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The ''S'' class was the largest single group of submarines ever built for the Royal Navy. A total of 62 were constructed over a period of 15 years; fifty of the "improved" ''S''-class were launched between 1940 and 1945 . SERVICE Besides action in Home waters and "the Med", S class submarines served in the Far East when fitted with extra tankage. Post war the S class boats were serving with the RN into the 1960s . The last boat in full commission was HMS ''Sea Devil'' in 1965. Several S-class submarines were sold on to other navies:
SERVICE LOSSES Of the twelve ''S''-boats that were in service in 1939 , only three survived to see the end of World War II , a loss rate that inspired the song 'Twelve Little S-Boats', based on a Nursery Rhyme originally written by Septimus Winner in 1868 . The survivors were ''Sealion'', ''Seawolf'' and ''Sturgeon''. :Twelve little ''S''-boats 'go to it' like Bevin , :: ''Starfish'' goes a bit too far — then there were eleven. :Eleven watchful ''S''-boats doing fine and then :: ''Seahorse'' fails to answer — so there are ten. :Ten stocky ''S''-boats in a ragged line, :: ''Sterlet'' stops and drops out — leaving us nine. :Nine plucky ''S''-boats, all pursuing fate, :: ''Shark'' is overtaken — now we are eight. :Eight sturdy ''S''-boats, men from Hants and Devon , :: ''Salmon'' now is overdue — so the number's seven. :Seven gallant ''S''-boats, trying all their tricks, :: ''Spearfish'' tries a newer one — down we come to six. :Six tireless ''S''-boats fighting to survive, ::No reply from ''Swordfish'' — so we tally five. :Five scrubby ''S''-boats, patrolling close inshore, :: ''Snapper'' takes a short cut — now we are four. :Four fearless ''S''-boats, too far out to sea, :: ''Sunfish'' bombed and scrap-heaped — we are only three. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS First Group
Second Group
Third Group
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