieutenant
Gratton, Francis Arthur John
D/JX 126186
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 30
Able Seaman
Hollingworth, Arthur Charles
D/JX 151882
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 23
Leading Seaman
Jarrett, Thomas John Charles
C/KX 92020
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 21
Able Seaman
Jones, Edward Lewingdon
P/JX 127991
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 30
Able Seaman
Kellet, Oswald
D/J 98620
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 35
Petty Officer
Kennard, Victor Albert
C/K 59839
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 36
Stoker Petty Officer
Langley, Michael Armitage DSC
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 28
Lieutenant
Commanding Officer
Lee, William Thomas MID
D/MX 45635
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 29
Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class
Loines, Charles Walter Leonard
C/JX 179106
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 22
Ordinary Seaman
McMann, Thomas
D/JX 134363
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 26
Leading Telegraphist
Millerick, Frank Frederick William
C/KX 79882
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 31
Stoker 1st Class
Morrison, Charles Archibald
C/KX 84966
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 29
Leading Stoker
Nichols, Richard Thomas
P/J 58646
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 40
Able Seaman
Northwood, Arthur
D/JX 135736
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 24
Petty Officer Telegraphist
O'Neill, Joseph Patrick
D/KX 84929
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 30
Stoker 1st Class
Owen, Amos John
D/MX 52169
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 31
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
Plested, Edward
D/KX 86488
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 24
Stoker 1st Class
Preddy, Leonard John
D/KX 83716
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 25
Leading Stoker
Ratcliffe, Michael Eric Price
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 22
Lieutenant
Selway, Harry Thomas
(Ex.M38756)
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 31
Warrant Engineer
Shipley, James Henry Newton
P/JX 145303
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 20
Able Seaman
Souris, Edward George
C/KX 83535
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 29
Stoker 1st Class
Sproat, David Jameson
C/KX 83324
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 25
Stoker 1st Class
Spurgeon, Harold Vincent
D/MX 46961
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 28
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class
Stacey, Harry Arthur
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 25
Lieutenant
Stapley, Ernest William
P/MX 56585
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 22
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class
Tonks, Leonard
D/J 112969
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 31
Leading Telegraphist
Ward, Frederick MID
C/MX 46205
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 34
Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class
Williams, Norman Charles
D/JX 142211
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 21
Telegraphist
Williams, Reginald Herbert
C/JX 148322
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 25
Able Seaman
Wood, John Hardy
D/JX 134058
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 26
Telegraphist
Young, Jack
C/JX 144322
Died: 7th Nov, 1940.
Aged: 21
Leading Seaman

Events

 01-12-1930   Laid Down
 10-11-1931   Launched
 28-11-1932   Completed
 20-04-1940   HMS Swordfish fires 6 torpedoes against the German merchant Santos about 17 nautical miles south-south-east of Larvik, Norway. All torpedoes fired missed their target.
 28-07-1940   HMS Swordfish comes across the Norwegian yacht Maski in the North Sea. The four Norwegians aboard the yacht were trying to flee to the United Kingdom. After the Norwegians were taken aboard and the Maski was sunk with gunfire.
 01-10-1940   HMS Swordfish attacks the German torpedo boats Falke and Kondor with torpedoes in the English Channel about 12 nautical miles north-east of Cherbourg, France. All torpedoes missed their target.
 07-11-1940   Believed sunk by mine

HMS Swordfish sailed from Portsmouth on 7th November 1940 for a patrol in the North Sea. Nothing was heard from the Swordfish after her departure despite efforts on the 15th and 16th to have her report her position. It was believed at the time that she had fallen victim to a German destroyer in the vicinity of Brest. This belief remained until 1983 when her wreck was discovered off the Isle of Wight at a depth of 150 feet. It is now clear that the submarine struck a mine shortly after sailing from Portsmouth.

Official
S1 Specification
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  4 Officers and 34 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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