HMS Salmon (N65)

	Salmon on the surface
History
United Kingdom
Name	Salmon
Builder	Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down	15 June 1933
Launched	30 April 1934
Commissioned	8 March 1935
Fate	Sunk on 9 July 1940
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	S-class submarine
Displacement	768 long tons (780 t) surfaced; 960 long tons (980 t) submerged;
Length	208 ft 8 in (63.6 m)
Beam	24 ft 0 in (7.3 m)
Draught	11 ft 10 in (3.6 m)
Installed power	1,550 bhp (1,160 kW) (diesel); 1,300 hp (970 kW) (electric);
Propulsion	2 × diesel engines ; 2 × electric motors ;
Speed	13.75 knots (25.47 km/h; 15.82 mph) surfaced; 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) submerged;
Range	6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surface; 64 nmi (119 km; 74 mi) at 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph) submerged;
Test depth	300 feet (91.4 m)
Complement	40
Armament	6 × bow 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes ; 1 × 3-inch (76 mm) deck gun ;

Last updated October 09, 2024

HMS Salmon was a second-batch S-class submarine built during the 1930s for the Royal Navy. Completed in 1935, the boat fought in the Second World War. Salmon is one of twelve boats named in the song "Twelve Little S-Boats".

Design and description

The second batch of S-class submarines were designed as slightly improved and enlarged versions of the earlier boats of the class and were intended to operate in the North and Baltic Seas.^[2] The submarines had a length of 208 feet 8 inches (63.6 m) overall, a beam of 24 feet 0 inches (7.3 m) and a mean draught of 11 feet 10 inches (3.6 m). They displaced 768 long tons (780 t) on the surface and 960 long tons (980 t) submerged.^[3] The S-class submarines had a crew of 40 officers and ratings. They had a diving depth of 300 feet (91.4 m).^[4]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 775- brake-horsepower (578 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 650-horsepower (485 kW) electric motor. They could reach 13.75 knots (25.47 km/h; 15.82 mph) on the surface and 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) underwater.^[5] On the surface, the second-batch boats had a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) and 64 nmi (119 km; 74 mi) at 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph) submerged.^[4]

The S-class boats were armed with six 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They carried six reload torpedoes for a total of a dozen torpedoes. They were also armed with a 3-inch (76 mm) deck gun.^[3]

Construction and career

Ordered on 20 January 1933, Salmon was laid down on 15 June 1933 in Cammell Laird's shipyard in Birkenhead and was launched on 30 April 1934. The boat was completed on 8 March 1935^[6] and received the pennant number 98S.

On 4 December 1939, while on patrol in the North Sea, Salmon torpedoed and sank U-36.^[7]

On 12 December 1939, Salmon sighted the German liner SS Bremen. While challenging Bremen, an escorting Dornier Do 18 seaplane forced Salmon to dive. After diving, Salmon's commander, Lieutenant Commander E. O. Bickford, decided not to torpedo the liner because he believed she was not a legal target.^[8] Bickford's decision not to fire on Bremen likely delayed the start of unrestricted submarine warfare in the war.^[7]

On 13 December 1939, Salmon sighted a fleet of German warships. She fired a spread of torpedoes which damaged two German cruisers (one was German cruiser Leipzig, the other, her younger sister ship, German cruiser Nürnberg). Salmon evaded the fleet's destroyers, which hunted her for two hours.^[7]^[8]

She was lost, probably sunk by a mine, on 9 July 1940.

There is a report from 2008 that the same survey ship that found the wreck of the sister submarine HMS Shark also found the wreck of HMS Salmon nearby in waters off Norway.

Citations

↑ "HMS Salmon (N 65) of the Royal Navy - British Submarine of the S class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
↑ Harrison, Chapter 16
1 2 Chesneau, p. 49
1 2 McCartney, p. 6
↑ Bagnasco, p. 110
↑ Akermann, p. 334
1 2 3 Huchthausen, Peter A. (2005). Shadow Voyage: The Extraordinary Wartime Escape of the Legendary SS Bremen. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 164, 227. ISBN 0-471-45758-2. OCLC 55764562.
1 2 "HMS/M Salmon". British Submarines of World War II. Archived from the original on 11 September 2006. Retrieved 15 October 2006.

Related Research Articles

HMS Spiteful was a third-batch S-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

The Rainbow-class submarine or R class was a quartet of patrol submarines built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s.

HMS Stonehenge was an S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. Completed in 1943, she made her initial patrol off Norway and was then transferred to the Far East, where she conducted two war patrols, during which she sank two Japanese ships. On her second patrol, Stonehenge disappeared with all hands and was declared overdue on 20 March 1944. The most probable cause of her sinking is that she hit a mine, but her wreck has never been found.

HMS Simoom was a third-batch S-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She was laid down on 14 July 1941 and launched on 12 October 1942.

HMS Saga was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was sold to Portugal.

HMS Scythian was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1960.

HMS Sentinel was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She was not completed until after the war and was sold for scrap in 1962.

HMS Shakespeare was an S-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War, and part of the Third Group built of that class. She was built by Vickers-Armstrongs and launched on 8 December 1941.

HMS Surf was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was scrapped in 1948.

HMS Spur was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was sold to Portugal in 1948.

HMS Spearhead was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was sold to Portugal. She was scrapped in 1967.

HMS Supreme was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1950.

HMS Spirit was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was scrapped in 1950.

HMS Spark was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was scrapped in 1950.

HMS Subtle was a S-class submarine of the third batch built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She survived the war and was scrapped in 1959.

HMS Spearfish was a second-batch S-class submarine built during the 1930s for the Royal Navy. Completed in 1936, the boat participated in the Second World War. The submarine was one of the 12 boats named in the song "Twelve Little S-Boats". So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to be named Spearfish.

HMS Sterlet was a second-batch S-class submarine built during the 1930s for the Royal Navy. Completed in 1938, the boat fought in the Second World War. The submarine is one of the 12 boats named in the song Twelve Little S-Boats. Thus far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to be named Sterlet.

HMS Snapper was a second-batch S-class submarine built during the 1930s for the Royal Navy. Completed in 1935, the boat participated in the Second World War. Snapper is one of the 12 boats named in the song "Twelve Little S-Boats".

HMS Sealion was a second-batch S-class submarine built during the 1930s for the Royal Navy. Completed in 1934, the boat fought in the Second World War.

HMS Seawolf was a second-batch S-class submarine built during the 1930s for the Royal Navy. Completed in 1936, the boat fought in the Second World War.

References

Akermann, Paul (2002). Encyclopaedia of British Submarines 1901–1955 (reprint of the 1989 ed.). Penzance, Cornwall: Periscope Publishing. ISBN 1-904381-05-7.
Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
Harrison, A. N. (January 1979). "The Development of HM Submarines From Holland No. 1 (1901) to Porpoise (1930) (BR3043)". RN Subs. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
McCartney, Innes (2006). British Submarines 1939–1945. New Vanguard. Vol. 129. Oxford, UK: Osprey. ISBN 1-84603-007-2.
Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Revised & Expanded ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.

External links

HMS Salmon at Uboat.net

57°00′N2°47′E / 57.000°N 2.783°E / 57.000; 2.783

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[1] "HMS Salmon (N 65) of the Royal Navy - British Submarine of the S class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net". www.uboat.net. Retrieved 6 March 2019.

[h6-2] Harrison, Chapter 16

[gg9-3] 1 2 Chesneau, p. 49

[i7-4] 1 2 McCartney, p. 6

[5] Bagnasco, p. 110

[6] Akermann, p. 334

[SV-7] 1 2 3 Huchthausen, Peter A. (2005). Shadow Voyage: The Extraordinary Wartime Escape of the Legendary SS Bremen. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 164, 227. ISBN 0-471-45758-2. OCLC 55764562.

[chalcraft-8] 1 2 "HMS/M Salmon". British Submarines of World War II. Archived from the original on 11 September 2006. Retrieved 15 October 2006.

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v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in July 1940
Shipwrecks	1 Jul: Clearton, U-102 2 Jul: Arandora Star, U-26 3 Jul: Bretagne, Mistral, Mogador, Provence 4 Jul: Rigault de Genouilly 5 Jul: HMS Foylebank, HMS Whirlwind, Zeffiro 6 Jul: Dunkerque, HMS Shark 9 Jul: Bruges, HMS Salmon 10 Jul: Leone Pancaldo, Mari Chandris 11 Jul: HMS Escort, HMS Warrior 15 Jul: Frossoula 16 Jul: HMS Imogen, HMS Phoenix 19 Jul: Bartolomeo Colleoni 20 Jul: Nembo, Ostro 21 Jul: HMS Brazen 23 Jul: HMS Narwhal 25 Jul: HMS Thames 27 Jul: HMS Codrington, HMS Wren 30 Jul: HMS Delight
Other incidents	3 Jul: Courbet, Dunkerque, La Capricieuse, Léopard, Paris, Surcouf, Le Triomphant 4 Jul: Argos Hill , British Corporal 5 Jul: Liguria 9 Jul: HMS Foxglove 10 Jul: HMS Corfu, HMS Hermes 16 Jul: HMS Glasgow 27 Jul: Lepanto 28 Jul: HMS Alcantara
1939 1940 1941 June 1940 August 1940

History
Salmon on the surface
United Kingdom
Name	Salmon
Builder	Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down	15 June 1933
Launched	30 April 1934
Commissioned	8 March 1935
Fate	Sunk on 9 July 1940
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	S-class submarine
Displacement	768 long tons (780 t) surfaced 960 long tons (980 t) submerged
Length	208 ft 8 in (63.6 m)
Beam	24 ft 0 in (7.3 m)
Draught	11 ft 10 in (3.6 m)
Installed power	1,550 bhp (1,160 kW) (diesel) 1,300 hp (970 kW) (electric)
Propulsion	2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	13.75 knots (25.47 km/h; 15.82 mph) surfaced 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) submerged
Range	6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surface 64 nmi (119 km; 74 mi) at 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph) submerged
Test depth	300 feet (91.4 m)
Complement	40
Armament	6 × bow 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes 1 × 3-inch (76 mm) deck gun