BELIEVED LOST

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 185, 2 May 1940, Page 9

BELIEVED LOST

Two British Submarines BOMBING OF TRAWLERS LONDON, April 30. The Admiralty announced that the submarines Tarpon (Lieut.-Gommauder H. J. Caldwell) and Sterlet (Lieut.Commander G. 11. S. Haward), vessels of 1095 and 070 tons respectively, are now considerably overdue and must be considered to have been lost. His Majesty’s trawlers Bradman (Lieutenant A. A. F. Talbot) and Cape Siretoko (Lieutenant A. N. Blundell) were damaged by bombs and subsequently sank. No loss of life is reported. (By S.D.W.) The 'Tarpon was one of the 12 submarines of the Triton class and was completed only a few months ago. She was similar in most respects to the unfortunate Thetis, which foundered with the loss of all hands during her trials, but which' was subsequently refloated and refitted and is now scrying under another name. The Tarpon was a vessel of 1095 tons surface displacement, and in addition to her torpedotubes, was fitted with a 4in. gun. The commanding officer of the Tarpon, Lieutenant-Commander II J. Caldwell was formerly in command of the small submarine H 33 of the 6th Submarine Flotilla. The Sterlet, which was commanded by Lieutenant-Commander G. 11. S. Haward, formerly of H 43, of the sth Submarine Flotilla, was one of the 12 vessels of the Swordfish class. She measured 20S.7ft. in length, and had a surface displacement of 670 tons. The Sterlet carried six torpedo tubes and one 3in. gun. The presumed loss of the Tarpon and Sterlet brings the total of British submarine losses, during the war up to seven, the others being the Oxley (destroyed by an explosion), Undine, Thistle, Seahorse and Starfish. At tbe beginning of the war there were 58 submarines in the Royal Navy.