HMS Tarpon (N17) was a Royal Navy T-class submarine launched in October 1939 by Scotts in Greenock. Named after the large fish Tarpon, native to both the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Oceans, she was built for operational service during the early years of World War II. The vessel was designed as a typical T-class submarine, known for their role in patrolling and engaging enemy shipping. Tarpon’s service was brief; she departed Portsmouth on 5 April 1940, heading to Rosyth in company with HMS Severn, and was subsequently ordered to Norway the following day. Her operational movements were part of the early British naval efforts in the North Sea during the war. Tragically, HMS Tarpon was never heard from again after being ordered to take up a new position on 10 April 1940. It is believed that she was engaged and sunk by the German Q-ship Schiff 40 (also known as Schürbek). According to records combining British and German sources, Tarpon had attacked the Q-ship but missed with her first torpedoes. The Q-ship then detected her on sonar and sighted her periscope, prompting a sustained depth charge attack that lasted most of the morning. The attack resulted in the sinking of Tarpon, with wreckage surfacing from the depths. The wreck of HMS Tarpon was discovered in March 2016 near Thyborøn in Danish waters by diver Gert Normann Andersen and marine archaeologist Dr. Innes McCartney. It lies at a depth of approximately 40 meters in the North Sea. The site was publicly explored during a live broadcast by Denmark's Radio on 28 August 2016. Examination of the wreck revealed two empty torpedo tubes, indicating she had fired torpedoes prior to her sinking. This evidence supports the conclusion that she was likely destroyed by the depth charge attack. HMS Tarpon’s brief service and her loss exemplify the perilous nature of submarine warfare during the early years of World War II, and her wreck remains a significant maritime archaeological site.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.