Sealion (N 72)

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Sealion (N 72)

Built By:	Cammell Laird (Mersey)
Build Group:	S2
Fate:	Used as Anti-submarine target off Isle of Arran, 3rd March 1945.

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Commanders

1934:	Lieutenant Commander	Reginald Robert Helbert
1937:	Lieutenant	Howard Francis Bone
1938:	Lieutenant Commander	Benajmin Bryant
1940:	Commander	George Walter Gillow Simpson
1940:	Lieutenant Commander	Christopher Haynes Hutchinson
1941:	Lieutenant	George Robson Colvin	MID
1942:	Lieutenant	David Stuart McNeile Verschoyle-Campbell	DSC MID
1943:	Lieutenant	David Stuart McNeile Verschoyle-Campbell	DSO MID
1943:	Lieutenant	Norman Jack Coe (RNR)	DSC MID
1944:	Lieutenant Commander	John Bertram de Betham Kershaw	DSO
1944:	Lieutenant	Charles Alexander Jacomb Nicholl
1944:	Lieutenant	Peter Edward Newstead	DSC
1944:	Lieutenant	Roger Martin Stafford

1934-1939: Mediterranean.
1939: Home Station.
1940: 3rd Flotilla. HMS Cyclops, Harwich.
1941: 6th Flotilla. HMS Titania, Blyth.
1941: Detached. Polyarnoe, Nr. Murmansk.

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

Served as a marker submarine in December 1941 in Operation Anklet, the raid on the Lofotens.

Events

16-05-1933	Laid Down

16-03-1934	Launched

21-12-1934	Completed

28-10-1939	Left Portsmouth on her first war patrol in the North Sea.

06-11-1939	HMS Sealion fires 6 torpedoes against the German submarine U-21 off the Dogger Bank. All torpedoes fired missed their target. The enemy submarine surfaced and an attempt was made to engage her with the deck gun, but this proved impossible due to the heavy seas.

11-04-1940	HMS Sealion had her first success with the sinking of the German merchant ship August Leonhardt off the Danish island of Anholt in the Skaggerak.

06-05-1940	HMS Sealion attacks the German merchant Moltkefels with 3 torpedoes about 19 nautical miles south-west of Vaderob. However the torpedoes miss their target.

03-07-1940	HMS Sealion fires 6 torpedoes against a German convoy off the Boknafjord, Norway. None of the torpedoes found it's target and Sealion was heavily depth charged following this failed attack.

08-07-1940	HMS Sealion fires a torpedo at the beached wreck of the German merchant Palime off Obrestadt. The Palime was beached after hitting a mine on 5 June 1940 that was laid by HMS Narwhal.

29-07-1940	HMS Sealion attacked the German submarine U-62, first with torpedoes and then with her deck gun. Due to the wrong range having been entered by the sight-setter, the shells fell far short and U-62 dived and escaped.

04-08-1940	HMS Sealion torpedoes and sinks the Norwegian merchant Toran off Homborsund, Norway. Having sunk the leading ship in a convoy she was lucky to escape when the second ship passed right over her breaking her periscopes.

06-08-1940	HMS Sealion fires four torpedoes against the German merchant Clare Hugo Stinnes off Kristiansand, Norway. All torpedoes missed their target.

05-02-1941	After allowing the evacuation of passengers. HMS Sealion sinks the (German controlled) Norwegian Ryfylke with high explosive shells off Honningsvag, Norway.

30-05-1941	HMS Sealion fires 6 torpedoes against the German submarine U-74 in the Bay of Biscay about 45 nautical miles south-west of Belle-Ile Island, France. All six torpedoes missed their target.

07-07-1941	HMS Sealion sinks the French fishing vessels Gustav Eugene and Gustav Jeanne with gunfire off Ushant.

08-07-1941	HMS Sealion sinks the French fishing vessel Christus Regnat with gunfire off Ushant.

09-07-1941	HMS Sealion sinks the French fishing vessel St Pierre d'Alcantara with gunfire off Ushant.

18-11-1941	HMS Sealion sinks the Norwegian tanker Vesco off the Laksefjord, Norway.

05-12-1941	HMS Sealion torpedoes and sinks the Norwegian merchant Island north of Mehavn, Norway.

03-03-1945	Used as Anti-submarine target off Isle of Arran

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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.

RN Subs

Sealion (N 72)

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S2 Specification

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Class:	1935 - 1970: Improved S Class
Built By:	Chatham Dockyard (Medway)
Build Group:	S2
Fate:
HMS Shark was sunk on 6th July 1940 after being caught on the surface off the coast of Norway. Several bombs exploded close astern and severely damaged the propulsion. The Submarine dived in an attempt to get to safety but resurfaced in order to charge up the batteries and attempt to escape under cover of darkness. Both engines were restarted but the Port Engine was out of line and the rudder was jammed hard to port. The Submarine was relocated by enemy aircraft and attacked again. Unable to dive owing to a lack of high-pressure air, a low battery and flooding the Commanding Officer attempted to fight his way out but was forced, eventually, to surrender. 27 of the crew were uninjured, 12 (including the Commanding Officer) were wounded and 2 were killed. HMS Shark sank as the Germans were attempting to tow it to Stavanger.