Light Submersibles 1932-1945: S-class Group II: HMS Sealion, Shark, Snapper, Salmon, Seawolf, Spearfish, Sunfish, SterletWW2 British Submersibles:X1 | Odin | Parthian | Rainbow | Thames | Swordfish | Porpoise/Grampus | Shark | Triton | U class | T class | S class | A classDevelopmentThe S-class submarines were originally designed when the need arose to modernize the submarine in the interwar, create smaller models fit for the North Sea and Mediterranean and replace the 1915 built H-class, still numerous in inventory and now quite aged. After the Swordfish class, four 640 tonnes models built at Chatham Dockyard between 1930 and 1932. Next was a pair of large boats for the 1931 construction programme, Sealion and Shark. Others were ordered as part of the 1932, 193, 1934 and 1935 naval programmes for eight total. Retrospectively, with the next Safari class (1939 programme), they became group II as a massive order was taken as part of the emergency war program. Until 1945 a total of 62 S-c...
