HMS Tarpon (N17) explained

The second HMS Tarpon (N17) was a T-class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Scotts, Greenock and launched in October 1939. She is named after the large fish Tarpon; one species of which is native to the Atlantic, and the other to the Indo-Pacific Oceans.^[1]

Career

Tarpon had a 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.

It is asserted that there is a combination of British and German records which state that she was engaged by Schiff 40.^[2] The records show 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 counterattack that went on most of the morning. Finally a pattern of depth charges brought wreckage to the surface. The Q-ship remained on the scene until 0500 the next morning when it became clear the submarine had been sunk. Tarpon was reported overdue on 22 April 1940.^{[3] [4]}

Wreck

The wreck was found and identified in the Danish part of the North Sea, near the harbour town of Thyborøn, by a Danish commercial diver, Gert Normann Andersen of the company JD-Contractor and British marine archaeologist Dr Innes McCartney in March 2016.^{[5] [6]} The wreck was explored in a live TV program by Denmark's Radio on 28 August 2016.^[7] The submarine wreck was found with two torpedo tubes empty; confirming it likely they were fired in battle before her sinking. It is therefore still most likely she was then sunk by depth charges.^[2] The wreck is submerged in 40 metres of water.^[2]

References

• Book: Akermann, Paul. Encyclopaedia of British Submarines 1901–1955. reprint of the 1989. 2002. Periscope Publishing. Penzance, Cornwall. 1-904381-05-7.
• Book: Bagnasco, Erminio . Submarines of World War Two . 1977 . Naval Institute Press . Annapolis, Maryland . 0-87021-962-6.
  • Book: Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Chesneau. Roger. Conway Maritime Press. Greenwich, UK. 1980. 0-85177-146-7.
• Book: Kemp, Paul J.. The T-class Submarine: The Classic British Design. Naval Institute Press. Annapolis, Maryland. 1990. 1-55750-826-7.
• Book: McCartney, Innes. Oxford, UK. British Submarines 1939–1945. New Vanguard. 129. 2006. Osprey. 1-84603-007-2.

56.717°N 6.55°W

Notes and References

1. " Megalops atlanticus", www.fishbase.org, 11 February 2010.
2. Web site: Sunken WWII-Era British Submarine Found off Danish Coast . 10 September 2016 . New Historian . 22 September 2016.
3. http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3490.html HMS Tarpon
4. http://www.rnsubmus.co.uk/general/losses.htm Submarine losses 1904 to present day
5. News: Wreck of second world war British submarine found off Denmark. The Guardian. 5 September 2016. 5 September 2016.
6. http://jyllands-posten.dk/indland/ECE8519713/usaedvanligt-fund-ubaad-fra-anden-verdenskrig-fundet-i-dansk-farvand/ Usædvanligt fund af ubåd fra anden verdenskrig fundet i dansk farvand
7. Web site: Live fra dybet. 5 September 2016.