Spearfish (N 69)

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Spearfish (N 69)

Built By:	Cammell Laird (Mersey)
Build Group:	S2
Fate:	Believed sunk by U34 off coast of Norway on 1st August 1940. Sole survivor AB William Pester later killed in an accident 01-07-1945.

Spearfish (N 69)

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Commanders

1936:	Lieutenant Commander	Reginald Robert Helbert
1937:	Lieutenant	Philip Stewart Francis
1938:	Lieutenant	John Henry Eaden
1940:	Lieutenant Commander	John Hay Forbes	DSO

1936-1939: Portland.
1939: 6th Flotilla. HMS Titania, Blyth.
1940: 6th Flotilla. HMS Titania, Blyth.

Possibly the first British warship to be attacked by the enemy. Hostilities against the Germans were commenced at 1100 hours on 3rd September 1939, Spearfish was attacked by a German submarine at 1104.

Was part of the submarine force which was in the Kattegat and off the coast of Norway during the German invasion of Norway.

Roll of Honour


Archer, Henry Edward (Ex. M34389)
Archer, Henry Edward (Ex. M34389)		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Warrant Engineer	Aged: 37

Best, John Philip MID
Best, John Philip MID		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Lieutenant	Aged: 21

Binns, Harry Edmund P/KX 88596
Binns, Harry Edmund P/KX 88596		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Stoker 1st Class	Aged: 22

Bird, Arthur John Thomas C/M 39323
Bird, Arthur John Thomas C/M 39323		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Engine Room Artificer 1st Class	Aged: 38

Bird, Herbert Francis P/JX 137358
Bird, Herbert Francis P/JX 137358		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Telegraphist	Aged: 24

Bruce, Robert Walton D/KX 86483
Bruce, Robert Walton D/KX 86483		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Leading Stoker	Aged: 24

Carlton, Edward Curle DSM* D/JX 136385
Carlton, Edward Curle DSM* D/JX 136385		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Petty Officer Telegraphist	Aged: 24

Carpenter, Robert William P/JX 137114
Carpenter, Robert William P/JX 137114		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Able Seaman	Aged: 23

Carter, John Ainsworth Verdun D/JX 136337
Carter, John Ainsworth Verdun D/JX 136337		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Able Seaman	Aged: 24

Clifford, Ronald Joseph John P/J 39219
Clifford, Ronald Joseph John P/J 39219		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Leading Signalman	Aged: 40

Darch, Edward John D/K 63910
Darch, Edward John D/K 63910		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Leading Stoker	Aged: 35

Delussey, Arthur D/KX 86125
Delussey, Arthur D/KX 86125		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Stoker 1st Class	Aged: 23

Evans, Maurice Allen C/KX 92190
Evans, Maurice Allen C/KX 92190		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Stoker 1st Class	Aged: 21

Forbes, John Hay DSO
Forbes, John Hay DSO		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Lieutenant Commander	Aged: 33
	Commanding Officer

Foster, John William Thomas DSM C/J 105134
Foster, John William Thomas DSM C/J 105134		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Petty Officer	Aged: 33

Gillett, Alec C/SSX 21172
Gillett, Alec C/SSX 21172		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Able Seaman	Aged: 20

Gimblett, Arthur Robert (RNR)
Gimblett, Arthur Robert (RNR)		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Lieutenant	Aged: 29

Glover, Albert John P/JX 143787
Glover, Albert John P/JX 143787		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Leading Seaman	Aged: 29

Hawes, Edward Henry Daniel C/JX 149819
Hawes, Edward Henry Daniel C/JX 149819		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Able Seaman	Aged: 20

Hill, Ronald Eustace D/SSX 14854
Hill, Ronald Eustace D/SSX 14854		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Able Seaman	Aged: 25

Ibbotson, William D/J 48891
Ibbotson, William D/J 48891		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Chief Petty Officer	Aged: 40

Iverson, William Stephen C/J 95767
Iverson, William Stephen C/J 95767		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Leading Seaman	Aged: 37

James, Thomas Benjamin D/JX 135857
James, Thomas Benjamin D/JX 135857		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Able Seaman	Aged: 24

Lynch, Frank D/SSX 14231
Lynch, Frank D/SSX 14231		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Able Seaman	Aged: 25

Maxwell, Maurice James D/KX 81056
Maxwell, Maurice James D/KX 81056		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Stoker 1st Class	Aged: 27

Mordue, John William P/KX 82401
Mordue, John William P/KX 82401		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Stoker 1st Class	Aged: 25

Morey, Ernest George DSM* C/JX 134230
Morey, Ernest George DSM* C/JX 134230		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Able Seaman	Aged: 26

O'Hair, Edward Ernest Peacock P/MX 51968
O'Hair, Edward Ernest Peacock P/MX 51968		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class	Aged: 29

Oliver, Oswald D/MX 53256
Oliver, Oswald D/MX 53256		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class	Aged: 26

Peel, Stanley Noel DSM C/M 27347		Born: 2nd Apr, 1904.
Peel, Stanley Noel DSM C/M 27347		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Engine Room Artificer 1st Class	Aged: 36

Pirie, Donald Anthony DSC*
Pirie, Donald Anthony DSC*		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Lieutenant	Aged: 26

Rawlings, Arthur Thomas C/KX 83005
Rawlings, Arthur Thomas C/KX 83005		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Leading Stoker	Aged: 26

Royle, Reginald P/KX 75033
Royle, Reginald P/KX 75033		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Stoker Petty Officer	Aged: 35

Smith, Arthur George D/J 114194
Smith, Arthur George D/J 114194		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Petty Officer	Aged: 31

Smith, Ernest C/KX 82894
Smith, Ernest C/KX 82894		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Stoker 1st Class	Aged: 25

Smith, Ernest Walter P/JX 141692
Smith, Ernest Walter P/JX 141692		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Telegraphist	Aged: 21

Smith, Jack Maunder MID C/MX 50827
Smith, Jack Maunder MID C/MX 50827		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class	Aged: 28

Tuson, George William MID D/JX 136092
Tuson, George William MID D/JX 136092		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Leading Telegraphist	Aged: 24

Walker, Harold William D/KX 90217
Walker, Harold William D/KX 90217		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Stoker 1st Class	Aged: 23

Walker, Philip Gordon D/JX 141264
Walker, Philip Gordon D/JX 141264		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Leading Seaman	Aged: 22

Williams, Francis James P/SSX 14240
Williams, Francis James P/SSX 14240		Died: 1st Jul, 1940.
	Telegraphist	Aged: 25

Events

23-05-1935	Laid Down

21-04-1936	Launched

11-12-1936	Completed

24-09-1939	HMS Spearfish was heavily damaged by German warships off Horns Reef. She was unable to submerge but nevertheless managed to escape. A rescue mission was undertaken by the British Humber force and Home fleet. Spearfish safely put in Rosyth on the 26th. Repairs to Spearfish were completed in early March 1940.

13-03-1940	Lieutenant Gordon Denne Browne died in a motoring accident.

10-04-1940	Attacked and damaged the German pocket battleship Lutzow, effectively putting her out of action for one year.

20-05-1940	HMS Spearfish sinks the Danish fishing vessels S.130 and S.175 with gunfire in the North Sea.

01-08-1940	HMS Spearfish sailed from Rosyth on 31 July 1940. The next day she was hit by a torpedo from U-34 and sank. U-34 was returning from her last patrol as a combat boat. She had only one torpedo remaining after a successful patrol (already 4 ships sunk). The U-boat surfaced to look for survivors and found AB William Pester (on his first patrol) who was the only survivor of the sinking, 29 became casualties

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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.

Class:	1917 - 1945: H Class
Built By:	Beardmore (Clyde)
Build Group:	H21
Fate:
Scrapped in July 1945 at Troon.

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Spearfish (N 69)

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