World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseSunfish was commissioned into British Royal Navy service before the European War, but was refitting when the war began. On 19 Feb 1940, she fired four torpedoes at the German submarine U-14 30 nautical miles northwest of Helgoland, Germany, but all torpedoes missed. On 9 Apr, she torpedoed and sank the German merchant ship Amasis in the Kattegat northeast of Denmark. On the following day, she torpedoed and missed the merchant ship Hanau at 1150, missed an auxiliary patrol vessel at 1520, but at 2000 she torpedoed and sank the German merchant ship Antares; all the action took place in the Kattegat. On 13 Apr, she damaged the German ship Schürbeck, again in the Kattegat. On the following day, she sank the German ship Oldenburg by torpedoes. On 5 Dec 1940, she sank the Finnish merchant ship Oscar Midling in Sildegapet, Norway. On 7 Dec, she damaged the Norwegian merchant ship Dixie off Stadlandet, Norway.

ww2dbaseOn 10 Apr 1944, Sunfish was transferred on loan to the Russian Navy, who recommissioned the ship as V-1. On 27 Jul 1944, she was attacked by a Royal Air Force Coastal Command B-24 Liberator bomber as she was mis-identified as a German submarine; the Russian Captain 2nd Class Fisanovic further the confusion by diving instead of staying on the surface to fire recognition signals, which mistakenly confirmed the attacker's belief that she was a hostile vessel. V-1 sustained heavy damage, and sank shortly. All crew, including the British liaison staff, were lost.

Photographs

Sunfish (S-class) Operational Timeline