HMS Tarpon (N17)

HMS Tarpon (N17) was a T-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Scotts, Greenock and launched in October 1939.

Career

Tarpon had a tragically short career, serving in the North Sea.

She left Portsmouth on 5 April 1940 for Rosyth in company with HMS Severn. The following day they were ordered to Norway. On the 10th Tarpon was ordered to take up a new position. Tarpon was never heard from again. Post War German records showed that Tarpon had attacked the Q-ship Schiff 40/Schürbek, but her first torpedoes had missed. The Q-ship picked up the Tarpon on her sonar and her periscope was sighted. The ship dropped numerous depth charges in a sustained counter attack that went on most of the morning. Finally a pattern of depth charges brought wreckage to the surface. The Schiff remained on the scene until 0500 the next morning until it became clear the submarine had been sunk. Tarpon was reported overdue on 22 April 1940.^[1][2]

See also

• List of shipwrecks in 1940

Notes

1. ^ HMS Tarpon, Uboot.net
2. ^ Submarine losses 1904 to present day, RN Submarine Museum, Gosport

References

• 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. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475. 
• Hutchinson, Robert (2001). Jane's Submarines: War Beneath the Waves from 1776 to the Present Day. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-710558-8. OCLC 53783010.