In late 2024, several students from Barton Peveril Sixth Form in Southampton assisted with developing resources about numerous sites, including the HMS Swordfish. A submarine with a gripping tale of mystery, disappearing before being discovered years later, when museum founder Martin Woodward was looking for another wreck.
Background
The HMS Swordfish launched for the British Admiralty on the 10th November 1931 as one of the first “S” class submarines (“S” class meaning second generation patrol submarines), and represented a large change in approach as previous generations of submarines were heavier and larger. The ship successfully completed trials in the Thames and estuaries in October 1932, followed by full power tests for the next 30 hours.
How it was built
The Swordfish was built on the 30th of November 1932 at Chatham Dockyard, along the River Medway in Kent. It was constructed with hulled steel, and measured to 61.72 metres long, with a width of 7.16m and a 3.12m draught. The vessel ran on a 1550 bhp diesel engine and a 1,300 hp electric motor, meaning it could propel itself quickly, for example, it could travel 13.75 knots on the surface. It had preloaded G-Type 6 x 533mm torpedo tubes, with an additional 6 carried onboard for use out at sea and a 1 x 76mm deck gun.
After the ship was completed at Chatham, it arrived in Portsmouth and then left for Portland to carry out work-up practices until January 1933. It then went back to Portsmouth. After final trials and tests, the HMS Swordfish was open to the public in 1935, in Navy Week. Around 1939, it was then launched for action in WW2
Figure 1: HMS Swordfish, Wikimedia Commons
The Swordfish in the Second World War
HMS Swordfish was first assigned to the second submarine Flotilla and moved bases between the 23rd and 26th of August 1939 at Dundee and Blyth. Whilst patrolling Norway, it was mistaken for a German U-boat by HMS Sturgeon, resulting in three torpedoes being fired at the Swordfish which luckily missed. Additionally, the vessel patrolled various locations such as Oslo in Norway, the Skagerrak strait off the west coast of Denmark, Cherbourg in west France, and much of the North Sea. Between October 3, 1939, and February 11, 1940, HMS Swordfish underwent refitting in Dundee before heading to Scapa Flow for training exercises. By March 13, it had arrived in Blyth, only to set off again on March 22 for a patrol in the western approaches to the Skagerrak Strait. However, this mission proved uneventful, with the submarine encountering only neutral ships before returning to Blyth on April 8.
Just over a week later, on April 16, Swordfish was back on patrol in the Skagerrak. This time, on April 20, the crew spotted a German convoy consisting of three heavy transports and four escorts about 80 miles south of Oslo. Swordfish launched six torpedoes—but every single one missed. The counterattack came swiftly. A German aircraft targeted the submarine at periscope depth, and enemy escorts depth-charged it relentlessly until evening.
Two days later, the crew spotted another convoy, this time made up of trawlers and their escorts. But with their shallow draft, the torpedoes would have passed harmlessly underneath, so no attack was made. Then, on the morning of April 26, a new threat emerged—several drifting mines. As Swordfish dived, one mine struck the hull. Miraculously, it failed to detonate. After two more days at sea, the submarine safely returned to Blyth, concluding its fourth patrol.
The Loss of the Swordfish
On November 7th, 1940, Swordfish was planned to exchange with HMS Usk, a slightly smaller “U” Class submarine. However, the former failed to signal as planned on the 15th & 16th of November and was never heard from again. It is assumed the submarine sunk or was mined by a German destroyer in the Bay of Biscay. On 23rd December 1940, the Admiralty announced that Swordfish was overdue and was presumed lost, the crew’s families were informed about the tragedy.
Figure 2: Brass letter off the HMS Swordfish, Maritime Archaeology Trust
In July 1983, Martin Woodward, founder of the Shipwreck Centre and Maritime Museum, found the wreck twelve miles south of St. Catherine’s Point, Isle of Wight, and you can view his account of the discovery here. It was discovered to have been struck by a mine, with the wreck being in very good condition despite being split into two halves. Swordfish was the first submarine wreck from the Second World War to be found. On November 7th, 1983, a memorial was held for the 230 relatives of the deceased crew. The wreck was also quickly protected under British Law and some divers have explored it in the recent past. You can read more detail about the HMS Swordfish here.
The Swordfish is a Protected Wreck under the Protection of Military Remains Act, and you can visit our exhibition celebrating fifty years of Protected Wrecks when we open our doors again in early April!