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Allied Warships

HMS Salmon (N 65)

Submarine of the S class

NavyThe Royal Navy
TypeSubmarine
ClassS 
PennantN 65 
Built byCammell Laird Shipyard (Birkenhead, U.K.) 
Ordered 
Laid down15 Jun, 1933 
Launched30 Apr, 1934 
Commissioned8 Mar, 1935 
Lost16 Jul, 1940 
Loss position
 
HistoryOn 4 July 1940 HMS Salmon (Cdr. Edward Oscar Bickford, DSO, RN) departed her base to patrol off Skudesnes on the south west coast of Norway. She was sent signals on 9th, 11th and 12th July, the final one ordering a return to harbour. None of these signals were acknowledged. Later it became known that one of the signals routed her across a minefield which at the time was unknown to the Admiralty. There is also a possibility that she was attacked by aircraft, but mining is the most likely somewhere in position 57º20'N, 05º00'E. Declared overdue on 16 July 1940.

Commanding Officer:
Lt.Cdr. Edward Oscar Bickford, RN
Promoted to Cdr. on 19 December 1939.
DSO awarded on 23 December 1939
6 August 1938 - 16 July 1940. 


Noteable events involving Salmon include:

4 Dec, 1939
The German submarine U-36 was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea south-west of Kristiansand,Norway in position 57º00'N, 02º47'E by a torpedo from the British submarine HMS Salmon (Lt.Cdr. E.O. Bickford, RN). (see map)

12 Dec, 1939
HMS Salmon (Lt.Cdr. E.O. Bickford, RN) sighted the German liner Bremen in the North Sea in position 57º02'N, 05º52'E. Salmon surfaced and in accordance with International Law signalled the liner to stop but no notice was taken. A few moments later HMS Salmon had to dive when a German Do-18 aircraft showed up. (see map)

13 Dec, 1939
HMS Salmon (Lt.Cdr. E.O. Bickford, RN) sights a German task-force comprising the light cruisers Nürnberg, Leipzig and Köln and the destroyers Hermann Künne, Friedrich Ihn, Erich Steinbrinck, Richard Beitzen and Bruno Heinemann. The cruisers were a covering force for the destroyers who had laid mines off Newcastle. From great distance Lt.Cdr. Bickford managed to torpedo the Nürnberg and Leipzig in the central North Sea in position 56º47'N, 04º00'E. Nürnberg was hit in the bow and Leipzig was hit amidships. The damage to Leipzig was so severe that the ship was only used as schoolship after she was repaired. (see map)

20 Jun, 1940
HMS Salmon (Lt.Cdr. E.O. Bickford, DSO, RN) fires two torpedoes against a German convoy about 15 nautical miles south-west of Egersund, Norway in position 58º18'N 05º40'E. Both torpedoes missed their intended target(s). (see map)


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