HMS Sterlet (2S)

HMS Sterlet
History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Sterlet
Builder:	Chatham Dockyard
Laid down:	14 July 1936
Launched:	22 September 1937
Commissioned:	6 April 1938
Identification:	Pennant number 2S
Fate:	Sunk 18 April 1940
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:	S-class submarine
Displacement:	670 tons surfaced 960 tons submerged
Length:	208 ft 9 in (63.63 m)
Beam:	24 ft (7.3 m)
Draught:	10 ft 6 in (3.20 m)
Propulsion:	Twin diesel/electric
Speed:	13.75 knots (25.47 km/h; 15.82 mph) surfaced 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) submerged
Complement:	39 officers and men
Armament:	6 × forward 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes 12 torpedoes 1 x 3 in (76 mm) gun 1 x .303-calibre machine gun

HMS Sterlet was a Royal Navy S-class submarine which was launched on 22 September 1937 and fought in the Second World War. Sterlet is one of 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 Sterlet.

At the onset of the Second World War Sterlet was a member of the 2nd Submarine Flotilla. From 23-26 August 1939 the 2nd Submarine Flotilla transferred to its war bases at Dundee and Blyth.^[1]

On 8 April 1940 Sterlet left for a patrol in the Skagerrak, Norway under the command of Lt. Gerard Henry Stacpoole Haward, aged just 30, and the husband to Diana Auriol Haward. Four days later she unsuccessfully attacked a convoy of three merchant ships and a destroyer. The following day she was assigned a new patrol area and on 14 April torpedoed the German gunnery training ship Brummer, leading to it sinking the following day.^[2]

She was possibly sunk by the German anti submarine trawlers UJ-125, UJ-126 and UJ-128 on 18 April. Alternatively, she may have struck a mine whilst returning to port.^[3]

References

Citations

Sources

• 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. OCLC 67375475. 
• 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. 

S-class submarines
Royal Navy	First Group Seahorse Starfish Sturgeon Swordfish Second Group Salmon Sealion Seawolf Shark Snapper Spearfish Sterlet Sunfish Third Group P222 Safari Saga Sahib Sanguine Saracen Satyr Sceptre Scorcher Scotsman Scythian Sea Devil Seadog Sea Nymph Sea Rover Sea Scout Selene Seneschal Sentinel Seraph Shakespeare Shalimar Sibyl Sickle Sidon Simoom Sirdar Sleuth Solent Spark Spearhead Spirit Spiteful Splendid Sportsman Springer Spur Statesman Stoic Stonehenge Storm Stratagem Strongbow Stubborn Sturdy Stygian Subtle Supreme Surf Syrtis
Other operators  French Navy Saphir class Saphir Sibylle Sirène Sultane  Israeli Navy Rahav Tanin  Royal Netherlands Navy Zeehond  Portuguese Navy Narval Náutilo Neptuno  Soviet Navy V-1
Preceded by: Rainbow class Followed by: River class List of submarines of the Royal Navy List of submarine classes of the Royal Navy

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in February 1939
Shipwrecks	2 Feb: I-63 8 Feb: HMAS Swordsman 10 Feb: USS Monocacy
Other incidents	2 Feb: I-60 4 Feb: Bruges 22 Feb: HMS L21, HMS Sterlet, HMS Sunfish
1938 1939 1940 January 1939 March 1939

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in April 1940
Shipwrecks	6 Apr: U-50 8 Apr: HMS Glowworm, Rio de Janeiro 9 Apr: HNoMS Æger, Blücher, HNoMS Eidsvold, HMS Gurkha, Karlsruhe, HNoMS Norge, Seattle, HNoMS Tor 10 Apr: Anton Schmitt, Friedenau, HMS Hardy, HMS Hunter, Königsberg, HMS Tarpon, HMS Thistle, Wilhelm Heidkamp 13 Apr: Bernd von Arnim, Diether von Roeder, Erich Giese, Erich Koellner, HNoMS Frøya, Georg Thiele, Hans Lüdemann, Hermann Künne, HNoMS Storm, U-64, Wolfgang Zenker 15 Apr: Brummer, U-49 18 Apr: HNoMS Sæl, HMS Sterlet 20 Apr: HNoMS Stegg 25 Apr: HMS Bradman, HNoMS Trygg 26 Apr: HNoMS Garm 29 Apr: HMS Unity 30 Apr: HMS Bittern, HMS Dunoon, Maillé Brézé Unknown date: U-1
Other incidents	10 Apr: Alster, HMS Hotspur 11 Apr: Alster, HNoMS Brand 12 Apr: HNoMS Storm 13 Apr: Malangen 16 Apr: HNoMS Brand
1939 1940 1941 March 1940 May 1940

Coordinates: 58°40′N 9°56′E / 58.667°N 9.933°E / 58.667; 9.933