H M S Submarine Snapper is a little ship of 670 tons, carrying an armament of six torpedo tubes and one 3-in. gun, and a crew of 40, commanded by Lt. W. D. A. King. But her achievements are in no proportion to her size. During the Norwegian campaign she sank four transport and supply ships, and her commander was awarded the D.S.O. On July 7 the Admiralty proudly announced that she had torpedoed five more enemy vessels. "Our submarines continue to harass and inflict serious losses upon German sea communications with Norway. H.M. submarine Snapper sighted a convoy of supply ships escorted by an armed trawler and aircraft. The 'Snapper' attacked and hit two ships with torpedoes. The remnants of the convoy scattered and made in disorder for the shelter of a fjord. Later the 'Snapper' sighted a large convoy escorted by armed trawlers and aircraft. A successful attack was carried out and three ships were hit with torpedoes." H M. Submarine "Snapper" commanded by Lt W. D. A. King. July 1940
Snapper spent most of her career in home waters. She was mistakenly attacked by a British aircraft when returning to Harwich after a patrol in the North Sea. Although suffering a direct hit, Snapper escaped damage. She went on to sink the small German tanker Moonsund, the German merchant Florida, the German auxiliary minesweepers M 1701 / H. M. Behrens and M 1702 / Carsten Janssen, the German armed trawler V 1107 / Portland and the Norwegian merchant Cygnus. She also attacked the German armed merchant cruiser Schiff 21 / Widder, but the torpedoes missed their target. She left the Clyde on January 29, 1941 to patrol in the Bay of Biscay. She should have arrived in her patrol area on February 1. She was ordered to remain on station until the 10th and then to return with her escort. Snapper failed to make the rendezvous with the escort and was not heard from again. It is believed that she met her fate through a mine or that she was mortally damaged by a minesweeper which attacked a submarine in Snapper’s area on the 11th although Snapper should have been out of the area by then. The gun crew close up at their 3 inch gun on board HMS Snapper as she sits alongside a quayside.
