HMS Sterlet (2S)

HMS Sterlet was a Royal Navy S-class submarine which was launched 22 September 1937 and fought in the Second World War. Sterlet is one of 12 boats named in the song Twelve Little S-Boats. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to be named Sterlet.

On 8 April 1940 Sterlet left for a patrol in the Skagerrak, Norway under the command of Lt. Gerard Henry Stacpoole Haward, aged just 30, and the husband to Diana Auriol Haward. Four days later she unsuccessfully attacked a convoy of three merchant ships and a destroyer. The following day she was assigned a new patrol area and on 14 April torpedoed the German gunnery training ship Brummer, leading to it sinking the following day.

She was possibly sunk by the German anti submarine trawlers UJ-125, UJ-126 and UJ-128 on 18 April. Alternatively, she may have struck a mine whilst returning to port.