HMS Shark (54S)

HMS Shark was a Royal Navy S-class submarine which was launched on 31 May 1934 and fought in the Second World War. Shark is one of twelve boats named in the song "Twelve Little S-Boats".

She was surfaced whilst on patrol off Skudesnes, southwest Norway on 5 July 1940, when a seaplane was sighted astern. As the submarine submerged, she was bombed, the explosions causing considerable damage. Without steering gear and the hydroplanes jammed hard to rise, the submarine’s bow broached the surface, where she continued to be bombed. Shark began to sink by the stern and all high-pressure air was used to return her to the surface. Once on the surface she attempted to get underway steering on main engines, but was sighted yet again, and attacked. The submarine then tried to fight off the aircraft, succeeding in shooting down a Dornier Do 17.

The No.4 ballast tank was holed, and with more aircraft arriving she had no option but to capitulate. At about 0400 hours the next day three German minesweeping trawlers M-1803, M1806 and M-1807 arrived to take Shark under tow but she began to sink stern first about 25 nmi west-south-west of Egersund, Norway.

The boat's captain, Lieutenant Commander Peter Buckley, was involved in planning a number of escape attempts from POW camp. ERA W. E. "Wally" Hammond made a number of escape attempts before being held in Oflag IV-C — Colditz. With ERA Don "Tubby" Lister (from the captured submarine HMS Seal) he made a successful escape by campaigning for a transfer from Colditz, arguing that he was not an officer. He was transferred to Lamsdorf prison, escaped from a Breslau work party, and reached England via Switzerland in 1943.

The wreck of the Shark was found by a survey vessel whilst surveying a cable route in April 2008 at a position of 58.7N 4.35E at 251 metres depth. Later the same week the vessel also charted the wreck of HMS Salmon after it appeared on her sonar scan.