HMS Sterlet was an S-class submarine of the Royal Navy, built at Chatham Dockyard. She was ordered on 2 March 1936, laid down on 14 July 1936, launched on 22 September 1937, and commissioned on 6 April 1938. She remains the only Royal Navy vessel to have carried the name "Sterlet."
Design and Role
HMS Sterlet belonged to the second group of S-class submarines, designed primarily for operations in the confined waters of the North Sea and Baltic Sea. She displaced 768 tons on the surface, carried a crew of 40, and was armed with six bow torpedo tubes and a 3-inch deck gun.
Early War Service
At the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, Sterlet was part of the Royal Navy's 2nd Submarine Flotilla. Operating from bases at Dundee and Blyth, she conducted patrols off the Norwegian and Danish coasts, searching for German naval and merchant vessels.
Her commanding officer during the war was Lieutenant Commander Gerard Henry Stacpoole Haward. Under his command, Sterlet completed a series of North Sea patrols during the first months of the conflict.
Norwegian Campaign
In April 1940, during the German invasion of Norway, HMS Sterlet was deployed to the Skagerrak, the strategic waterway between Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. On 12 April she attacked a German convoy but failed to score a hit. Two days later she successfully torpedoed the German armed training ship Brummer, which subsequently sank. This was Sterlet's most significant wartime success.
Loss
After reporting operations in the Skagerrak, HMS Sterlet disappeared and never returned to base. The most widely accepted explanation is that she was sunk on 18 April 1940 south of Larvik, Norway, by the German anti-submarine vessels UJ-125, UJ-126, and UJ-128 after a prolonged depth-charge attack.
However, some sources note that she may alternatively have struck a mine while attempting to return home. Because no survivors were found and the wreck was not identified for many years, the exact cause of her loss remained uncertain.
Legacy
The loss of HMS Sterlet and her crew of approximately 40 officers and ratings was one of several Royal Navy submarine losses during the Norwegian Campaign. She is remembered as one of the early-war submarines that carried the fight to German naval forces in the dangerous waters around Norway in 1940.
Key Facts
- Class: S-class submarine
- Built at: Chatham Dockyard
- Commissioned: 6 April 1938
- Commanding Officer: Lt Cdr Gerard H. S. Haward
- Notable Success: Torpedoing the German training ship Brummer in April 1940 [
- Lost: 18 April 1940 in the Skagerrak, probably due to German anti-submarine action
