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Seahorse (S 98)

Built By: Chatham Dockyard (Medway)
Build Group: S1
Fate: Sunk after being attacked and depth-charged by German 1st Minesweeping Flotilla 7th January 1940.
Seahorse
Seahorse
Seahorse
Seahorse
Seahorse
Seahorse

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Commanders
1934: Lieutenant   Robert Michael Gore Gambier
1935: Lieutenant   Wilfrid John Wentworth Woods
1937: Lieutenant Commander   Frederick Basil Currie
1939: Lieutenant   Dennis Staunton Massey Dawson

1933-1934: Portsmouth.
1934-1936: Portland.
1939: 2nd Flotilla. HMS Forth, Dundee.
1940: 6th Flotilla. HMS Titania, Blyth.

The Submarine was never heard from after sailing from Blyth on 26th December 1939 for patrol off western Jutland. Her operational area was to be initially off Heligoland then move to the mouth of the Elbe on 30 December and return to Blyth on 9th January 1940.

She was most likely sunk after being attacked and depth charged by ships from the German 1st Minesweeping Flotilla on about fifteen nautical miles north-west of Heligoland in position 54º19'N, 07º30'E.

Roll of Honour
39
Died: 26-12-1939
Armstrong, Eric  C/J 98393
Yeoman of Signals Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 35
Baker, John Cecil 
Lieutenant Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 28
Bazley, Herbert George  D/JX 135256
Telegraphist Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 24
Cain, Arthur Percy  C/JX 151568
Able Seaman Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 24
Clatworthy, Ulric Wallace  D/J 105929
Petty Officer Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 32
Cockburn, Alexander  (Ex.M36635
Warrant Engineer Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 33
Coit, George Edward  C/KX 62287
Leading Stoker Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 35
Combe, John Jackson  D/JX 134088
Telegraphist Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 25
Comer, John Frederick  C/KX 82255
Leading Stoker Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 27
Dunwell, Jack  D/JX 134887
Leading Seaman Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 25
Eldridge, Walter John Edward  C/J 85635
Leading Stoker Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 38
CWGC has C/J 85655
Eyre, Frank  D/JX 140396
Leading Seaman Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 21
Fleming, John Wilson 
Lieutenant Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 25
Hines, Reginald Henry  D/KX 88993
Stoker 1st Class Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 22
Hyde, John Henry  D/KX 82154
Stoker 1st Class Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 26
Jenkinson, James Wilfred  D/J 79620
Telegraphist Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 37
Kewell, John Richard  P/KX 82275
Leading Stoker Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 25
Lawrenson, Desmond Robert  P/MX 48910
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 23
Lee, Philip Stanley  D/KX 79096
Stoker Petty Officer Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 34
Marshall, John Edward  P/KX 79207
Stoker 1st Class Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 29
Massy-Dawson, Dennis Staunton 
Lieutenant Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 30
Mayne, Richard Cecil  D/JX 137405
Able Seaman Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 23
Morgan, Alfred Brynmore  C/JX 137966
Leading Seaman Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 23
Packer, William Martin Henry  D/MX 46952
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 27
Perham, Donald  D/KX 86366
Stoker 1st Class Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 22
Phipps, Joseph Charles  P/KX 84275
Leading Stoker Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 26
Pughe, Arthur  D/J 109802
Petty Officer Telegraphist Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 31
Skilling, Albert Arthur Victor  P/J 103896
Petty Officer Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 35
Smith, Archibald Cyril Sayer  C/MX 47764
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 25
Stanton, Sydney Charles  D/J 113337
Able Seaman Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 31
Steventon, Alec  P/KX 84268
Leading Stoker Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 26
Summers, Ernest Rae Sevier  D/MX 46567
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 28
Thain, William  (RNR)
Lieutenant Died: 26-12-1939
Watson, Ernest  D/SS 121121
Stoker 1st Class Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 38
Wesson, Richard Raymond  D/J 109893
Able Seaman Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 31
Westbury, Eustace Geoffrey  D/J 110045
Able Seaman Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 31
White, John Henry  D/J 10995
Petty Officer Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 32
Wilson, Leonard James  D/MX 48678
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 23
Windley, Harry Spencer  C/JX 137778
Able Seaman Died: 26-12-1939 Aged: 23

Events

 14-09-1931   Laid Down
 15-11-1932   Launched
 02-10-1933   Completed
 24-08-1939   HMS Seahorse departed Dundee to take up a patrol position to the south-west of Stavanger, Norway. When the war with Germany commenced this became her 1st war patrol.
 05-09-1939   While on the return passage to Dundee HMS Seahorse was bombed in error by a British Anson of 233 Squadron which dropped two 100lb A/S bombs. She sustained some damage which required her to dock.

Seahorse had dived when the aircraft was sighted but her after hydroplanes jammed and depth control was lost. In the meantime two depth charges were dropped by the aircraft but these caused no damage. Seahorse then broached and her bow came out of the water. A third depth charge was then dropped but this also caused no damage. Before Seahorse was able to submerge again a fourth depth charge was dropped very close which shook the submarine severely but it caused no damage. Seahorse then went down again and hit the bottom heavily at 220 feet causing damage to her A/S dome.

The aircraft had dived so low that the explosions of the bombs damaged it seriously and it had to ditch but the two airmen were rescued.
 06-09-1939   HMS Seahorse ended her 1st war patrol at Dundee but moved to Rosyth later the same day.
 07-09-1939   HMS Seahorse was docked at Rosyth.
 11-09-1939   HMS Seahorse was undocked.
 12-09-1939   HMS Seahorse moved from Rosyth to Dundee.
 16-09-1939   HMS Seahorse departed Dundee for her 2nd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the south-west coast of Norway.
 17-09-1939   HMS Seahorse fires four torpedoes against the German submarine U-36 in the North Sea. All torpedoes fired missed their target.
 02-10-1939   HMS Seahorse ended her 2nd war patrol at Dundee.
 04-10-1939   HMS Seahorse moved from Dundee to Rosyth where she was immediately docked.
 08-10-1939   HMS Seahorse was undocked at Rosyth and returned to Dundee.
 14-10-1939   HMS Seahorse moved from Dundee to Rosyth.
 17-10-1939   HMS Seahorse departed Rosyth for her 3rd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the south coast of Norway/Skagerrak.
 30-10-1939   HMS Seahorse sighted a submarine. An attack was started but before torpedoes could be fired the submarine dived. This was most likely U-21 which was patrolling in the same area but the U-boat did not observe the British submarine.
 31-10-1939   HMS Seahorse ended her 3rd war patrol at Rosyth.
 09-11-1939   HMS Seahorse departed Rosyth for Blyth.
 10-11-1939   HMS Seahorse arrived at Blyth.
 12-11-1939   HMS Seahorse departed Blyth for her 4th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the North Sea to the north-west of The Netherlands.
 18-11-1939   During the morning HMS Seahorse operating off Terschelling, sighted two Roeder-class destroyers but could not get in an attacking position.
 28-11-1939   HMS Seahorse ended her 4th war patrol at Blyth.
 29-11-1939   HMS Seahorse was docked at Blyth.
 12-12-1939   HMS Seahorse was undocked.
 13-12-1939   HMS Seahorse (Lt. D.S. Massy-Dawson, RN) departed Blyth for her 5th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the British east coast.
 15-12-1939   HMS Seahorse ended her 5th war patrol at Blyth after having been recalled.
 26-12-1939   HMS Seahorse departed Blyth for her 6th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Heligoland Bight.
 07-01-1940   HMS Seahorse sunk

On 26th December 1939 HMS Seahorse sailed from Rosyth for patrol off the east coast of Denmark. Four days later she shifted position to the entrance of the Elbe. She did not return on her due date of 9th January 1940. It was first thought that she had been mined but German records, examined after the war, suggested she was the victim of the German First Minesweeper Flotilla which reported a sustained depth charge attack on an unidentified submarine on 7th January 1940.

Thanks to the research of Mr Bob Coppock of the RN Historical Branch, it is now accepted that Seahorse was mined while moving between Zones E and B in the Heligoland Bight. The wreck has been discovered off the Danish coast.
Comments

Comment by: Hannah White on February 19, 2023

My grandfather was on this submarine when it was lost. My dad rarely spoke of it, he was only 2yrs old when his dad was at war. I just like that I can look this up and see grand dad has been remembered somewhere. I would have loved to have met my grandfather John Henry White.

Comment by: Carolyn McFarland on February 5, 2021

Thank you very much for putting together this information on HMS Seahorse. My uncle died on the submarine and is the last man mentioned in the submariner's list, Harry Spencer Windley, known by his family as Brian. My grandmother was devastated by his passing, he was her firstborn son, and I don’t think she ever recovered, as there was no body to bury. Thank you again.

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