1915

 

Central Mediterranean

Two Admiralty blockships, 180ft long, Puglia SS Co, Bari, Italy-reg, purchased 1914/15, for use at Malta; location and date of scuttling not known:

GARGANO, 700/1884 (Lr/D)

LUCANO, 709/1884 (Lr/D)

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JANUARY 1915

Dardanelles Campaign - Russians asked the Allies to take Turkish pressure off their forces in the Caucasus. First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill gained support of the War Council for a naval attack on the Dardanelles. By the end of January, Admiralty directed to bombard and take Gallipoli with Constantinople as its objective, but no troops were to be made available

U.31 possibly mined in North Sea in January

 

Friday 1 January

English Channel

FORMIDABLE (below - Maritime Quest), battleship, Formidable-class, 15,800t, 1898, 4-12in/12-6in/18-12pdr/4-18in tt, 18kts, c800 crew, Pennant No.50, 5th BS, Capt Arthur Loxley, flagship Vice-Adm Sir Lewis Bayly, Commander-­in?Chief, Channel Fleet, Squadron based at Sheerness but now less HMS Bulwark. Sailed 30 December for firing practice off Portland, escorted by six Harwich Force destroyers as far as Folkestone where they turned back as the Channel was believed free of U-boats, now only accompanied by attached light cruiser Topaze of 5th BS and Diamond of 6th. Reaching Portland at daybreak on New Year's Day, 6th BS did not enter harbour but exercised 25 miles from Portland Bill for most of the day, Adm Bayly decided to stay at sea and to be ready for further exercises next day, headed for a position south of the Isle of Wight. Abreast of the Needles at 1900, and in accordance with Fleet Orders that if there was any possibilty of a submarine attack a course change should be made just after dark, the squadron turned back with the two cruisers following, sailing a straight course for Start Point, Devon ready to turn again, Formidable now at rear, sea rough, night cloudy with visibility two miles. Torpedoed by U.24 (Rudolph Schneider) starboard side abreast foremost funnel at 0220 (He - 0230), engine-room flooded and ship listed 20° to starboard, at 0230 Formidable was seen to fall out of line, Topaze came up to find her lowering launch, pinnace and two barges, one of which capsized in the now violent seas. About 0305 a second torpedo hit port-side abreast after funnel, rising sea and wind and intense darkness made rescue difficult for Topaze and Diamond. With bows now awash, Formidable began to heel rapidly to starboard around 0445, settling by the bow, abandon ship was ordered and she sank (dx - 21 mile E of Start Point; ke - 25 miles off Portland; wi - off Start Point, in 50.13.12N, 03.03.58W); 547 men drowned or died of exposure - 34 officers including Capt Loxley, 511 ratings and 2 canteen staff (He - 35 officers and 512 men died, and 233 survived; ke - 233 survivors), Topaze took off 43 men from the barge, Diamond rescued 37, the launch got clear, picked up more men, then was found at noon near Berry Head by Brixham trawler Provident and her crew of 4 who took off all 71 in gale-force winds before the launch sank. Another boat drifted ashore near Lyme Regis with 46 men (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/dk/dx/ke/un; ADM.116/1437A)

 

Monday 4 January

North Sea

C.31, submarine, C-class, c290/320t, 1909, 2?18in tt with 4 torpedoes, 13/7½kts, c16 crew, Pennant No.I.61, 4th Submarine Flotilla, Dover Patrol, Lt George Pilkington, sailed Dover 4th to investigate German naval activity off Zeebrugge, then report to Harwich on 7th, never heard from again, “overdue, presumed lost”. On or after 4th (ke - possiby 4th) - Lost off Belgium coast, cause unknown, possibly mined in German field off Zeebrugge or by accident, RNAS aircraft failed to observe any salvage operations off Zeebrugge that may have been connected with her loss, Cdre Keyes went out night of the 9th/10th with destroyers Lurcher and Firedrake in the forelorn hope of finding her. Declared lost on the 7th; 3 officers and 14 ratings lost, no survivors (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/bs/bw/dk/dq/dx/ke/on)

 

Wednesday 6 January

North Sea

BANYERS or The Banyers, Admiralty trawler, 448/1914, South Western Steam Fishing, Grimsby-reg GY128, hired 12/14 as minesweeper, Admiralty No.450, Lt Hubert Boothby RNR, sweeping. Mined in Scarborough field laid by German cruiser Kolberg between Fiely and Scarborough, sank “very quickly” off Cayton Bay, S of Scarborough (wi - in 54.15.07N, 00.15.24W); 2 ratings lost (He/wi - 6 crew), Skipper escaped through wheel-house window, 11 survivors rescued by other ships. Lt Boothby lost HMS Orianda less than a month before, was awarded the DSC and later wrote about his experiences in “Spunyarn”, published 1935 (+L/Lr/C/D/He/ap/dk/wi; ADM.137/84)

 

Saturday 9 January

North Atlantic

Charybdis, old light cruiser, Astraea-class, 4,360t, 12th CS, operating in South Western Approaches in 1914. Damaged in collision presumably in Atlantic. Laid up at Bermuda, commissioned for harbour service in 1917, converted to cargo carrier March 1918 for mercantile operation (Rn/Cn/D)

 

Tuesday 12 January

German East Africa Campaign - Mafia Is, S of Zanzibar and off Rufuji River captured by troops of King's African Rifles. Old light cruiser Fox, armed merchant cruiser Kinfauns Castle took part. supported to seaward by light cruiser Weymouth, gunboat Duplex and ex-German tug Adjutant

 

Wednesday 13 January

Orkneys

ROEDEAN, ex-Roebuck, auxiliary screw minesweeper, railway packet, 1,094/1897, Great Western Railway Co, Milford Haven-reg, hired 2/10/14, armed with 1 or 2-12pdr, Pennant No.M.35, renamed Roedean 12/14, Cdr Stephen Pidgeon RNR. Sank at entrance to Longhope Sound, SE Hoy island (wi - in 58.48.36N, 03.09.48W), cause originally not recorded; no lives lost. “Wreck Index” notes that one source describes her as mined, but with Hepper, goes on to confirm that she actually dragged her anchor in bad weather, collided with the bow of harbour repair hulk Fisgard, ex-Imperieuse, was holed, and foundered as she passed down the starboard side of Fisgard. Cdr Pidgeon was reprimanded for only having one anchor out (+J/Lr/C/Cn/D/He/dk/wi; ADM.1/8409/20)

Atlantic off N Ireland

VIKNOR, ex-Viking or The Viking, Admiralty armed merchant cruiser, ex-cruise ship, 5,386/1888, Viking Cruise Co, 15kts, hired 19/11/14, Pennant No.M.82, 10th CS Grand Fleet, Cdr Ernest Ballantyne, most northerly ship on Northern Patrol line B north of the Shetlands. On the 11th, at around 62N, 02.24W, intercepted Norwegian SS Bergensfiord carrying an important German secret service agent and other nationals from New York, Viknor ordered to put prize crew on board, escort the Norwegian ship towards Lerwick, then continue on to Liverpool with a total of eight German prisoners. Last message from Viknor on 13th (He – off Malin Head; ss - at 1600 in 56.18N, 09W, course S21ºW), nothing more was heard of her. Probably 13th - Believed sunk off Northern Ireland by one of Berlin's mines broken free by heavy gales off Tory Island (Rn - foundered in heavy weather; C - Wrecked on north coast of Ireland), wreckage and bodies washed ashore at Portrush; 294 lives lost - 22 officers, 196 ratings, 74 MN and 1 canteen staff plus prisoners, no survivors (He – 259, ke - 295) (+J/Rn/C/D/bi/dk/gf/ke/ss; ADM.137/185, ADM.116/1442)

 

Saturday 16 January

Dover Straits

CHAR, Admiralty screw tug, 149/1899, North Eastern Railway Co, West Hartlepool-reg, hired 17/11/14 as ABS, patrol and inspection tug in The Downs, Lt John Whale RNR, failed to answer radio signals from 16th, went missing. Run down at 0100 “in very rough conditions” by SS Erivan, sank between Deal and Goodwin Sands (wi - near North Goodwin buoy in 51.17.15N, 01.29.45E), wreck found with masts above water; 3 officers, 8 ratings and 7 MMR lost, no survivors (+Lr/C/D/He/dk/gs/wi; ADM.1/8409/18)

 

Sunday 17 January

North Sea

Archer, destroyer, I-class, c990t, 1st DF, taking part in Harwich Force sweep by three light cruisers and 32 destroyers in to Heligoland Bight, returning in the afternoon. Rammed by trawler and damaged, escorted to Sheerness by sister-ship Ferret (Cn/D/ty)

 

Monday 18 January

North Sea

Duke of Cornwall, Admiralty armed boarding vessel, 1,528/1898, hired 31/10/14. Collided with and sank trawler Earl Marischal 206grt, 30 miles NE by N of Buchan Ness, one of the trawler crew was lost (D/gr)

E.10, submarine, E-class, c667/807t, 1913, 1-12pdr/5-18in tt with 10 torpedoes, 15/9kts, c30 crew, Pennant No.I.90, Harwich-based 8th Flotilla, Lt-Cdr William Fraser, sailed from Harwich on 18th in company with E.5 and E.15 for Heligoland patrol, E.10 to the NNW of the island, never seen or heard from again, “overdue, presumed lost”. On or after 18th (ke - possibly 18th) - Lost, cause unknown, possibly mined off Heligoland in unknown field laid by Germans on 22 December; 3 officers and 28 ratings lost, no survivors. Wreck discovered in 130ft of water near Heligoland in 2003, damage to starboard ballast tanks and open hatches suggest a mine explosion while running on the surface, presumably at night (+J/C/Cn/D/He/bw/dk/ke/on)

 

Friday 19 January

North Sea

BLAKEDOWN, Admiralty trawler, 207/1900, Grimsby-reg GY1162, hired 1/15, Admiralty No.1044. (Other sources – 19 February) - Stranded and total wreck at Crudensgeir or Cruden Skares, near Peterhead, Aberdeenshire (wi - Bay of Cruden, near Newburgh, in 57.24.30N, 01.51.15W); no lives lost (+D/He/dk/wi; ADM.137/86)

 

Thursday 21 January

U.7 accidentally torpedoed by U.22 off Dutch coast

 

Sunday 24 January

BATTLE of THE DOGGER BANK

Contemporary postcard of the Battle from the scrapbook of Leading Signalman George Smith,

present on board HM Destroyer Forester

German 1st SG - battlecruisers Seydlitz (flag, Adm Hipper), Moltke (both 11in-armed), Derfflinger (12in), armoured cruiser Blücher (8.2in), 2nd SG light cruisers Graudenz, Stralsund, Rostock, Kolberg, and destroyers sailed to attack British fishing vessels and patrols on the Dogger Bank (map right - click to enlarge). Warned by Room 40, Grand Fleet including the 1st LCS (Cdre Goodenough) and 1st BCS (Lion, flag, Adm Beatty) together with Harwich Force (Cdre Tyrwhitt) put to sea to rendezvous in the NE part of the Bank.

Delays due to fog meant that Harwich Force light cruiser Arethusa was heading north half an hour ahead of light cruiser leaders Aurora, Undaunted and their destroyers. Shortly after 0700 Aurora, sighted a cruiser in the SE Dogger Bank area, believed her to be Arethusa and challenged, then opened fire on the German Kolberg at 0715 from 8,000yds:

Aurora, Arethusa-class, 4,400t, 2-6in/6-4in/4-21in tt, leader 1st DF Harwich Force. Hit three times and slightly damaged, Kolberg damaged more severely and turned away (Rn/Cn/D/ty)

As the British ships continued towards the rendezvous, the Germans sighted 1st LCS, shortly turned for home and by 0750 could be seen by Adm Beatty’s 1st LCS. In the ensuing stern chase, the battlecruisers headed approximately south east:

                                                                                    Blücher – Derfflinger – Moltke - Seydlitz >

 Indomitable       - New Zealand - Princess Royal – Tiger - Lion >

with Indomitable lagging behind. Lion opened fire on Blücher at 0852, started hitting at 0907, then moved up to Derfflinger while Tiger and Princess Royal concentrated on Blücher, both Germans being hit. Lion received her first damage around 0928, and at 0935 Beatty ordered 1st BCS to engage their opposite numbers - New Zealand on Blücher, Princess Royal on Derfflinger, Tiger on Moltke, Lion on Seydlitz. Unfortunately Tiger fired at Seydlitz, leaving Moltke free to concentrate on Lion, and although the German ships were being hit, Lion was again hurt at 0954 and 1001. Blücher now pulled out of line while the other three German ships continued on their course, and by 1048 was circling out of control.

Lion was damaged again at 1018 and between 1035 and 1050. At 1100 her damaged was so severe she dropped astern, then due to signalling errors, the other three British battlecruisers concentrated on Blücher. Adm Beatty crossed to destroyer Attack and by 1150 was getting ready to transfer his flag to Princess Royal and continue after the Germans. Then at noon the battlecruisers returned from sinking Blücher. Although Seydlitz and Derfflinger were badly damaged (their experiences led to far better flash protection that served them well at Jutland), Adm Beatty was deeply disappointed he had failed to destroy all four big ships. Tiger was also hit but the other three battlecruisers were untouched:

Lion, Lion-class, 29,680t, 8-13.5in/16-4in/2-21in tt. Hit and damaged a number of times: (1) three German ships firing at her by 0928, shell hit on waterline penetrated the bunkers but damage made good, (2) when Moltke was not engaged, A-turret smashed at 0954 and one gun out of action, (3) 11in shell from Seydlitz pierced the armour at 1001, flooding started and listed to port, (4) hit hard at 1018 - one shell struck the armour below the waterline, drove in several plates and flooded foremost port bunker, and a second pierced armour on waterline, burst in torpedo body room and flooded all adjacent compartments, (5) when Blücher pulled out of line, the other three German ships again concentrated on Lion, hit by numerous shells between 1035 and 1050, armour pierced and more flooding, shell burst in A-turret lobby and started fire, (6) at 1100, shell drove in armour on the waterline abreast one of the boiler rooms, seriously damaged, port engine had to be stopped, light and power failed, list to port increased to 10°, speed dropped to 15kts and Lion dropped astern. She continued for home without Adm Beatty at 12kts, around 1430 speed dropped to 8kts, Indomitable took her in tow and she reached the Firth of Forth at dawn on the 26th; 11 men wounded. Fired a total of 243 heavy shells, hit Blücher once, Derfflinger once, Seydlitz twice, in turn hit by 16-11in and 12in shells, also 1-8.2in. Temporarily repaired at Rosyth, repairs completed by Palmers, returned to service as flagship of new Battle Cruiser force (Rn/Cn/D)

Tiger, improved Lion-class, 35,700t, 8-13.5in/12-6in/4-21in tt. Hit by 6 shells including one 11in on Q-turret, splinters jammed training gear and left turret out of action; 1 officer and 9 men killed, 3 officers and 5 men wounded (Cn - 10 crew killed, 11 wounded). Repaired by 8 February (Rn/Cn/D/ti)

Meteor, destroyer, M-class, 980t, 3-4in/1-2pdr/4-21in tt, 1st DF Harwich Force, Captain D’s ship, Capt H Meade. Came up on the battered Blücher, manoeuvred to fire a torpedo and hit forward by heavy shell at 1120, exploded in foremost boiler room, almost putting her out of action; 3 stokers killed, 1 DOW and 2 crew wounded. Towed into Humber by destroyer Liberty (Rn/Cn/D/ty)

Royal Navy Battle Honour - DOGGER BANK 1915

see Despatch, dated 2 February 1915 in London gazette, No.29088

 

Tuesday 26 January

North Sea

Britannia, battleship, King Edward VII-class, c17,290t, 3rd BS Grand Fleet. Ran aground on Inchkeith island, Firth of Forth in fog, ashore for 36hr and considerably damaged, refloated, needed dockyard repairs (Cn/D/gf)

 

Thursday 28 January

Dardanelles Campaign - British Government agreed to naval attack on the Dardanelles

Commerce raiding - Auxiliary cruiser Prinz Eitel Friedrich sank American sailing ship William P Frye, the first US loss of the war

 

Friday 29 January

U-boat Raid - U.21, the first U-boat in the Irish Sea, shelled airship sheds on Walney Is, Barrow-in-Furness but did little damage, driven off by shore batteries.

 

Saturday 30 January

U-boat warfare - three British steamships torpedoed by U.20 in English Channel, the first merchant ships sunk without warning, apparently as a deliberate policy.

Irish Sea

Admiralty collier (and two British steamships) captured by U.21 (Otto Hersing) in Liverpool Bay:

BEN CRUACHAN, 3,092/1902, Morrison Shipping Co, North Shields-reg, Mr W Harley, sailing Scapa Flow for Liverpool (te/wi - Cardiff for Scapa Flow with coal). Torpedoed but failed to sink, U-boat went alongside, boarding party laid explosive scuttling charges, ship sank at 1030, 15 miles NW of Morecambe LV (L/te/un/wi - in 53.36N, 03.51W); crew in two boats directed to steer for sailing trawler Margaret, landed at Fleetwood (+L/Lr/Mn/ap/ge/te/un/wi)

 

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FEBRUARY 1915

North Sea

E.11, submarine, E-class, 667/807t, Harwich-based 8th Flotilla. February - Ran ashore on Scroby Sands, Great Yarmouth, got off (Cn/gr)

North Atlantic

Two armed merchant cruisers of 10th CS on Northern Patrol damaged in the winter gales, dates not known, possibly February:

Caribbean, 5,824/1890, hired 19/11/14, 8-4.7in/2-6pdr, normally on line B, north of Shetlands, proving unsuitable, old and slow. Rolled in heavy weather up to 50º with gunwhale submerged, reported dynamo disabled and funnel shifted (Mn/D/bi)

Teutonic, 9,984/1889, hired 5/9/14, on patrol in heavy seas possibly N of Shetlands. Six-inch shell unshipped from ready-use rack, exploded against bulwarks; no one injured, damage repaired by crew (D/bi)

 

Wednesday 3 February

Suez Canal - Turkish attack on Suez Canal repulsed with the support of British and French warships, battleships Swiftsure, Ocean, old light cruisers, Minerva, Proserpine, sloop Clio, armed merchant cruiser Himalaya, torpedo boat No.043, Royal Indian Marine armed troopships Dufferin, Hardinge took part; Royal Navy Battle Honour - SUEZ CANAL 1915, to 4th.

See Army Despatches, dated 6 February 1915 to 9 April 1916, in London Gazette, No.29632 - Egyptian Campaign,  including Defence of Suez Canal and Western Desert Operations

South African Campaign - Surrender of South African rebels, Upington

Atlantic off NW Scotland

CLAN MACNAUGHTON, Admiralty armed merchant cruiser, ex-passenger ship, 4,985/1911, 14kts, Cayzer, Irvine/Clan Line, Glasgow-reg, hired 19/11/14, 8-4.7in, Pennant No.M.81, 10th CS Grand Fleet, 261 crew, Cdr Robert Jeffreys i/c, master, Lt George Weldrick RNR, sailed from Liverpool on 23 January. On Northern Patrol line D to NNW of St Kilda, heavy SW gale on 2nd, "one of the worst the Tenth Cruiser Squadron experienced during the whole war", 10th CS ships lying to with heavy seas sweeping over them, all ships except Clan Macnaughton answered signals on morning of 3rd, went missing. Night of 2nd/3rd (usually listed as 3rd) - Believed foundered off Hebrides (Mn/C/Cn/D/ke - presumed mined; Mn - in 58.47N, 09.27W), Digby, Hildebrand, Patuca spent a week searching but only found some wreckage (He - in the area of 60.25N 09.37W), ship considered stable and seaworthy but floating mines, probably Berlin's, reported in the area, possibly hit one during the gale; 277 lives lost – 20 officers, 190 ratings and 67 MN (bi – 284 lives, ke - 261). Contrary to other sources, Hepper reports there were concerns about her stability (+J/Rn/Mn/C/Cn/D/He/bi/dk/gf/ke/ss; ADM.116/1441)

Suez Canal

Hardinge, armed troopship (RIM), 7,457t, 1900, c8-4in/8-3pdr, Cdr T Linberry, taking part in defence of Suez Canal, providing naval support for British-Indian counter-attack 3 miles S of Tussum. Under fire from 4in and heavier guns from 0700, could not locate them, so concentrated firing on infantry. About 0825 both funnels damaged and ship so badly hit, had to slip and move out of channel into Lake Timsah to avoid sinking in the channel; no one killed (Rn/D)

 

Thursday 4 February

U-boat Warfare - Denied a swift victory on land, Germany decided to start unrestricted submarine warfare without warning against merchant shipping from the 18th. Admiralty hired drifter Tarlair equipped with first anti-submarine hydrophone.

 

Saturday 6 February

North Sea

ERNE, destroyer, E-class, 620t, 1903, 4?12pdr/2?18in tt, 25kts, 70 crew, Pennant No.N.58, Scapa Flow Patrol Flotilla, Lt-Cdr John Landon. Grounded on the beach about 800yds S of Rattray Head lighthouse on the Aberdeen coast in severe easterly gale, failed to be refloated and abandoned as a wreck in October; no lives lost. A survey in November found her back was broken, wreck sold for £405 in January 1916 to Forth shipbreaking, Bo’ness for BU (+J/C/Cn/D/He/dk/gf/ke; ADM.156/2471, ADM.116/1422)

Dover Straits

JOHN SHERBURN, Admiralty trawler, 244/1902 (wi - 1915), Humber Steam Trawling, Hull-reg H644, hired 1915 (D - 12/14) as auxiliary patrol vessel, Admiralty No.815, Dover Patrol, Lt Walter Smith RNR (wi - S Carnassa, Captain). (Other sources – 6 March) - Stranded in poor weather in St Margaret's Bay, near Dover, wrecked (wi - in 51.07N, 01.27E); no lives lost (+Lr/C/D/He/dq/dk/hw/wi; ADM.137/90)

German East Africa

ADJUTANT, patrol vessel, ex-German tug, 231/1905, captured 10 October 1914 in East Africa by light cruiser Dartmouth, armed with 1-3pdr, took part in capture of Mafia Island 12 January, now with force blockading light cruiser Königsberg in Rufiji delta, Sub?Lt Wilfred Price in command, carrying out reconnaissance of one of the entrances. Heavily shelled from the shore by German forces protecting approaches to Königsberg, steam-pipe cut, drifted ashore and recaptured; 1 ratings lost, rest of crew taken prisoner. Salvaged by the Germans, got through British naval blockade, steamed to Dar-es-Salaam, taken to pieces by railway engineers and carried by train to Kigoma, reassembled for operations on Lake Tanganyika. Hepper, possibly in error, reports that “light cruiser Pyramus later closed and destroyed her where she lay” (Rn/C/Cn/D/ap/dk/kp)

 

Saturday 13 February

Atlantic off N Ireland

BEDOUIN, Admiralty trawler, 188/1902, GN80, T L Devlin, Granton-reg hired 8/14 as minesweeper, Admiralty No.353, Skipper George Hollins RNR (wi - W Forbes up to 1914). Sailed from Sheephaven, northern Ireland to clear mines in the Berlin's Tory Island field with other trawlers, recovering her gear around 1555 and at least one mine seen to be snagged, orders given to veer away, but one exploded blowing away her starboard quarter, sank stern first off Tory Is, off Co Donegal; no lives lost (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/wi; ADM.137/3116)

 

Monday 15 February

Dover Straits

Undaunted, light cruiser, Arethusa-class, 3rd DF leader, Harwich Force and eight destroyers, probably division of 3rd DF on passage from Harwich to Irish Sea because of increased U-boat activity there. Unsuccessful U-boat torpedo attack off Dungeness, possibly by U.16 (Rn/Mn/Cn/D/ty)

 

Thursday 18 February

U-boat Warfare - First German unrestricted submarine campaign came into effect. All waters around British Isles including the English Channel declared a War Zone where all merchant ships could be destroyed without ensuring the safety of passengers and crew; neutral ships would be at risk from attack. Britain extended the defensive arming of merchant ships to protect themselves against surfaced U-boats leading to later German claims that armed vessels should be treated as warships. US protests led to U-boats being ordered not to attack ships flying neutral flags, hospital ships (unless obviously engaged in trooping) and Belgian Relief ships. The sinking shortly of the liner Lusitania started to swing American opinion strongly against Germany, leading up to entry into the war two years later. In 1915, only some 20 percent of ships were sunk without warning (some sources list start date as the 28th)

Orkneys

GOLDFINCH, destroyer, H-class, 970t, 1910, 2-4in/2-12pdr/2-21in tt, 27kts, 72 crew, Pennant No.H.44, 2nd DF Grand Fleet, Lt-Cdr Reginald Stone. Night of 18th/19th - Ran aground in dense fog on Start Point, Sanday Is (wi - in 59.17N, 02.25W), abandoned as a wreck; no lives lost. Sold for BU 4/19, possibly to Metal Industries (+J/C/Cn/D/He/dx/gf/ke/wi)

Sparrowhawk, destroyer, K-class, c1,300t, 4th DF Grand Fleet. Probably sometime in February after Goldfinch was lost - Went ashore, got off, but "considerably damaged" (Cn/D/gr/gf)

 

Friday 19 February

U-boat Warfare - Norwegian tanker Belridge carrying oil from US to Holland torpedoed without warning and damaged by U.8 in Dover Straits, first neutral ship attacked in the new U-boat campaign

Dardanelles Campaign

First Bombardment of Outer Dardanelles Forts

                  
Gallipoli and area - click to enlarge

Vengeance, battleship, Canopus-class, 14,300t, 4-12in/12-6in/12-12pdr/4-18in tt, 8th BS Channel Fleet 8/14, later to Mediterranean. The bombardment of the defences around Cape Helles on the European side and Kum Kale/Orkanie on the Asiatic was initially carried out by battlecruiser Inflexible (flag, Adm Carden, C-in-C), battleships Albion, Cornwallis, Triumph, the French Suffren (French flag) and Bouvet, supported by French Suffren and light cruiser Amethyst. Vengeance (division flag, Adm de Robeck) observed for her division, and the force was later joined by dreadnought Queen Elizabeth and battleship Agamemnon. Vengeance fired at and was fired on by Orkanie batteries on Asiatic side, not hit but spars and rigging damaged by four near misses, Cornwallis was slightly less damaged (Rn/Cn/D)

Royal Navy Battle Honour - DARDANELLES 1915-16, to 8 January 1916

 

Saturday 20 February

Dardanelles Campaign - Second planned bombardment to complete the destruction of the outer forts cancelled because of gale-force conditions, accurate gunlaying not possible and spotting aircraft could not fly. The bad weather continued until the 25th

North Sea

CORCYRA, Admiralty trawler, 225/1914, Grimsby-reg GY63, hired 8/14 as minesweeper, Admiralty No.278, Skipper Leonard Shenton RNR. Stranded (H - wrecked) near Bacton, Norfolk; no lives lost. Later salved, but not taken back into Naval service, in Fishery Reserve, listed until 1919, served again in WW2 (+C/D/He/dk)

 

Monday 22 February

Central Atlantic

Carnarvon, armoured cruiser, Devonshire-class, 10,850t, flag, Rear-Adm Stoddart, searching South American waters for light cruiser Karlsruhe and raider Kronprinz Wilhelm. Left Abrolhos Rock anchorage, shortly after weighing she hit uncharted shoal and ripped 95ft of bottom plating, beached and out of action, patched and sent into Rio de Janeiro where repairs were allowed because she had "suffered peril of the sea". Flag transferred to cruiser Vindictive (Rn/Cn/D/gr)

 

Tuesday 23 February

Dardanelles Campaign - Royal Marines occupied Greek island of Lemnos, off the Dardanelles; the harbour of Mudros became a major advanced Allied base

off N Scotland

TERN, Admiralty trawler, 199/1907, Kelsall Bros & Beeching, Hull-reg H.961, hired 10/14 as minesweeper (D/He - auxiliary patrol vessel), Admiralty No.548, Skipper Daniel Stather RNR (wi - J Lewis). Wrecked (H - Mined) in Loch Erribol, E of Cape Wrath (wi - in 58.30N, 04.40W); 6 ratings lost. Note: exclusion from Lloyds listing suggests loss was due to marine cause, confirmed by Hepper (+Lr/C/D/He/dk/hw/wi; ADM.1/8413/55, ADM.1/8413/60)

English Channel

Two non-commissioned Admiralty chartered colliers torpedoed and sunk by U.8 (Alfred Stoss):

OAKBY, 1,976/1897, Sir R Ropner & Co, West Hartlepool-reg, Mr F Bartlett, sailng London for Barry/Cardiff in ballast (would probably be carrying coal in that case; un – London for Barry Roads in ballast). Hit port side, forecastle was level with the water within 5min, 2nd engineer went below to stop engines to allow boats to be lowered, armed trawler Isle of Man came up and tried to tow her to Dover, but sank 4 miles E by N of Royal Sovereign LV (L - yorpedoed 2 miles E of Royal Sovereign LV, sank off Folkestone Pier; Mn - sank near Varne LV; wi - in 50.44N, 00.32E) (+L/Lr/Mn/te/un/wi)

BRANKSOME CHINE, 2,026/1899, Branksome Chine SS Co (H G Harper & Co), Cardiff-reg, Mr F Anstey, Grimsby Roads for Portsmouth with coal. Sank 6 miles E by S ¾S of Beachy Head, near Eastbourne (L - about 6 miles ESE of; wi - in 50.41.06N, 00.20.30E) (+L/Lr/Mn/te/un/wi)

 

Thursday 25 February

Dardanelles Campaign

Second Bombardment of Outer Dardanelles Forts

Second bombardment resumed after delays due to bad weather. Runs were made by battleships Vengeance and Cornwallis, French Suffren and Charlemagne, supported by anchored dreadnought Queen Elizabeth, battleships Agamemnon, Irresistible and French Gaulois. Fired was opened around around 1015, but within a short time, Agamemnon was hit:

Agamemnon, battleship, Lord Nelson-class, 17,680t, 4-12in/10-9.2in/24-12pdr/5-18in tt, 5th BS Channel Fleet 8/14, later to Mediterranean, anchored about 2½m WSW of Cape Yeni Shehr on Asiatic side. Cape Helles batteries opened fire at 1017 at 10,000yds and straddled her after 15min, ordered to weigh but within 10min hit by seven armour piercing shells, most of which broke up, but holed above waterline, hydraulic engine and main derrick damaged; 3 ratings killed, one DOW and four seriously injured. Cleared up wreckage, continued in action and repaired damage off Tenedos next day (Rn/Cn/D/da/dk)

By 1500 the outer batteries had been practically silenced by the Anglo-French ships. Minesweeping trawlers escorted by destroyers and covered by battleships Vengeance, Albion and Triumph then started sweeping the entrance. At 1600 the rest of the fleet retired to Tenedos. By 2000 the sweepers had penetrated four miles without finding any mines.

 

Friday 26 February

Dardanelles Campaign

Battleships Albion, Triumph and Majestic entered the Straits at 0800 to complete the destruction of the entrance forts and to attack the defences further inside, Albion along the European or north shore, Majestic along the Asiatic or south. Both soon came under fire which they returned, but as the day progressed the fixed shore guns were joined by concealed and mobile howitzer and field gun batteries and only by constantly shifting their positions could the two battleships avoid serious damage, that is until Majestic was hit. They were recalled at 1600:

Majestic, battleship, Majestic-class, c16,000t, 4-12in/12-6in/18-12pdr/5-18in tt, 7th BS Channel Fleet 8/14, later to Mediterranean, now with howitzer mounted on each of her turrets. Holed below waterline and leaking (Rn/Cn/D/da/vc)

Before then, at 1430, Royal Marine covering and Royal Navy demolition parties were landed near the entrance forts to complete their destruction, men from Irresistible on the European side, and from Vengeance on the Asiatic side covered by battleship Cornwallis, light cruiser Dublin and destroyers Racoon and Basilisk. The missions were successfully carried out with some casualties; Lt-Cdr Eric Gascoigne Robinson who led the Vengeance demolition party was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry under fire. He later took part in the successful destruction of stranded submarine E.15.

 

---

 

MARCH 1915

Dover Straits

SPANISH PRINCE, 6,505/1894, 450ft, Prince Line, Newcastle-reg, purchased as replacement for Dover blockship Montrose lost 20 December 1914, fitted out in same way; March - Scuttled on east side of southern entrance across from Livonian (ms – 6,394grt, owned by J Knott, scuttled off Dover Breakwater, November 1914) (Lr/D/dq/ms)

 

Monday 1 March

Dardanelles Campaign

Battleships Albion and Ocean, Canopus-class, 14,300t, 4-12in/12-6in, Triumph, Swiftsure-class, 11,985t, 4-10in/14-7.5in, and Majestic, Majestic-class, c16,060t, 4-12in/12-6in, taking part in the second attack within the Dardanelles after more delays due to the weather. Albion and Triumph to engage Fort Dardanos, Ocean and Majestic to search for mobile guns. All ships engaged by concealed guns, continually hit sometimes by 4in howitzers but not seriously; 1 officer and 4 men in Albion injured by splinters (Rn/Cn/D/da)

That night the trawlers started sweeping towards Kephez Point, escorted by destroyers Basilisk, Grasshopper, Racoon and Mosquito supported by light cruiser Amethyst. Just short of the first line of mines at 2300 they were illuminated by searchlights, subjected to heavy fire by the minefield protection guns, and forced to withdraw under cover of the supporting ships.

 

Tuesday 2 March

Dardanelles Campaign

Battleships Canopus, Canopus-class, 14,300t, 4-12in/12-6in, Cornwallis, Duncan-class, c15,000t, 4-12in/12-6in and Swiftsure, Swiftsure-class, 11,800, 4-10in/14-7.5in, taking part in third attack within the Straits. Opened fire on Fort Dardanos at 1420 which did not reply until 1615 but immediately straddled the ships. Canopus hit on quarter-deck wrecking wardroom, another shell carried away main topmast, and a third went through after funnel and wrecked two boats, all ships received minor damage; one man slightly wounded. Weather remained bad making aerial reconnaissance impossible, and again that night the minesweeping trawlers were driven back. However further landings were made by beach and demolition parties around Cape Helles and Kum Kale on the 3rd and 4th (Rn/Cn/D/da)

 

Wednesday 3 March

Shetlands

RONDO, Admiralty trawler, 117/1893, George F Sleight, Grimsby-reg GY528, hired 1915 (D - 11/14) as auxiliary patrol vessel, Admiralty No.666, (wi - F Harlow, Captain up to 1914). (He – 2nd) - Stranded on Unicorn Rocks, Tingwall, Shetland Islands at 2015 (wi - position unknown, but quotes 60.20N, 01.15W), bow held by rocks, flooded rapidly and sank by the stern, a wreck; crew stood by for an hour before leaving her in the boat, no lives lost (+Lr/C/D/He/dk/wi; ADM.137/98)

 

Thursday 4 March

U.8 detected by indicator nets in their first success, then sunk by destroyers Ghurka and Maori in Strait of Dover

Dardanelles Campaign

Landings by beach and demolition parties around Kum Kale resulted in a number of Royal Navy and Royal Marine casualties, including two ratings killed from battleship Lord Nelson, one from battleship Ocean, and 23 Marines from the Plymouth Battalion of the Royal Naval Division. Others died of wounds (dk)

 

Friday 5 March

Dardanelles Campaign - Phase 1 had been successful with the outer defences destroyed, beach and demolition parties landed, little damage to the bombarding ships, and few casualties. Now Adm Carden was ready for Phase 2 - sweeping the minefields, believed to consist of ten lines of mines starting 8 miles inside the entrance and reducing the gun and other defences right up to the Narrows. For the latter, naval forces included 14 British and 4 French capital ships and four British light cruisers, but the only minesweepers were eight slow trawlers.

Turkish Coastal Operations - Attempt to reduce Smyrna (Izmir) forts by bombardment was unsuccessful because of defensive minefields; battleships Swiftsure, Triumph, armoured cruiser Euryalus, seaplane carrier Aenne Rickmers, five trawler minesweepers took part. Minesweeper No.285 sunk on 8th, Aenne Rickmers damaged on 11th

Dardanelles Campaign

Queen Elizabeth, dreadnought, Queen Elizabeth-class, 31,500t, completed January 1915, 8-15in/16-6in, taking leading part in first bombardment of the inner defences, anchored in the Aegean 2½m W of Gaba Tepe and firing over the Gallipoli peninsula at the Narrows forts, spotting by seaplanes and battleship Albion within the Straits. Turks brought up mobile field guns and howitzers, mainly 12pdrs and hit her 17 times, no serious damage (Rn/Cn/D/da)

 

Saturday 6 March

Dardanelles Campaign

Queen Elizabeth continued indirect fire across the peninsula with Albion spotting, while Agamemnon and Lord Nelson entered the straits to carry out their attacks on the Narrows forts:

Majestic, battleship, Majestic-class, covering Albion while she spotted. Hit by a heavy shell from Messudieh Fort (Rn/Cn/D)

Agamemnon and Lord Nelson, battleships, Lord Nelson-class, c17,700t, 4-12in/10-9.2in, nicknamed "Aggie" and "Nellie", covered by the French battleship division, opened fire about 1230 on the powerful Chanak forts. Agamemnon soon hit on armour by 6in shell, at 1300 on quarterdeck apparently by 14in shell which blew a great hole, wrecked the wardroom and gunroom and drove splinters through the foretop, followed by two more heavy shells. As both ships continued to come under intense fire from many batteries, both were hit several times from 1400 on, rigging and upper works damaged. Agamemnon hit by a total of 8 heavy shells, Lord Nelson by 7 including one which hit her armour below the waterline, flooded two bunkers and also sent splinters into her conning tower; Capt McClintock and two crew wounded by the splinters. Both ships returned to Tenedos, and next day Lord Nelson left for Mudros and the repair ships there (Rn/Cn/D/da)

Smyrna Blockade

Triumph, battleship, Swiftsure-class and Euryalus, armoured cruiser, Cressy-class, 12,000t, 2-9.2in/12-6in, taking part in blockade of Smyrna to prevent it being used as a submarine base. The intention was to destroy the forts ready for an attack, with minesweeping trawlers sweeping ahead, covered by Triumph, Swiftsure and Euryalus. Turks opened heavy and accurate fire forcing the trawlers to withdraw, Triumph, Euryalus and minesweepers hit; 1 officer DOW, 1 officer and 6 ratings wounded (Rn/Cn/D)

 

Sunday 7 March

German East Africa Campaign - British lake steamers Winifred and Kavirondo drove German gunboat Mwanza ashore at the southern end of Lake Victoria and established local control

Bristol Channel

BENGROVE, Admiralty collier, 3,840/1910, Steam Transport Co (Joseph Hoult & Co), Liverpool-reg, 33 crew, Mr W Barber, Barry for France with 5,850t coal, steaming at 9kts. Torpedoed abaft engine room by U.20 Walther Schweiger), settled with list to starboard, boats ordered away, sank stern first about 30min later, 5 miles NNE of Ilfracombe, Devon (L - 5 miles N of; wi - in 51.17.52N 04.07.28W); crew rowed to SS Paignton, transferred to Ilfracombe lifeboat, landed there soon after 1500 (+L/Lr/te/un/wi)

Dardanelles Campaign

Dublin, light cruiser, Chatham-class, 6,000t, 8-6in/4-3pdr/2-21in tt, in Gulf of Xeros/Saros, keeping watch off Bulair at the neck of Gallipoli peninsula. Hidden battery opened fire, hit four times, damage not serious (Rn/Cn/D)

 

Monday 8 March

Smyrna Blockade

OKINO, Admiralty trawler, 241/1914, H L Taylor, Grimsby-reg GY4, hired 8/14 as minesweeper, Admiralty No.285, 15 crew, Lt Geoffrey Whitehouse RNR in command, sweeping channel into Smyrna (Izmir) at night to allow battleships to close and bombard the forts, battleships Triumph and Swiftsure firing on the searchlights. Night of 8th/9th - Mined and sunk about 3,000yds from Fort Yeni Kali, S side of Gulf of Smyrna (H/C/D/sc - in the Dardanelles); 10 crew lost, skipper and four men saved (+L/Lr/Rn/C/D/He/ap/dk/sc; ADM.1/8413/60, ADM.137/1089)

 

Tuesday 9 March

North Sea

Leviathan, armoured cruiser, Drake-class, was 6th CS Grand Fleet, now ordered to Rosyth prior to becoming flagship North American Station, zig-zagging near Bell Rock around 1730. Torpedo fired by U.12, missed (Rn/Cn/D/gf)

 

Wednesday 10 March

Western Front - Battles of Neuve Chapelle to 13th

U.12 rammed by destroyer Ariel off Fife Ness in North Sea

North Sea

Indomitable, battlecruiser, Invincible-class, Rosyth-based 3rd BCS, sailing Scapa Flow for Rosyth. Sighted submarine getting into position to fire off Montrose at dusk, turned and forced the U-boat to dive (Rn/Cn)

Ariel, destroyer, I-class, c990t, 2-4in/2-12pdr/2-21in tt, 1st DF, now believed based at Rosyth for service with Grand Fleet, Lt-Cdr Cyril Calaghan. U-boat sighted by trawler off Fife Ness, SE Scotland, three destroyers including Attack and Acheron called up, spotted her on the surface and opened fire, Ariel then rammed the conning tower as she submerged, U.12 came back up, was hit again and scuttled by the crew. Ariel's bow considerably damaged, stern high out of water, docked at Leith for repairs (Rn/Cn/D/ap/gf/ub)

Dardanelles Campaign

MANX HERO, Admiralty trawler, 221/1910, W H Beeley, Grimsby-reg GY585, hired 8/14 as minesweeper, 1-6pdr, Admiralty No.339, Skipper Edward Bray RNR, one of seven trawlers with 3rd Minesweeping Group accompanied by two picket boats, four escorting destroyers and supported by battleship Canopus and light cruiser Amethyst, taking part in attempt to sweep Kephez minefields in the dark. Instead of sweeping against the strong 3-4kt current, the intention was to get above the first line of mines and sweep down. Trawlers reached their position, passed sweeps in pairs and started back. Night of 10th/11th - Two mines exploded, one of them possibly so close to Manx Hero she sank, otherwise she hit a third, Turks opened fire, two trawlers hit and damaged by 6in shells, all then retired under destroyer cover; no lives lost in Manx Hero, crew picked up by HM Trawler Koorah (+L/Lr/Rn/C/D/He/ap/dk/sc; ADM.137/1089)

 

Thursday 11 March

German auxiliary cruiser Prinz Eitel Friedrich, running out of coal and with machinery wearing out, entered Newport News (Va), interned around 8/4/15

North Channel

Ambrose, Admiralty armed merchant cruiser, 4,595/1903, hired 20/11/14, 10th CS. Heading for Liverpool to coal, approaching North Channel, two torpedoes fired in separate attacks off Oversay Island (ss - Ornsay island) off Islay, possibly by U.20. During third attack, conning tower spotted and fired at (Rn/Mn/D/bi/ss)

BAYANO, Admiralty armed merchant cruiser, ex-passenger ship, 5,948/1913, 14kts, Elders & Fyffes, Liverpool, hired 8/14 (C/wi - 21/11/14), 2-6in, Pennant No.M.78, 10th CS Northern Patrol, Cdr Henry Carr i/c, master, Lt Bernard Dunphy RNR. After coaling in the Clyde, left night of 10th to return to patrol line (Rn/wd - for Liverpool to coal), sailing without lights at 13kts, very calm dark night. Torpedoed by U.27 (Bernd Wegener) amidships under boiler room around 0515, magazines exploded and she sank within 4min in Firth of Clyde, 10 miles SE by E of Corsewall Point, Galloway (ke - 10 miles WNW of; wi - in 55.03.03N, 05.26.03W); 196 lives lost - 14 officers, 124 ratings and 59 merchant seamen (ke - 195 lost), 26 survivors - 2nd i/c, 7 officers and men picked up by ABS Tara, 18 PO's and men on two liferafts by SS Balmerino and landed at Ayr. Wreck believed to lie at 330ft (+J/L/Rn/Mn/C/Cn/D/He/bi/dk/gf/ke/ss/te/un/wd/wi; ADM.137/185)

Dardanelles Campaign

Six trawler minesweepers again attempted to sweep the Kephez lines; one unknown trawler hit by 6in shell and repaired by Agamemnon's carpenters. Gunfire so heavy the trawlers soon withdrew, next night the French sweepers failed to make any progress sailing against the current, and it was decided to man some of the trawlers with regular navy crews. It was noted that the mines were “not as violent as North Sea mines” (Rn/ap/da)

Smyrna Blockade

Aenne Rickmers, seaplane carrier, German steamship, 7,000t/4,083grt, 1911, 1-12pdr/2 seaplanes, seized at Port Said 8/14, taken over as seaplane carrier in January with minimum of modifications, under Red ensign with mixed naval/civilian crew, French aircraft with French pilots and British observers, operated off Sinai, Syrian & Turkish coasts, taking part in British naval blockade of Smyrna. Torpedoed by German-commanded, Turkish torpedo boat Demir Hisar at 0200, grounded at Mudros for shoring-up by HMS Reliance, refloated 12 May, to Alexandria for repairs, completed 18 June. Recommissioned as HMS Anne with naval crew 5 August, paid off August 1917 (Rn/C/Cn/D/bt/nw)

 

Friday 12 March

North Sea

INVERGYLE, Admiralty collier, 1,794/1907, Invergyle SS Co (Stewart & Gray), Glasgow-reg, Mr D Minto, Scapa Flow for Hartlepool in ballast. (te/un - 13th) - Torpedoed by U.23 (Hans Schulthess), sank 12 miles NNE of Tyne estuary (L/wi - 15 miles NNE of, in 55.18.40N, 01.25.44W) (+L/Mn/Lr/te/un/wi)

 

Saturday 13 March

U-boat Warfare - First neutral sinking, possibly by mistake, Swedish steamer Hanna carrying coal from Tyne to Las Palmas torpedoed without warning and sunk in North Sea off Scarborough

North Channel

G.M.V., Admiralty drifter, 94/1907, Lowestoft-reg LT.1062, hired 2/15 as net drifter, 1-3pdr, Admiralty No.1109, Skipper William Woodgate RNR. In collision with minesweeping trawler Hungarian (186grt) off Mull of Kintyre/Larne, Co Antrim in North Channel (wi - blt 1909, Inverness-reg, Skipper G McLeod, lost in 54.53N, 05.33W); no lives lost (+D/He/dk/wi; ADM.137/100)

 

Sunday 14 March

Western Front - Battles of Neuve Chapelle, St. Eloi to 15th

Light cruiser Dresden discovered at Chilean island of Mas a Fuera, Juan Fernandez group in SE Pacific by armoured cruiser Kent, light cruiser Glasgow & armed merchant cruiser Orama, shelled, then scuttled

off NW & W Scotland

ORLANDO, Admiralty trawler, 276/1907, Dolphin Steam Fishing, Grimsby-reg GY248, hired 8/14 as minesweeper (wi – armed patrol trawler), armed, Admiralty No.365, Skipper Frederick Mercer RNR. Ran ashore on Sgeir More (possibly Mhor) rock, Tarskavaig Point, southern Isle of Skye in bad weather and wrecked (H/D - near Stornaway, Hebrides; wi - in 58.12N, 06.22W); no lives lost (+Lr/C/D/He/wi; ADM.137/100)

Digby, Admiralty armed merchant cruiser, 3,966/1913, hired 22/11/14 (later French Artois), 10th CS. (bi - 15th) - Held up in the Clyde because of attacks on Ambrose and Bayano, now heading for patrol area. Cleared North Channel, chased by U-boat off Skerryvore, took refuge in Tobermory Harbour, following day escorted out by destroyer and headed for patrol line (Mn/D/bi/ss)

Caribbean, 5,824/1890 and Colombella, 8,292/1902, armed merchant cruisers hired c19/11/14, 10th CS Northern Patrol. Dates not known - Attacked by U-boat(s) around the time of the attacks on Ambrose and Digby, escaped (D/ss)

Dardanelles Campaign

Amethyst, old light cruiser, Gem-class, 3,000t, 12-4in/8-3pdr/2-18in tt, supporting minesweepers in final attempt to clear the Kephez mines at night. Trawlers headed for positions above the mines to be swept, heavy fire disabled all the working crews of two trawlers with damage to gear and winches in the rest so great, only two vessels could get out their sweeps, leaving four trawlers and one picket boat out of action. Amethyst was near Kephez Point at this time trying to draw fire from the sweepers. Night of 14th/15th - Two shells exploded in stoker’s bathroom, starboard side forward and on messdeck; 21 killed and 28 severely wounded, of whom 4 DOW in Amethyst. Around 5 killed and 15 wounded in the other vessels (dk – only three others killed on the 14th, one in battleship Ocean and two on trawler Fentonian (following)) (Rn/Cn/da/dk/sm/sc)

Fentonian, Admiralty trawler, 221/1913, Grimsby-reg GY804, hired 3/15 as minesweeper, 1-6pdr, Admiralty No.448; 2 crew killed (D/dk)

 

Monday 15 March

Aviation war - start of German aircraft attacks on shipping in North Sea, 10 vessels bombed in March and April near North Hinder and Galloper LV's

Dardanelles Campaign

Dartmouth, light cruiser, Weymouth-class, 5,800t, believed within Dardanelles. Boiler explosion (1 of 12 Yarrow-manufactured) totally wrecking a boiler room, moved and anchored astern of battleship Agamemnon off Tenedos at 1100; 4 killed, seven died of injuries. Back in action within Dardanelles by 17th/18th (Rn/D/da/dk)

 

Wednesday 17 March

North Sea

Nemesis and Nymphe, destroyers, H-class, 970t, 2nd DF, taking part in Grand Fleet movements in northern and central North Sea since 16th, weather now too bad and Flotilla sent back to Scapa. Two ships collided, both needed docking for repairs (D/gf/gr)

 

Thursday 18 March

Naval Aviation - Only days after construction had been approved by the Admiralty on 28 February, the maiden flight of small non-rigid Sea Scout-class SS.1 airship took place at RNAS Station, Kingsnorth, Kent; sometimes referred to as SS Submarine Scout. Smaller and cheaper than the planned rigid airships, they joined RNAS aircraft on maritime patrols off the British coasts. By the end of the war more than 200 British non-rigid airships of different types had been built, of which more than 100 were operational, plus 200 naval balloons

U.29 rammed and sunk by battleship Dreadnought in North Sea, E of Pentland Firth

North Sea

Neptune, dreadnought, 1st BS, and Dreadnought, the first dreadnought battleship, 21,840t, 10-12in/27-12pdr, flagship 4th BS, both Grand Fleet, battle fleet and cruisers carried out "strategical exercise" in the early morning, then returned to their bases because of submarine warnings, 1st BS to Scapa, and 4th BS detached to Cromarty. Marlborough, flagship 1st BS reported sighting a periscope east of the Pentland Firth at 1218 and that a torpedo had passed just astern of Neptune. Around 1230 as 4th BS crossed under the stern of the rest of the battle fleet to head for Cromarty, Dreadnought sighted the periscope, altered course and rammed, sinking U.29 commanded by Lt-Cdr Otto Weddigen (dx - in 58.21N, 01.12E) who had sunk the three Cressy's and Hawke in U.9 (Cn/D/dx/gf)

Lord Airedale, Admiralty trawler, 215/1911, Grimsby-reg, hired 2/15 as minesweeper, Skipper J R Dawson, believed at anchor in "hurricane-force winds". Sank 150yds off the beach at Bridlington, Yorkshire probably after dragging her anchor; Skipper and 11 ratings lost. Salvaged and returned to service (D/dk)

Dardanelles Campaign

Final Naval Attack on the Narrows

                  
Gallipoli and area - click to enlarge

With Adm de Robeck now in command, an all out attack was launched against the Narrows defences by most of the 14 British and 4 French capital ships in three main groups. Ranging from the European side to the Asiatic in line abreast, these were (ships lost in italic CAPITALS sunk, and italic lower case damaged):

Line A, 1st Division - Queen Elizabeth, Agamemnon, Lord Nelson, Inflexible to go in first to bombard and dominate the Narrows forts.

Line B, 3rd Division - French ships Gaulois, Charlemagne, BOUVET, Suffren to pass through Line A and engage the forts more closely, covered by Prince George on the European side and Triumph on the Asiatic

2nd Division ships Vengeance, IRRESISTIBLE, Albion, OCEAN to relieve the French Line, and Majestic/Swiftsure to take over from Prince George/Triumph.

Canopus and Cornwallis were reserved for minesweeping cover that night

Line A was in action about 1130, came under fire from concealed guns and howitzers but not badly hit until Agamemnon and Inflexible began to suffer:

Agamemnon, battleship, Lord Nelson-class, 17,680t, 4-12in/10-9.2in. Between 1245 and 1310 hit at least 12 times by 6in howitzers from Eren Keui, five times on the armour without damage, seven times above it, with much structural damage, continued in operation (Rn/Cn/D/da/sm/tg)

Inflexible, battlecruiser, Invincible-class, 20,080t, 8-12in/16-4in. Also under fire from Eren Keui howitzers, hit on the bridge and wireless put out of action about 1220, hit three more times in the next 10min and picket boat alongside sunk, forebridge on fire and hit twice more, stayed on station to support the French; some men wounded (Rn/Cn/D)

Queen Elizabeth, dreadnought, Queen Elizabeth-class, 31,500t, 8-15in/16-6in. Hit frequently on superstructure, not seriously damaged, continued in operation; few if any casualties (Rn/Cn/D/tg)

French Line B with Prince George and Triumph passed through Line A at 1220, Suffren was badly damaged, Gaulois badly holed and had to be beached on Rabbit Island, then as BOUVET passed back through British Line A she blew up near the Asiatic shore around 1345, presumed at the time to have been hit in a magazine by a Turkish shell or possibly by shore torpedo.

The British 2nd Division ships proceeded to take the place of the retiring French, opening fire at 1439. At 1514 there was a heavy explosion alongside Irresistible from a heavy shell. Between 1530 and 1600 mines were reported where Bouvet went down. Shortly after and in an area far short of the Kephez lines of mines, Inflexible exploded one, then Irresistible and, after trying to tow Irresistible clear, Ocean detonated yet another nearly two hours later.

Before then the general recall for all ships had been hoisted:

Inflexible, battlecruiser, Capt Phillimore, on station in Line A since 1430. Mined on starboard bow by the forward submerged flat around 1611, immediately flooded, ship began to list and settle by the head, made for Tenedos and water continued to rise, reached there with difficulty an hour and a half after the explosion, anchored on north side of island; 3 officers, 31 ratings and 1 civilian contractor lost including every man in the forward flat killed, wounded taken off in a cutter during the journey to Tenedos. Towed to Malta and repaired by May (Rn/Cn/dk)

IRRESISTIBLE (above, sinking - Pat Gariepy), battleship, Formidable-class, 15,800t, 1898, 4-12in/12-6in/18-12pdr/4-18in tt, 18kts, c780 crew, Pennant No.64, 5th BS Channel Fleet 8/14, then to Mediterranean, Capt Douglas Dent, with 2nd Division, hit alongside at 1514 by heavy shell from Fort Hamadieh and by 1532 had taken a slight list, drifting with engines stopped about 1615. Mined near Eren Keui Bay (J/C - shore torpedo from White Cliffs battery), exploded under starboard engine-room near centre-line, engine-room quickly flooded, midship bulkhead buckled and port engine-room flooded leaving both engines disabled. Took 7° list to starboard, down by the stern and Turks concentrated fire on her, destroyer Wear and a picket boat came to assist and Ocean was ordered to stand by to tow. As Irresistible could not be saved, abandon ship was ordered under heavy fire causing casualties on deck, but 10 volunteers stayed to get a wire across to Ocean, list increased and ship lay bows on to the Asiatic shore leaving Ocean subjected to cross-fire. The two ship's captains decided to take off the volunteers, Irresistible abandoned at 1750, and Ocean withdrew, the intention being for destroyers and minesweepers to try to save her after dark. According to the Turks, she drifted back towards the Narrows Forts, was fired on and sank about 1930 (He – about 2000; da - now partly salvaged, lays in 40.04N, 26.20E); 4 officers killed and one DOW, 7 ratings killed and one more DOW, only three men got out of the rapidly flooded engine room, 28 surviving officers and 582 men taken off by Wear (ke - 200 casualties, 610 survivors) (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/da/dk/ke/mf; ADM.116/1443)

OCEAN, battleship, Canopus-class, 14,300t, 1898, 4-12in/12-6in/12-12pdr/4-18in tt, c750 crew, Pennant No.N.56, 8th BS Channel Fleet 8/14, later to Mediterranean, Capt Arthur Hayes-Sadler, with 2nd Division, now withdrawing under heavy fire from Dardanos and other forts. Mined around 1805 (J - shore torpedo from White Cliffs battery; C - by shore batteries), detonated starboard side adjacent to coal bunkers, nearby passages flooded and helmed jammed to port, at the same time, hit starboard-side aft by a shell, tiller-room and starboard steering engine-room flooded and repairs not possible, took 15° list. Abandon ship ordered and crew taken off. Ship abandoned, hopefully to drift out of danger if she stayed afloat, Jed lay off with Capt Hayes-Sadler on board until dark, finally left to her fate about 1930. The Turks reported she drifted into Morto Bay and sank there about 2230 (da - now partly salvaged, lays in 40.03N, 26.17E); 1 rating lost (He/ke - all 683 crew saved), most of crew taken off by destroyers Colne, Jed and Chelmer under cross fire, four men accidently left on board rescued by Jed after dark (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/dk/ke/mf; ADM.116/1443)

Mosquito, Racoon, G-class, c1,100t and Chelmer, Jed, Kennet, Wear, E-class, c630t, destroyers taking part in rescue operations, all subjected to "terrific" enemy gunfire. Racoon damaged by the concussion of a large shell bursting under water, also by shrapnel bullets; all destroyers "sustained comparatively few casualties” (D/dd)

The loss of Bouvet, Irresistible, Ocean and near-fatal damage to Inflexible were all due to a line of just 20 mines laid in Eren Keui Bay parallel to the Asiatic shore by 365t auxiliary minelayer Nousret or Nusret. The final Allied attempt to break through to Constantinople by naval power alone was over in just one day, with three capital ships sunk and three out of action out of the 16 taking part.

 

Sunday 21 March

Dardanelles Campaign

TB.064, torpedo boat, Yarrow 125ft-type, c87t, 1886, 19kts, 2-3pdr/5-14in tt, 16 crew, Chief Gunner James Cottrell in command. One of  a group of six torpedo boats, including TB’s 063 and 070, sailed on 17th from Port Said for Mudros on the island of Lemnos, in company with old light cruiser Doris and collier Kasala. On the 20th, off the island of Khio (or Chios) with the weather worsening, they coaled, but TB.064 only took on half her bunkers. Continuing on to Lemnos in strong NE gales and following a course change, 064 became separated, and Doris, after reaching Mudros with the other five TB's, went out to search for the missing one. She was found off the east coast of the island, at anchor, with hardly any remaining coal and in no condition to proceed. Night of 21st - anchors dragged, drifted ashore and wrecked E side of Lemnos island; no lives lost, crew saved after a stoker swam ashore with a line (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/dk/ke; ADM.137/3119)

 

Monday 22 March

Eastern Front - Russians captured Przemysl

 

Wednesday 24 March

North Sea

Undaunted, light cruiser, Arethusa-class, 4,400t, 3rd DF leader and Landrail, destroyer, L-class, c1,300t, 3rd DF, Harwich Force, in collision. Damaged to Undaunted not known but three crew drowned, Landrail towed home with badly crumpled bow (D/dk)

 

Thursday 25 March

U-boat Warfare - First deliberate neutral sinking, Dutch SS Medea sailing Valencia for London with oranges, stopped and searched then sunk by U.28 in English Channel off Beachy Head. Dutch government made strong protests

 

Tuesday 30 March

off SW Scotland

TRYGON, Admiralty trawler, 289/1908, Fleetwood-reg FD.221, Mount Steam Fishing, hired 1914 as minesweeper (D - 2/15 as auxiliary patrol vessel; He – 1915 as patrol vessel), Admiralty No.978, Lt Henry Oakley RNR (wi - J Price, Captain). In collision with SS Myrtle Grove, 2,640grt (ms - Myrtlegrove), foundered in River Clyde (wi - exact position unknown, but River Clyde, in 55.58N, 04.52W); no lives lost (+Lr/C/D/He/ms/dk/fd/wi; ADM.137/103)

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APRIL 1915

U-boat Warfare - First Flanders UB flotilla commissioned, six boats operational by end of April; U.37 possibly mined off Zeebrugge, Belgium during the month

 

Friday 2 April

English Channel

LOCHWOOD, Admiralty collier, 2,042/1900, Constantine & Pickering SS Co, Middlesbrough-reg, 21 crew, Mr T Scott, from Barry with 3,200t coal, steaming at 8kts in misty weather with sea rough, strong WSW wind. U.24 (Rudolf Schneider) sighted on reverse course on port beam about 1¼m distant, turned away, hoisted Norwegian ensign and went to full speed. U-boat followed, fired a first torpedo at 1745 and a second at 1815, then approached within hailing distance, ordered Lochwood to stop and gave the crew 10min to abandon ship, while doing so a third torpedo hit port-side abaft the engine-room. U.24 made off at 1900 and Lochwood sank at 1930, 25 miles SW of Start Point, Devon (wi - in 49.54.30N, 04.04W) (+L/Lr/te/un/wi)

 

Tuesday 6 April

Western Front - Battle of the Woevre to 15th

 

Friday 9 April

Auxiliary Patrol - British order for 50 American-built motor launches (ML.1-50) placed with Elco of Bayonne, NY through Canadian Vickers; further orders reached ML.580

 

Sunday 11 April

German auxiliary cruiser Kronprinz Wilhelm entered Newport News (Va) in poor mechanical condition, interned on 27th

English Channel

Sarnia, Admiralty armed boarding steamer, 1,498/1910, hired 14/11/14, 2-12pdr, Cdr H Muir RNR. At 0700 Brixham smack Addax reported seeing a U-boat chasing a steamer half an hour earlier, at 0730 Sarnia sighted the French SS Frederic Franck 3½m off with crew in boats and U.24 (Rudolf Schneider)  alongside. Sarnia approached, the U-boat submerged, and Sarnia circled the steamer firing at the periscope. Around 0820 a first torpedo was evaded, then a second. Having called for destroyer help, she continued circling, firing at and attempting to ram the periscope until 1020 when the U-boat made off; the French steamer was only damaged (Mn/D)

 

Monday 12 April

Mesopotamian Campaign - Turkish attacks on Kurnah/Al Qurnah to 14th held by British/Indian forces, Turks retreating along River Euphates towards Nasiriya pursued by vessels of the River Flotilla.

 

Wednesday 14 April

German East Africa Campaign - German supply ship Kronburg, ex-British SS Rubens detained at Hamburg 8/14, now carrying supplies for light cruiser Königsberg still lying in the Rufuji River delta, sunk by old light cruiser Hyacinth in the Indian Ocean

 

Saturday 17 April

SW Scotland

Virginian, Admiralty armed merchant cruiser, 10,760/1905, hired 13/11/14, 10th CS. Ran ashore in Clyde opposite Govan Ferry, blocked river and delayed armed merchant cruiser Oropesa leaving for her patrol (Mn/D)

Dardanelles Campaign

 
Gallipoli - click to enlarge

E.15 (below, sister-boat E.4 - Navy Photos), submarine, E-class, 667/807t, 23/4/14, 1-12pdr/5-18in tt with 10 torpedoes, 15kts/9kts, 30 crew, Pennant No.I.95, Harwich until 1915, then to Mediterranean, Lt-Cdr Theodore Brodie, first Allied attempt to break through Dardanelles to reach Sea of Marmara since failure of French Saphir on 15 January, departed Mudros night of 16th carrying former British Vice-Consul at Chanak, now Lt Palmer RNVR. The submerged submarine was swept by a strong current into shoal water and grounded, undamaged S of Kephez Point light at around 0600 on the 17th (Cn/D/He – 15th) only a few hundred yards from Fort Dardanos, fired on by the Fort's guns before they realised she was aground, one shell killed Lt Brodie as he climbed out of the conning tower, another burst in an ammonia tank or battery compartment and asphyxiated and killed five crew; with the captain lost, survivors took to water and taken prisoner. Turkish attempts to salvage her started with a torpedo boat trying to pull her off, this was thwarted by bombing attacks, and the decision taken to destroy E.15 where she lay. Submarine B.6 went in but because of heavy fire, failed to hit her with two torpedoes.

That night - the 17th still - destroyers Scorpion and Grampus could not find her because of screening searchlights. Next morning, B.11 failed in its search because of fog, and that afternoon battleships Majestic and Triumph tried to hit her with big guns from within the Dardanelles, but as the shore defences prevented them getting any nearer than 12,000yds, they had to give up. That night - the 18th (Cn - 16th) - a picket boat each from Majestic and Triumph fitted with 14in torpedo dropping gear were sent in under the command of Lt-Cdr Robinson of Vengeance, the officer who had already displayed much gallantry destroying guns on shore in February. Creeping forward in pitch darkness, the boats aproached Kephez Point, when searchlights caught them and heavy gunfire followed. Neither was hit, a searchlight accidentally illuminated E.14 and Majestic's boat launched her torpedo which may have found the target; shortly hit by a shell , she began to sink. Triumph also fired hers, rescued Majestic's crew and with only one man lost, returned safely. Next morning, the 19th, E.15 was reported destroyed (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/bw/dk/dx/ke/md; ADM.1/8418/90)

 

Monday 19 April

North Sea

MAYFAIR, naval motor boat No.1, hired 1914, Lt Edward Martin RNVR. Darkened and on patrol in Firth of Forth, W of Inchkeith in approaches to Rosyth, spotted at 2033 by also darkened and patrolling torpedo boat TB.32 which put engines full astern and helm hard a starboard, but hit Mayfair the starboard side, sinking her; no lives lost, all crew picked up by TB.32’s boat(s). Mayfair continued to be listed until 1919, either a clerical error or she was possibly salvaged (He/D only; ADM.137/107, ADM.53/64641)

off NW Scotland

RHODESIA (1), Admiralty trawler, 155/1899, Hull Steam Fishing & Ice, Hull-reg H443, hired 1/15 as auxiliary patrol vessel, Admiralty No.1215, Skipper Philip Marr RNR (wi - A Gibson, Captain). Wrecked near Stornaway, Isle of Lewis (He/wi - on Obb Rock, S of Tulm Is, South Harris, in 57.41.20N, 06.20.40W); no lives lost (+Lr/C/D/He/dk/hw/wi)

 

Thursday 22 April

Western Front - Second Battle of Ypres to 25 May

 

Saturday 24 April

Western Front - Second Battle of Ypres, St. Julien to 4 May

Mesopotamian Campaign - Turkish attack towards Ahwaz in Persia, to the NE of Basra, held by British/Indian forces

North Sea

Undaunted, light cruiser, Arethusa-class, 4,400t, 3rd DF leader and Landrail, destroyer, L-class, c1,300t, 3-4in/1-12pdr/4-21in tt, 3rd DF, Harwich Force sailed on the 23rd with carrier Empress for a seaplane raid on the German coast, good weather lasted until around 0500 on the 24th when dense fogbanks were encountered near the take-off position. During manoeuvres, Landrail hit Undaunted in the engine-room at 18kts holing her badly, Landrail lost 20-30ft of her forecastle, and both had their wireless knocked out, making it difficult to inform Cdre Tyrwhitt in Arethusa. Undaunted made her way home with 3ft of water in the engine-room, Landrail was towed stern-first by destroyer Mentor and then light cruiser Aurora, both having towing-hawsers part twice in rising seas. At 1830 and drifting close to Terschelling on a lee shore, Arethusa, after her own two failed attempts took up the tow and headed for Yarmouth at 4kts, reaching there at 2100 on the 26th, 71 hours after the collision. Two tugs took Landrail to Chatham where repairs took 5 weeks. Their last collision has been exactly one month before, on 24 March! (Cn/D/dd/gr/ty)

 

Sunday 25 April

Gallipoli Campaign - The Gallipoli "military" as distinct from the Dardanelles "naval" campaign started with Allied landings around the southern Gallipoli Peninsula

Gallipoli Campaign

                  
Gallipoli and area - click to enlarge

From south round to the west, French troops landed near Kum Kale as a diversion, British 29th Division landed at "S"-Morto Bay, "V"-Sedd el Bahr or Cape Helles, "W"-Tekke Burnu, "X"-a mile north of Tekke Burnu and Y-beaches, and the two ANZAC divisions further north still at Z-beach north of Gaba Tepe, all, except the French on the European shore. A diversionary demonstration was made off Bulair at the neck of the Peninsular, and follow-up troops landing in the south included a Royal Marine brigade, the Royal Naval Division and an Indian brigade.

The landings required about 200 transports, supported by a fleet of 16 British battleships, 9 cruisers, 24 destroyers, 8 submarines including Australian AE.2, 2 French battleships, 3 cruisers, 5 destroyers, 4 submarines, Russian cruiser Askold, auxiliaries and minesweepers all under the command of Vice-Adm de Robeck, with Cdre Keyes as Chief of Staff.

Ships taking part included (those in italics incurred casualties – either killed in action or died of wounds on this date – and may have been damaged. See note at end of entry):

Fleet Flagship – dreadnought Queen Elizabeth

First Squadron (Main British landings, S to Y beaches) – battleships Swiftsure (2nd flag), Albion, Lord Nelson, Implacable, Vengeance, Prince George (attached to French landings), Goliath, Cornwallis, cruisers Minerva, Euryalus (flag), Talbot, Dublin, and six fleet minesweepers.

Second Squadron (Anzac Cove landings) – battleships Queen (flag), London, Prince of Wales, Triumph, Majestic, cruiser Bacchante, submarine depot ship Adamant, seaplane carrier Ark Royal, balloon ship Manica, destroyers Beagle, Bulldog, Foxhound, Scourge, Chelmer, Colne, Ribble, Usk, and four trawlers.

Third Squadron (feint attack on Bulair) – battleship Canopus, cruisers Dartmouth, Doris, and two destroyers.

Fourth Squadron (cruisers and trawlers attached to First) – cruisers Sapphire, Amethyst, and 12 trawlers.

Fifth Squadron (including minesweepers and netlayers) – battleship Agamemnon, 10 destroyers, three French minesweepers, two netlaying trawlers.

Sixth Squadron (French landings) – two French battleships, three French cruisers, seven destroyers and five torpedo boats.

Seventh Squadron (Smyrna blockade) – four destroyers and armed yacht Triad.

Many of the troops were landed ashore in ship's boats from battleships and by destroyers, the only specialist assault ship was SS River Clyde:

River Clyde, landing assault ship, ex-collier, 3,913/1905, Ormond Cook & Co, Glasgow, purchased 12/4/15, converted by Cdr Unwin of minesweeping gunboat Hussar to land 2,500 troops directly ashore. Ports were cut in River Clyde's side, she towed a steam hopper port side and four lighters alongside, two on either bow, material was carried for a permanent pier and armoured machine-gun positions mounted on the forecastle. In operation, River Clyde was to be grounded, the hopper steam past, ground itself and drop down a gangway, troops would leave through the ports on each side, enter one lighter, cross to the second to reach the hopper and then ashore.

Beached just before 0700 under "murderous fire" at the Seddul Bahr end of V-beach (the other end was Cape Helles), the hopper grounded too far from the shore for the gangway to reach and the front lighter swung away, only 200 troops reached the land in the first three hours, leaving many others dead and wounded. Even this small success was only made possible by Cdr Unwin and members of the crew who in full view of the Turks, secured and held the lighters and hopper as the troops passed over. Cdr Unwin stood in the water holding lines and although wounded, later rescued other wounded from the shore by boat, Midshipman Drewry in command of the hopper was also wounded but carried on until Midshipman Malleson took over, AB William stayed in the water holding the pontoon fast until he was killed and Seaman Samson worked on the lighters all day before being badly wounded. The main body of troops only landed that night. Mid George Leslie Drewry RNR (from Hussar), Mid Wilfred St Aubyn Malleson (battleship Cornwallis), Seaman George McKenzie Samson RNR (Hussar), Cdr Edward Unwin (Hussar), AB William Charles William RFR (Hussar) posthumously, were all awarded the Victoria Cross. River Clyde was later salvaged, sold 1920, renamed Angela, not broken up until 1966 (Rn/C/dx/mf/ms/vc)

Beagle, Bulldog (above - Navy Photos), Foxhound, Scourge, G-class, c1,100t, 1-4in/3-12pdr/2-18in tt and Chelmer, Colne, Ribble, Usk, E-class, c630t, 4-12pdr, 2-18in tt, destroyers taking part in landings on Z-beach, later known as Anzac Cove, with 2nd Squadron (Rear-Adm Thursby). Four thousand men of 3rd Australian Brigade carried as an advanced guard by battleships Queen (flag), Prince of Wales, London and six of the destroyers, rest of the Anzac Corps in transports anchored offshore, cover provided by battleships Triumph, Majestic and cruiser Bacchante. Sixteen laden ship's lifeboats were towed in by picket boats, followed by equally-laden destroyers towing more lifeboats for their troops to disembark in; landing started around 0430, destroyers came under heavy machine gun and rifle fire. Many troops killed on the decks, crews suffered casualties. By 1400, 12,000 troops of 1st Australian Division were ashore with two batteries of Indian artillery, and within 24 hours, the 2nd Australian Division including a New Zealand Brigade had joined them (Rn/Cn/D/dd)

Two more G-class destroyers, 5th DF Mediterranean Fleet, temporarily equipped as minesweepers, also hit by Turkish shore fire, probably other destroyers damaged as well at other times:

Mosquito, heavy casualties including First Lt killed (dk – only man killed) (Cn/D/dd/dk)

Racoon, Lt-Cdr A Muller. Date uncertain, sometime after 25 April - hit in one her boilers off Seddul Bahr (Rn/Cn/D/mf)

Note: Kindell lists the following warship casualties on the 25th. It is not known if all those who died of wounds were wounded on this day or previously:

Dreadnought Queen Elizabeth (1 kia); battleships Agamemnon (3 dow), Albion (2 dow), Canopus (3 kia), Cornwallis (15 kia), Implacable (2 kia), Lord Nelson (4 kia), Prince George (1 kia), Prince of Wales (1 dow), Queen (1 kia), Swiftsure (1 dow), Triumph (1 dow), Vengeance (1 kia); armoured cruisers Bacchante (1 kia, 1 dow), Euryalus (6 kia); destroyers Chelmer (1 kia), Mosquito (1 kia); assault ship River Clyde (1 kia); despatch boat Osiris (1 kia, 1 dow); and submarine depot ship Adamant (1 kia).

More men from some of these ships died of wounds over the succeeding days, but again, it is not known how many of them were wounded on the 25th. It is assumed all these warships may have been damaged to some, mainly small, extent, although some of the casualties may have occurred ashore, during ship-to-shore operations or while serving in other ships e.g. AB William Williams of HMS Hussar awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously in action with River Clyde. Royal Navy Division losses on the day were 13, with many more sadly to come (dk)

see Army Despatch, dated 20th May 1915 in London Gazette, No. 29217 and Naval Despatch, dated 1 July 1915 in Gazette, No.29264

 

Monday 26 April

Gallipoli Campaign

The British Y-beach was evacuated and the French withdrew from the Asiatic shore to reinforce the British right inland of De Totts battery

 

Tuesday 27 April

Victoria Cross - Lt-Cdr Edward Courtney Boyle (CO, HM S/M E.14) arrived in the Sea of Marmara on the 27th at the start of a successful patrol, returning on 18 May in time to brief Lt-Cdr Nasmith of E.11. Lt-Cdr Boyle was awarded the VC for this and two further patrols

Gallipoli Campaign

BALMEDIE, Admiralty trawler, 205/1906, Balgownie Steam Trawl Fishing Co, Aberdeen-reg A113, hired 8/14 as minesweeper, Admiralty No.350, Skipper George Reynolds RNR. In collision, sank in the Dardanelles (C - off); no lives lost (+Lr/C/D/He/dk)

Scorpion and Wolverine, destroyers, G-class, c,1,100t, 1-4in/3-12pdr/2-18in tt, 5th DF Mediterranean Fleet, two of nine temporarily-equipped minesweeping destroyers, sweeping some way inside the Straits to allow the battleships to reach bombardment positions, sweep wires passed and drawing apart. Turkish 4.1in shore batteries opened fire, Wolverine hit on bridge, Scorpion by shell in seaman’s messdeck which started a fire, soon put out; Wolverine lost Cdr O Prentis her captain, a sub-lieutenant RNR and coxswain (dk – on the 28th, probably night of 27th/28th). There were a few shrapnel holes in Scorpion (Lt-Cdr A B Cunningham - “ABC” of WW2 fame) soon repaired by destroyer depot ship Blenheim. Over the succeeding days, more destroyers were hit and damaged (Cn/D/cu/dd/dk)

 

Wednesday 28 April

Diplomatic Incidents - US merchant ship Cushing bombed by German aircraft in North Sea

Gallipoli Campaign - First Battle of Krithia; 3rd Royal Marine Battalion landed, Royal Marine Corps Memorable Date - GALLIPOLI

Atlantic off NW Scotland

Many supply ships especially colliers were needed for Admiral Jellicoe's Grand Fleet; some were lost as they passed up the western British Isles:

MOBILE, Admiralty collier, 1,950/1914, Furness, Withy & Co, West Hartlepool-reg, Mr W Fortune, Barry for Scapa Flow with coal. Captured by U.30 (Erich von Rosenberg-Grusczyski), sunk with bombs 25 miles NW of Butt of Lewis, Outer Hebrides (wi - by gunfire, in 58.48N, 06.50W) (+L/Mn/Rn/te/un/wi)

Gallipoli Campaign

Albion, battleship, Canopus-class, 14,300t, 4-12in/12-6in, above Morto Bay on European side off Kereves Dere, providing gunfire support for French forces, shortly after noon, about to be relieved by Lord Nelson. Hit and damaged by Turkish shellfire, leaking and retired to Mudros for three days for repairs (Rn/D/Cn)

 

Thursday 29 April

Atlantic off W Ireland

Another Grand Fleet supply ship, this time lost off the Irish coast:

CHERBURY, Admiralty collier, 3,220/1911, Cherbury SS Co (T L Duff & Co), Glasgow-reg, 25 crew, Mr James Davidson, Barry south-about Ireland for Cromarty with 5,100t coal. Submarine sighted 4 miles off at 1900, 10min later as Cherbury continued to zig-zag three shells fired, after another 10 to 12 miles a torpedo was fired and missed, then U.30 (Kurt Wippern) came up to within 150yd and signalled abandon ship, Cherbury hove to and complied. A party of Germans boarded, took the ship’s papers and navigational equipment, placed three scuttling charges below, sinking her around 2025, 27 miles WNW of Eagle Is, off Co Mayo (L - 13 miles NNW of; wi - in 54.21N, 10.18W); crew rowed to Eagle Is LH, next morning proceeded to Scotsport and Belmullet. Note: “Wreck Index” describes the first sighting of the U-boat as 27 miles WNW of Eagle Is, followed by a 10 to 12 miles chase (+L/Lr/Mn/Rn/te/un/wi)

 

Friday 30 April

Victoria Cross - L/Cpl Walter Richard Parker RMLI (Portsmouth Battalion, RN Division), to 1 May, Gallipoli, stretcher bearer, also carried ammunition and supplies to isolated position under intense enemy fire and cared for wounded

Atlantic off SW Ireland

FULGENT, Admiralty collier, 2,008/1910, Westoll Line/James Westoll, Sunderland-reg, collier No.151, presumably Pennant No.Y3.151, 20 crew, Mr C Brown, from Cardiff south-about Ireland for Scapa Flow with 2,750t coal. U.30 (Kurt Wippern) (L/Mn - U.7 but sunk 21 January 1915; ge - U.23) surfaced close astern at 0900 and fired one shot, collier went to full speed, attempted to keep the U-boat astern, but quickly overhauled on the port quarter, second shell hit bridge, engines stopped and ship abandoned. U.30 used the port-side boat to put a scuttling crew on board, charges sank her at 0945, 20 miles WNW from Blasket islands, N entrance to Dingle Bay (L/te/un - 45 miles NW of Skellig Rocks; wi - in 52.10.10N, 11.10W); man at the wheel killed and master badly wounded by second shell, 14 men took to the starboard boat with the master while the rest took the port, the boats stayed together all through the 30th and into the 31st then became separated during the night. The survivors, excluding the master who died two hours after being taken off, were picked up the SS’s Tosto and Angle, and landed at Galway and Kilrush on 1 May (+L/Lr/Mn/ge/te/un/wi)

Gallipoli Campaign

AE.2, Australian submarine, E-class, 655/796t, 1913, 1-12pdr/4-18in tt with 8 torpedoes, 15/9kts, 30 crew, to Mediterranean 3/15, Lt-Cdr Henry Stoker, first Australian/British submarine to break through the Dardanelles to the Sea of Marmara reaching there on the 26th, now heading for Gulf of Atarki, SW part of Marmara to rendezvous with E.14 which had followed AE.2 in. Sighted Turkish gunboat, lost control and came to the surface only 100yds off, Sultan Hissar (French-built 38m-type torpedo boat Sultanhissar) launched torpedoes which missed, then opened fire making a number of hits, AE.2 surfaced to allow the crew to get off, then scuttled near the island of Marmara (C - hit by shore batteries); all crew saved, 4 ratings died as POW's in 1916. Wreck believed found in 1999 at 240ft (+J/C/Cn/D/He/bw/dk/dx/ke/on/www; ADM.137/2077)

 

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MAY 1915

 

Saturday 1 May

U-Boat Warfare - First US ship attacked without warning, tanker Gulflight carrying oil from Port Arthur for Rouen, torpedoed and damaged by U.30 off Scillies, Captain and two crew killed. More strong US protests followed; UB.3 went missing in Aegean Sea during the month

North Sea

Old destroyers Recruit and Brazen were on patrol off the Galloper Lightvessel in the Thames Estuary, while Yarmouth trawlers Columbia, Barbados, Miura, Chirsit were searching for a reported U-boat off North Hinder. Recruit was torpedoed and sunk at 1120 by a UB-boat, and about the same time a torpedo was fired at Columbia off the mouth of the Scheldt, probably by another UB. The trawlers continued their search and by 1500 were back at North Hinder when they were attacked by small German TB's A.2 and A.6, a new type based at Zeebrugge and sent overland in sections for assembly at Antwerp. Four torpedoes were fired and Columbia sank, followed by a 20 minute gun action between the TB's and the three surviving trawlers. The Germans then headed back at the sight of Harwich destroyers Laforey, Leonadis, Lawford, Lark coming out in reponse to the loss of Recruit, chased and sank both by gunfire:

RECRUIT (1), destroyer, C-class, 425t, 1896, 1-12pdr/5-6pdr/2-18in tt, 30kts, c63 crew, Pennant No.N.60, Nore Defence Flotilla, Cdr Charles Wrightson. Torpedoed amidships at 1120 by UB.6 (Erich Haecker) (Cn/D - by UB.16), broke in two and sank quickly near Galloper LV (Rn - c30 miles SW of North Hinder LV; ge/un - 30 miles SW of the Galloper), reportedly the first warship sunk by a Flanders Flotilla submarine; 39 ratings lost (He – 34, ke - 43), four officers and 22 men saved by passing Dutch steamer (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/ap/dk/dx/ge/ke/un; ADM1/8420/114, ADM.1/8420/117)

COLUMBIA, Admiralty trawler, 266/1886, Hellyers Steam Fishing, Hull-reg H42, presented (presumably as a private gift) 9/14 as auxiliary patrol vessel, Admiralty No.200, Canadian Lt-Cdr Walter Hawthorn RNR. Torpedoed shortly after 1500, probably by first torpedo fired by A.6 off North Hinder LV (ap - 4 miles NW of; D - nearby Thornton Ridge; H/L/C - Foreness, near North Foreland, Kent); total of 3 officers and 13 ratings lost, Barbados searched for survivors without success, later discovered one had been rescued by Miura. According to German reports, Lt Hawthorn and two men were picked up as POW’s, but lost when A.2 and A.6 were sunk (+L/Lr/C/D/He/ap/dk/ge; ADM.1/8420/116)

Barbados, Admiralty trawler, (C - 211/1905; D - 183/1907), Hull-reg H.938, hired 10/14 as minesweeper, 1-6pdr AA, Lt Sir James Domville. Second torpedoes fired by A.2 and A.6 missed, then badly damaged by gunfire as Chirsit and Miura came up from some way off; Lt Domville and the skipper wounded. Note: The Colledge tonnage and build date apply to a second trawler named Barbados employed as BDV according to Dittmar & Colledge (C/D/ap)

 

Sunday 2 May

Eastern Front - Gorlice-Tarnow offensive to late June

Gallipoli Campaign

Albion, battleship, Canopus-class, 14,300t, 4-12in/12-6in, just returned from repairing damage sustained on 28 April, providing gunfire support with Agamemnon, Goliath, Prince George and Vengeance off southern beachheads, operating on French right. Hit badly by Turkish gunfire from Asiatic shore in evening, retired to Mudros again to make good the damage; one man DOW on this date, not known if he was wounded at this time. Next day Prince George, Majestic-class, c16,000t, 4-12in/12-6in, was holed on the waterline by a 6in shell from the Asiatic batteries, had to leave for Mudros, and then for Malta to dock (Rn/D/da)

 

Thursday 6 May

Gallipoli Campaign - Second Battle of Krithia to 8th; Sub-Lt Arthur Walderne St Clair Tisdall RNVR (Anson Battalion, RN Division) killed ashore on 6th, awarded Victoria Cross for gallantry.

See Army Despatch, dated 26th August 1915 in London Gazette No.29303

North Sea

Two sorties towards the German coast were thwarted by dense fog and resultant collisions involving three destroyers:

Comet and Nemesis, H-class, 970t, 2nd DF Grand Fleet, two of eight destroyers escorting minelayer Orvieto from Scapa into Heligoland Bight. In collision, Nemesis "seriously damaged"; no casualties (D/gf/gr)

Lennox, L-class, c1,300t, 3rd DF, with Harwich Force of light cruisers and destroyers escorting seaplane carriers for attempted raid, fog so thick twice had to anchor. Lennox rammed by one of the carriers and Force recalled; no casualties (D/ty)

Western Mediterranean

TB.92, torpedo boat, Thornycroft 140ft-type, 130t, 1894, 3-3pdr/3-14in tt, Gibraltar Patrol, with one or more TB's watching area to east of Gibraltar for expected U-boats entering the Mediterranean, sighted submarine. Torpedo fired at TB.92, 40 miles W of Alboran island, submarine dived and two attempts made to ram. Believed to be U.21 which left the Ems on 25 April, reaching Cattaro on 13 May (Rn/Cn/ge)

 

Friday 7 May

U-boat Warfare - Sinking of British liner Lusitania with the loss of 785 passengers including 124 US citizens caused major US-German diplomatic row with United States; notes of protest issued on 14 May, 9 June and 21 July 1915 about U-boat policy. Germany claimed the liner had been an armed merchant cruiser, was believed to be a troop transport and carrying a small quantity of ammunition, but immense diplomatic damage had been done. The Kaiser shortly banned attacks on large passenger ships

Belgian Coast

MAORI, destroyer, F-class, 1,030t, 1909, 2?4in/2?18in tt, 33kts, 68 crew, Pennant No.H.16, 6th DF Dover Patrol, Lt-Cdr or Cdr Benjamin Barrow, with sister ship Crusader (Lt-Cdr Maxwell) reconnoitring Belgian coast, between Hayst and Blankenberge, to lay marks in preparation for shoot by battleship Venerable. Conditions misty and did not clear until mid-afternoon. Around 1515, steering SE at 18 knots. Mined at low water under her starboard quarter, spotted and hit by German shell-fire, sank 2 miles NW of Weilingen LV, near Zeebrugge (He - around 51.21.1N, 03.06.9E), crew got away in their boats, Crusader lowered a boat but her commander decided to retire because of the intense shore fire, and left the boat behind; no lives lost in Maori, 7 officers and 87 ratings reached shore to become POW's, Crusader's boat crew also taken prisoner (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/dk/dp/dq/ge/ke; ADM.156/145, ADM.1/8420/124)

 

Saturday 8 May

North Sea

Limewold, armed trawler, 189/1898, Grimsby-reg, hired 12/14, 1-6pdr, CO on shore sick, Acting Skipper C Bond i/c, on patrol. Shell burst close to the bows at 0430, 20 miles E of Peterhead, submarine spotted one and half miles away right astern and closing fast, turned and returned fire, claimed hit on waterline abreast of conning tower with fifth shot when range down to 600yds, submarine submerged (Mn/D)

Admiralty collier (and one steamship) captured and torpedoed by U.9 (Johannes Spiess):

DON (2), Admiralty collier, 939/1892, Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Co, Goole-reg, Mr W Adron, sailing Cromarty for Blyth in ballast. Sank around 0440, 7 miles E of Coquet Isle, off Amble (wi - in 55.21N, 01.20W) (+L/Lr/te/un/wi)

 

Sunday 9 May

Western Front - Second Battle of Ypres, Aubers

Suez Canal area

FANNY, tug, no further information, probably civilian vessel but crew included at least three ratings from armoured cruiser HMS Euryalus. Lost in accidental sinking; three ratings drowned, two of them buried at Ismailia, near Suez (dk)

 

Monday 10 May

North Sea

Dominion, battleship, King Edward VII-class, returning to Rosyth after cruise in northern North Sea with rest of 3rd BS, also 3rd CS, all Grand Fleet, divisions in line ahead, zigzagging at 15kts, had not yet met screening destroyers. (ge - 8th; Cn - May 1916) - unsuccessfully attacked by U.39 about 100 miles ENE of Firth of Forth, two torpedoes missed (Cn/D/gf/ge)

 

Thursday 13 May

Gallipoli Campaign

 
Gallipoli - click to enlarge

GOLIATH, battleship, Canopus-class, 14,300t, 1898, 4-12in/12-6in/12-12pdr/4-18in tt, 18 kts, c750 crew, Pennant No.N.54, 8th BS Channel Fleet 8/14, later to Mediterranean, Capt Thomas Shelford. French forces under heavy attack inland of S-Beach, night of 12th/13th, Goliath and Cornwallis providing gunfire support, both anchored in exposed position in Morto Bay off Seddul Bahr village, Cornwallis astern of Goliath, destroyers Beagle, Bulldog, Pincher, Scorpion, Wolverine on patrol, night very dark, foggy around midnight, attacks were suspected. Turkish destroyer Muavenet-i-Miliet, partly German-manned and commanded by Lt-Cdr Rudoph Firle came down the Dardanelles, avoided Bulldog and Beagle around 0100, spotted the battleships and came round Eski Hissarlik Point under De Totts battery, challenged by Goliath at 0115 but steamed ahead and fired all three torpedo tubes as Goliath opened fire, one torpedo hit abreast fore turret, a second by the foremost funnel, and the third near after turret, ship immediately began listing badly to port and soon on beam ends, turned turtle, floated for a few minutes, then went down bow first; 505 lives lost - 20 officers including her Captain, 479 ratings and 4 canteen staff, 2 ratings DOW (Cn/He/ke - 570 men lost, 180 survivors). Wolverine and Scorpion tried to cut off the torpedo boat as it headed back up the Straits but failed (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/dk/dx/ke/mf; ADM.116/1446)

 

Saturday 15 May

Western Front - Second Battle of Ypres, Festubert to 25th

North Channel

BERKSHIRE (2), Admiralty trawler, 133/1897, North Lincolnshire Steam Fishing, Grimsby-reg GY398, hired 1915 (D - 12/14) as patrol vessel, 1-4in, Admiralty No.995, Skipper Herbert Percy Fleet RNR (wi - A Bland, Captain). In collision with armed yacht Valiant II (1,885grt), sank at 1900 off Cushendall, Red Bay, Co Antrim (He - 6 miles E of Tor Cor Point, in Red Bay; wi - in 55.05N, 06W); no lives lost, crew rescued by armed trawler Alsatian (+Lr/C/D/dk/wi; ADM.137/114, ADM.137/623)

 

Sunday 16 May

Western Front - Second Battle of Artois (or Souchez, or Vimy Ridge) to 30 June

 

Monday 17 May

North Sea

German minefield covering a large area S of 56N, E of 02.30E in the Dogger Bank area laid by old light cruiser Hamburg; two U-boats and a large destroyer took part, supported by High Seas Fleet battlecruisers. To prevent its early discovery, four trawlers on fishing grounds in NW Dogger Bank area were captured by torpedo boat(s) and their crews taken prisoner.

 

Wednesday 19 May

Victoria Cross - Lt-Cdr Martin Eric Nasmith (CO, HM S/M E.11) ordered to 'Go and run amuck in the Marmara', reached the Sea of Marmara on the 19th at the start of successful patrol through to early June, followed by two more. Awarded VC for his exploits

 

Thursday 20 May

South African Campaign - South Africans captured Windhoek, German South-West Africa

 

Saturday 22 May

North Sea

Rifleman, destroyer, H-class, 2nd DF Grand Fleet, with other destroyers carrying out contraband control duties E and SE of Pentland Firth because of a U-boat threat to the usual armed boarding steamers. Grounded in fog, needed docking for repairs (Cn/D/gf/gr)

Gallipoli Campaign

Albion, battleship, Canopus-class, 14,300t, 4-12in/12-6in, providing gunfire support off the Anzac beachhead just south of Anzac Cove. Ran aground off Gabe Tepe on 22nd, under close-range fire by Turkish shore batteries and frequently hit, towed off by sister-ship Canopus on 23rd, left for Malta for repairs; reportedly one man killed and ten wounded, believed from Albion. Kindell only lists two Albion casualties around this time -  two men wounded in a shore party on the 22nd who DOW on the 23rd (Cn/D/da/dk/mf)

 

Sunday 23 May

Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary

 

Monday 24 May

Western Front - Second Battle of Ypres, Bellewaarde to 25th

 

Tuesday 25 May

Gallipoli Campaign

 
Gallipoli - click to enlarge

First U-boat attacks on ships off Gallipoli by U.21 (Lt-Cdr Otto Hersing):

Vengeance, battleship, Canopus-class, zigzagging up from Mudros to meet sister-ship Canopus and relieve her as gunfire support ship off Anzac Cove, submarines were expected in the area and a periscope was spotted at 0730 off the Dardanelles entrance, it was also seen heading north and at one point passed between battleships Swiftsure and Agamemnon, then disappeared, sea calm and visibility good. Due east of Cape Kephalo, Imbros island at 1000, Vengeance spotted a torpedo coming towards her from shorewards, swung clear and continued on to Gaba Tepe. Alarms and sightings continued during the morning (Rn/D/ge)

TRIUMPH, battleship, Swiftsure-class, 11,985t, building as Chilean Libertad, launched 1903, purchased by Admiralty before completion, 4-10in/14-7.5in/14-14pdr/2-18in tt, 20kts, c700 crew, China Station 8/14, later to Mediterranean, Capt Maurice Fitzmaurice, providing gunfire support for Anzac beachhead, under way off Gaba Tepe with nets down, light guns manned and watertight doors closed, destroyer Chelmer patrolling round her at 15kts. Periscope sighted at 1225 on Triumph's starboard beam, Chelmer dashed for it, Triumph started firing but a a minute later a torpedo fired by U.21 (J - U.51) passed through the nets and hit her, almost immediately took on 10° list and continued to heel over. Chelmer came under her stern walk to take off a large number of men, capsized 10min after being hit, floated bottom-up for 30min then sank bow first just NW of Gaba Tepe off Ari Burnu/Anzac Cove. The scene was apparently so dramatic and unexpected, ANZAC and Turkish troops reportedly stopped fighting and stood to watch her end; 3 officers and 52 ratings lost (Rn/Cn/He/ke - 3 officers, 70 men lost, over 500 survivors). With the U-boat threat, continuous battleship support was no longer possible, a severe blow to the Australian and New Zealand troops (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/dk/ke/mf; ADM.116/1444)

 

Wednesday 26 May

Naval Aviation - Maiden flight of larger non-rigid C-class Coastal airship at RNAS Station, Kingsnorth, Kent, designed for extended anti-submarine patrols

 

Thursday 27 May

North Sea

PRINCESS IRENE, minelayer, 6,000/1914, one of two new ferries/liners built for Canadian Pacific Railway, converted by Denny, now 5,934grt, 2-4.7in/2-12pdr/2-6pdr AA/500 mines, 23kts, commissioned 20/1/15, Pennant No.P.47, (Commanding officer: Rn - Cdr T H M Maurice; He - Capt Mervyn Cobbe; ke - Capt M Cole), started to lay minefield NW of Heligoland on 8th/9th with sister ship Princess Margaret, now in River Medway, either alongside or mooored off Sheerness, undergoing repairs and mines, some reportedly with defective pistols, being primed. Major explosion amidships at 1108, followed by more as mines detonated, ship destroyed; at least 358 lives lost - 30 officers, 210 crew, 5 ratings from Chatham base HMS Pembroke, 36 merchant seamen and more than 77 civilians in the dockyard including at least 70 dockyard workers - 21 skilled labourers, 44 shipwrights and 5 yard boys (He – 51 crew, 78 dockyard workers and 6 men in Steam Pinnace 263 lying alongside; ke - 51 crew plus 77 civilian workers killed, 2 crew plus 1 civilian survived) (+J/Rn/Cn/D/He/dk/dx/ke; ADM.116/1445, ADM.1/8422/147)

off NW Scotland

ROLULU, Admiralty trawler, 170/1909, George F Sleight, Grimsby-reg GY399, hired 4/15 as auxiliary patrol vessel, Admiralty No.1468, Skipper James Hodson RNR. Hebrides area, ran aground on Obb Rock, S of Tulm Is, South Harris in bad weather and wrecked, listed heavily to port but stern remained above water long enough for crew to be taken off; no lives lost (+Lr/C/D/He/dk; ADM.137/117)

Gallipoli Campaign

MAJESTIC, battleship, Majestic-class, 16,060t, 1895, 4-12in/12-6in/16-12pdr/12-3pdr/5-18in tt, 17kts, c757 crew, Pennant No.D.04, Capt Henry Talbot, flagship of Rear-Adm Nicholson from 26th, providing gunfire support in Cape Helles area (J/He/ke - off W-beach), at anchor among unloading transports with torpedo nets out, as close inshore as possible, destroyers patrolling off shore. Periscope of U.21 (Otto Hersing) (J - U.23) spotted at 0645, 400 yds away on port beam, opened fire immediately but torpedo had already been fired, went right through the nets and hit amidships, second soon followed, ship capsized in 7min off Cape Helles (da - could be seen from V-beach; ke - W shore of Cape Helles; mf - W of Sedd-el-Bahr village; Cn - off Gaba Tepe near Anzac Cove); 42 ratings and 2 canteen staff lost, killed by the explosion or entangled in nets (Rn/Cn/He/ke - 40 casualties; 737 survivors). Sank in only 54ft of water, rested on foremast with fore-end of keel and bottom awash before disappearing under during the November storms. The withdrawal of bombarding battleships following the sinking of Goliath, Triumph and Majestic was a major victory for the Turks (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/da/dk/ke/mf/un; ADM.1/8422/144, ADM.116/1443)

 

Friday 28 May

English Channel

Admiralty collier (and two steamships) captured and sunk by U.41 (Claus Hansen):

SPENNYMOOR, Admiralty collier, 2,733/1915, Moor Line, Newcastle-reg, sailing Sunderland for Cardiff with pit timber, on maiden voyage. (L - 27th) - Sunk by torpedo 50 miles SW¼W of Start Point (L - 50 miles SW by W of); 5 lives lost including master (+L/te/un)

 

Sunday 30 May

Aegean Sea

MERION, Admiralty-owned dummy capital ship No 14, battlecruiser “Tiger”, ex-transatlantic liner, 11,621/1902, International Navigation, Liverpool-reg, conversion ordered 21/10/14, hired 1/12/14, converted at Harland & Wolff, Belfast with wood & canvas superstructure and guns, heavily ballasted to approximate proportions of a battlecruiser, armed with 1-3pdr, ready early 1915, based in Aegean from February 1915, heading for Mudros. (un – 29th) - Torpedoed by UB.8 (Ernst von Voight), sank off Mudros, island of Lemnos (D/dx - off Strati Is, S of Lemnos); 2 RNR officers and 2 MMR ratings killed. Note - C/D list her as purchased 30/5/15, the date of her loss; md - Lt von Voight reported attacking a large three funnelled ship at dusk, hit her with one torpedo abreast the forward funnel, but did not see her sink, nor did he identify her as a possible “battlecruiser”. Presumably torpedoed on the 29th, sank on the 30th (Lr/C/Cn/D/dk/dx/md/un/wd)

 

---

 

JUNE 1915

U-boat Warfare - first U-boat mines laid off English coast by Flanders-based UC-boats; first intimation off North Foreland on 1st when HMS Mohawk was mined, then more discovered off Harwich & Dover on 18th

English Channel

Helper, paddle minesweeper, ex-tug, 173/1873, hired 1/4/15. June - In collision with armed trawler Fane 269grt off Portland (D/gr)

off W Scotland

King Orry, Admiralty armed boarding vessel, 1,877/1913, hired 29/10/14. June - Ran aground in the Sound of Islay, refloated (D/gr)

 

Tuesday 1 June

Dover Straits

Mohawk, destroyer, F-class, 864t, 6th DF Dover Patrol, on patrol off North Foreland near NW end of net area. Saw mines close to her, could not get clear because of strong east-going tide, damaged in first UC-boat-laid field (UC.11 (Walter Gottfried Schmidt) in south entrance to Downs) in the Channel area, towed into Dover with upper deck almost level with the water; 5 ratings lost (Rn/Cn/dk/dp/ge/un)

 

Wednesday 2 June

North Sea

Arethusa, light cruiser, Arethusa-class, broad pendant, Harwich Force, on patrol with Undaunted on the lookout out for Zeppelins attacking England, light cruisers each carrying a seaplane. Sighted Zeppelin, seaplane took off but forced to return, opened fire on Zeppelin which made off. Several hours later, German seaplane came out of the clouds and dropped three bombs without hitting Arethusa (Rn/Cn/D/ty)

 

Thursday 3 June

Eastern Front - Recapture of PrzemysI

Mesopotamian Campaign - British-Indian forces advancing up the River Tigris from Kurnah/Al Qurnah captured Amara (note: not Kut al Imara/Amara or just Kut), sloops Clio, Espiegle, Lawrence (RIM) and Odin, armed tug Comet, armed launches Lewis Pelly, Miner, Shaitan, Sumana and stern wheelers Muzaffari/Mozaffir, Shushan took part

North Atlantic

Alcantara, Admiralty armed merchant cruiser, 15,831/1914, hired 10/3/15. Collided with and sank trawler Kathleen 198grt (D/gr)

 

Friday 4 June

Gallipoli Campaign - Third Battle of Krithia

 

Saturday 5 June

U.14 sunk by trawler Oceanic II in North Sea off Peterhead

Atlantic off SW Ireland

Inawilliam, or Ina Williams, Admiralty trawler, 337/1913, hired 4/15, 1-12pdr, Sub-Lt Nettleingham RNR, steaming towards Cahirmore Signal Station, few miles west of Berehaven. Large submarine came to the surface 1 or 2 miles away on port beam, Inawilliam, now 11 miles W of Mizen Head, headed for the U-boat which fired 4 or 5 rounds, then a torpedo which just missed, trawler fired back, hit her once or twice as she submerged and escaped (D/Mn)

 

Sunday 6 June

Aegean Sea

IMMINGHAM, Admiralty store carrier, ex-passenger steamer, 2,083/1906, Great Central Railway, Grimsby-reg, hired as accommodation ship 10/14, RFA store carrier from 4/15, Pennant No.Y8.50, described as "errand boy" between Imbros island and Mudros during Gallipoli campaign. In collision with hired screw minesweeper Reindeer 1,101grt, sank off Mudros, Lemnos island. Owners claimed £100,000 compensation but only awarded £45,000 by the Admiralty (+Lr/C/Cn/D/ns)

 

Monday 7 June

German Minefield - Auxiliary minelayer Meteor laid large minefields on the 7th/8th along the North Russian Murman coast at the entrance to the White Sea to interrupt the flow of munitions to, and cargoes from Russia. SS Arndale was the first ship sunk; three more went down in the same month. Six Lowestoft minesweeping trawlers arrived in July to sweep them, and continued until November

Zeppelin Airwar - RNAS aircraft of No.1 Sqdn bombed and destroyed Army airship LZ.38 (Production No. LZ.38) in her shed at Bruxelles Evere, Belgium; Victoria Cross - Flight Sub Lt Reginald Alexander John Warneford RNAS (also No.1 Sqdn), destroyed German Zeppelin LZ.37 (Production No. LZ.37) in the air near Ghent, Belgium. He was killed in a plane crash ten days later

Orkneys

Duke of Albany, Admiralty armed boarding vessel, 1,997/1907, hired 30/10/14, returning to Scapa in thick fog. Grounded on Lother Rock in the Pentland Firth at 0400, refloated with considerable damage seven days later (D/gf/gr)

 

Tuesday 8 June

St George's Channel area

Admiralty collier (and two schooners) sunk by U.35 (Waldemar Kophamel) off The Smalls:

STRATHCARRON, 4,347/1912, Strathcarron SS Co, Glasgow-reg, sailing Barry for Truro with coal. Torpedoed by U.35, 60 miles W of Lundy Is, off Devon (L - in 51.05N, 06.10W) (+L/Lr/te/un)

 

Wednesday 9 June

 Mediterranean

SCHIEHALLION, Admiralty trawler, 198/1903, Aberdeen-reg A905, Grampian Steam Fishing, hired 8/14 as minesweeper, Admiralty No.352, Skipper Thomas Barlow RNR. Mined and sunk, no other details; no lives lost (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk)

Adriatic Sea

Dublin, light cruiser, Chatham-class, 6,000t, 8-6in/4-3pdr/2-21in tt, based at Brindisi from 5/15, Capt Kelly, steaming at high speed with strong escort of French and Italian destroyers off N Albanian coast. Torpedoed by Austrian submarine U.IV (Rudolph Singule) near San Giovanni di Medua, soon worked up to 17kts, got back to Brindisi, but out of action for some time; 13 ratings lost (Rn/Cn/D/dk/ge/md/nw/un)

 

Thursday 10 June

North Sea

Two torpedo boats, ex-Cricket-class coastal destroyers, c400t, 1907, 26kts, 2-12pdr/3-18in tt, 35 crew, serving with Nore Local Defence Flotilla. Sailed from Harwich at midnight on the 9th, on patrol off Thames estuary, searching for reported submarines with three other TB’s and five destroyers; both mined, laid by UC.11 (Walter Gottfried Schmidt) two days earlier (H/J/tn - torpedoed):

TB.12, ex-Moth, Lt Edward Bulteel, near the Sunk LV at 1530 when there was a large explosion under her bows, believed torpedoed at the time (He/un – confirmed mined). Stayed afloat as other TB's came to her rescue, crew abandoned her when TB.10 came alongside, taken in tow, but now TB.10 suffered an explosion and sank. Trawler took over the tow of TB.12, assisted by destroyer Cynthia, progressed slowly while the TB gradually settled, sinking at 1055 (presumably on the 11th) in 51.44.40N 01.26E. Lt Bulteel and 22 ratings lost (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/dk/sc/tn/un; ADM.156/15)

TB.10, ex-Greenfly, Lt-Cdr John McLeod RN. Alongside TB.12, trying to take her in tow, then believed torpedoed herself at 1610 and broke in half, the two halves rising vertically before sinking off the Sunk LV (He/un – confirmed mined); 22 ratings lost, one more DOW (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/dk/sc/tn/un; ADM.156/15)

 

Saturday 12 June

North Sea

DESABLA, Admiralty chartered red-ensign oiler, 6,047/1913, Bank Line, Glasgow-reg (wi - Admiralty oiler transport No 63, presumably Y7.63), Mr F Cowley, Port Arthur for Hull with linseed/oil (wi - crude oil). U.17 (Hans Walther) sighted astern overtaking rapidly, started shelling continuously from 0720, engines stopped and crew abandoned ship by 0820 during which time the U-boat stood-by. Torpedo fired at 0830, but as she refused to sink, a boarding party placed explosive scuttling charges, by 1230 the submarine had submerged and Desabla was sinking fast 12 miles E of Todhead Point, S of Stonehaven, Kincardine (L - 38 miles ENE of May Is, Firth of Forth; te - 15 miles E of; wi - 13.5 miles ESE of Stonehaven, in 56.54.54N, 01.47.18W); survivors picked up by armed trawlers at 1530 (+L/Lr/D/te/un/wi)

 

Sunday 13 June

Atlantic off SW England

PELHAM, collier (wi - Admiralty collier transport No.604), 3,534/1906, Thompson SS Co, Sunderland-reg, 26 crew, Malta for Barry Roads in water ballast. U.35 (Waldemar Kophamel) appeared on the surface half a mile away, opened fire, ship turned away and went to full speed but hit repeatedly, engines stopped and ship abandoned. Germans placed bombs which sank her sometime after 1545, 30 miles NW of the Scillies (L - 30 miles N of; wi - in 50.16N, 06.55W;); survivors picked up by drifter Our Allies, landed in Newlyn on 16th at 0145 (+L/te/un/wi)

 

Monday 14 June

Atlantic off NW Scotland

India, Admiralty armed merchant cruiser, 10th CS, heading for Clyde to coal. Torpedo fired at her in 59.20N, 07.52W, missed (D/Mn)

                                                                                             

Saturday 19 June

North Sea

Birmingham, light cruiser, Birmingham-class, 2nd LCS Grand Fleet, with sister-ship Nottingham, 3rd CS including Argyll and Roxburgh and just four screening destroyers making sweep from Rosyth across North Sea between the 18th and 21st. Attacked by U.32 without success, one of a series of attacks by four U-boats - see 20th (Rn/Cn/D/gf)

Liberty, destroyer, L-class, 3rd DF, with Harwich Force on patrol for Zeppelins attacking England. Liberty stopped to pick up a dog that had fallen overboard, bombed and nearly hit by a German seaplane (Cn/ty)

 

Sunday 20 June

North Sea

Argyll and Roxburgh, armoured cruisers, Devonshire-class, 10,850t, 4-7.5in/6-6in, 3rd CS, Nottingham, light cruiser, Birmingham-class, 2nd LCS, all Grand Fleet, as the 3rd CS sweep continued, more torpedo attacks took place: Roxburgh, Argyll and Nottingham all missed by U.17, Nottingham missed for a second time by U.6. Before the latter attack, Roxburgh (Capt C Foot), zigzagging at high speed was hit well forward in the bows by U.38 (Max Valentiner) (Cn - U.39) at 1400 in 56.47N, 00.38E, maintained speed at 14kts returning to Rosyth, met by destroyers of 1st DF and escorted in. Considerably damaged, repairs were not completed until April 1916 (Rn/Cn/D/ge/gf/un)

 

Tuesday 22 June

Eastern Front - Austrians captured Lemberg

English Channel

QUAIL III (He – Quail II), Admiralty trawler, 162/1897, Kelsall Brothers & Beeching, Hull-reg H236, hired 1915 (D - 11/14; He - 1914) as minesweeper, 2-3pdr, Pennant No.645. (Other sources – 23 June, perhaps because her loss was close to midnight on the 22nd) - In collision with tug Bulldog, sank at 2340, 7 miles SW of Portland Bill, Dorset (wi - in 50.30N, 02.30W), no lives lost (+Lr/C/D/He/dk/fd/hw/wi; ADM.137/126)

 

Wednesday 23 June

Italian Front - First Battle of the Isonzo to 7 July

U.40 sunk by decoy combination trawler Taranaki/submarine C.24 off Aberdeen, first success by decoy ship against a U-boat

Atlantic off NW Scotland

Bush, Admiralty trawler, 221/1908, Milford-reg, hired 5/15, 1-12pdr, Skipper G King, on patrol off Hebrides about 8 miles NNW of Butt of Lewis, two drifters fishing nearby, wind blowing hard, "considerable sea". Shell landed nearby and submarine sighted, returned fire, third shot fell near the U-boat which submerged, Bush slightly damaged by the six shells fired at her; Admiralty awarded £60 to the crew (D/Mn)

 

Friday 25 June

Aegean Sea

Heroic, Admiralty armed boarding steamer, 1,869/1906, hired 18/11/14, 2-12pdr, believed blockading Turkish coast, lowered two boats under command of Lt Macdonald and Sub-Lt William to examine five schooners at 1350. Maxim fire opened up from shore on the boats at 1400, boats recalled and covering fire given, men picked up and boats hoisted in around 1430, no doctor aboard, headed back and anchored by HMS Vengeance to transfer wounded; 3 ratings DOW (pg - 12 wounded, AB Wilson died). "Dardanelles: A Midshipman's Diary" reports for 26 June that "several Greek schooners have been seized and brought in (to Mudros) recently by our cruisers and boarding steamers in charge of a midshipman" (D/da/dk/pg)

Gallipoli Campaign - Sea of Marmara

E.12, submarine, E-class, 667/807t, 5/9/14, 1-6pdr/5-18in with 10 torpedoes, Lt-Cdr Bruce, penetrated Dardanelles and now operating in eastern part of Sea of Marmara after spending two days repairing main engines, entered Gulf of Mudania and came across two small steamers towing five sailing vessels, turned out to be decoy vessels. Only 10yds from first steamer when a bomb was thrown which failed to explode, fired on with rifles and small masked gun, two towed vessels joined in and tried to foul E.12's propellers. E.12 returned fire, got clear and sank the two steamers and two of the towed sailing vessels. Engine problems now returned; one rating slightly wounded (Rn/Cn/md)

 

Saturday 26 June

Western Front - Battle of the Argonne to 4 July

 

Sunday 27 June

St George's Channel

Admiralty squadron supply ship (and two, probably three other vessels) attacked by U.24 (Rudolf Schneider):

INDRANI (2), 3,640/1888, Donaldson Line (Donaldson Bros, managers), Glasgow-reg, hired 4/8/14 as RFA, probably not commissioned, Pennant No.Y9.7, sailing Glasgow for Montreal with general cargo. Captured by U.24, sunk by torpedo 40 miles W of The Smalls, E of Milford Haven (L/te/un/wi - 36 miles SW of Tuskar Rock, off Rosslare; L/te/wi - also in 51.45N, 06.50W) (+L/Lr/C/D/te/un/wi)

 

Wednesday 30 June

North Sea

LIGHTNING, destroyer, A-class, 320t, 1895, 1?12pdr/5?6pdr/2?18in tt, 27kts, Pennant No.N.23, Nore Local Defence Flotilla, Lt James Cavendish. Floating mine spotted by destroyer Vulture in the morning near Kentish Knock LV in Thames estuary, and more reported in the afternoon by the light vessel. Vulture and Lightning ordered out to sink them, three were exploded around 2000, and as the destroyers searched for more, Lightning suffered a large explosion which lifted her out of the water and broke her back. Mined, laid by UC.1 (Egon von Werner) that morning, forepart sank off Kentish Knock LV (wi - in 51.04.22N, 01.19.02E; dx - off Wielingen LV, Zeebrugge); 15 ratings lost (He – 14 died). After part remained afloat, secured between trawlers Javelin and Libra, and taken back to Sheerness, but not worth repairing and broken up. Note: the first submarine mines were laid by UC.1, 2, 3, 11 in the Harwich and Dover areas (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/dk/dx/ge/ke/un/wi; ADM.1/8426/185, ADM.1/8426/191)

Irish Sea

THISTLE IV, Admiralty drifter, 71/1906, Inverness-reg INS163, hired 5/15 as net tender, Admiralty No.2861. Rammed by Elder-Dempster liner Tarquah (3,859grt) in belief the vessel was a U-boat, sank off Great Orme's Head, Llandudno (wi - in 53.22N 03.52W); no lives lost (+C/D/He/dk/wi/dh; ADM.137/128)

JULY 1915

North Sea

Cameo, Admiralty trawler, 172/1898, Hull-reg, hired 2/15, 1-12pdr (ap - 3pdr), Skipper Albert Sayers, on patrol with trawlers Sea Ranger and Eastward Ho!, all Peterhead-based. July - Cameo sighted U-boat, headed in its direction and was fired at, returned fire and hit three times, Eastward Ho! came up and submarine headed away on the surface; skipper wounded and awarded DSC, gunner the DSM (D/ap)

Tuesday 1 July

North Sea

Hampshire, armoured cruiser, Devonshire-class, 7th CS Grand Fleet. Reported a torpedo fired at her in Moray Firth, confirmed as attacked by U.25. Twelve destroyers and local patrol vessels sent to hunt for the attacker, but without success (Cn/ge/gf)

Atlantic off NW Scotland

Patuca, Admiralty armed merchant cruiser, 6,103/1913, hired 21/11/14, 10th CS Northern Patrol, on line C to NW of Hebrides on lookout for the blockade-running Swedish SS Oscar II, sighted and stopped early morning. Oscar II hit Patuca crushing her own bows and then crashed alongside, hull-to-hull before Patuca's propeller holed the Swede's engine-room. Patuca's plates bulged and propeller flange bent, made seaworthy with collision mats, shoring and cement infill, made for Clyde as ordered at 14kts. Oscar II taken in tow by AMC Digby and ABS Royal Scot, assisted by destroyers Fury and Staunch, but sank after two days (D/bi/gf/gr)

Atlantic off SW England

Two auxiliaries (and three more British vessels) captured and sunk by U.39 (Walter Forstmann) off Cornwall:

CAUCASIAN, Admiralty chartered red-ensign oiler, 4,656/1899, Petroleum SS Co (Lane & Macandrew), London-reg, Mr F Robinson, London for New Orleans with creosote. Sunk by gunfire 80 miles S of Lizard Point (L - 60 miles SW of) (+L/Lr/Mn/te/un)

INGLEMOOR, Admiralty collier, 4,331/1912, Moor Line (W Runciman & Co), London-reg, Mr A Stonehouse, Barry for Malta with coal and general cargo. Sunk by torpedo 75 miles SW by W of Lizard Point (L - 60 miles SW of) (+L/Lr/Mn/te/un)

 

Friday 2 July

UC.2 believed rammed by SS Cottingham in North Sea off Yarmouth, otherwise own mines (un - own mines on 30 June, Cottingham probably hit the wreck)

 

Sunday 4 July

Atlantic off S Ireland

Anglo-Californian, cargo ship, nitrate carrier converted to horse transport, 7,333/1912, Lawther Latta & Co/Nitrate Producers SS, not armed, Montreal for Avonmouth with 927 horses for Western Front, 150 crew, master, Lt Frederick Parslow RNR aged 60. U.39 (Walter Forstmann) (dx - U.38; ge - U.20 or U.39) surfaced about 0800 a mile or more away on port beam 90 miles SW of Queenstown (L - in 50.15N, 9W; dx - 50.10N, 09W), ship turned stern on and went to full speed, reached 14kts, submarine opened a steady fire about 0900 frequently hitting, Anglo-Californian continued to manoeuvre in an attempt to escape while transmitting SOS’s. Ordered at 1030 by the U-boat to stop and abandon ship, the master decided to do so, then in response to his signals, destroyers Mentor and Miranda requested him to delay as long as possible. He got under way again, but now U.39 opened a heavy fire wrecking the bridge, all the port-side lifeboats and hitting the superstructure. By the time the U-boat had closed to 50yds, the master was dead and the Germans fired on anything that moved. Throughout the action, the master's eldest son, Fred Parslow was at the wheel or what remained of it. When the destroyers arrived, U.39 dived away and Anglo-Californian was brought into Queenstown on the 5th; 21 lives lost including Lt Frederick Daniel Parslow RNR who was awarded the Victoria Cross. His son and the chief engineer received the DSC and others MID. Sunk 9 June 1918 (+L/Mn/dx/ge/ms/un/vc) (Casualty list – Lt Parslow only)

 

Monday 5 July

Mesopotamian Campaign

Sumana, armed launch-tug, 2-3pdr, Lt W Harris, supporting advance along River Euphrates towards Nasiriya. Turkish shell cut main steam pipe during the day, out of action, back next day (Rn/D)

 

Tuesday 6 July

Barents Sea

AFRICAN MONARCH, Admiralty collier, 4,003/1898, Monarch SS Co, Glasgow-reg, Cardiff for Archangel with coal, general cargo. Mined, laid by Meteor, sank at entrance to White Sea around 1½m E of Toryaneff Is and 9 miles S of Cape Orloff; two crew killed (+L/Lr/Rn/Mn)

Orkneys

STRATHGARRY, Admiralty trawler, 202/1906, Aberdeen Steam Trawling & Fishing, Aberdeen-reg A97, hired 6/15 (D/He - as boom defence vessel; wi - armed patrol trawler), Admiralty No.5, based at Scapa Flow, Skipper Isaac McFarlane RNR. Ships of 2nd Battle Squadron returning to Scapa Flow anchorage at 0330, passing through boom, battleship Monarch collided with and sank her (wi - in 58.45N, 03.05W); no lives lost (He – one man drowned) (+Lr/C/D/He/dk/wi; ADM.137/129)

off NW Scotland

EDISON, Admiralty trawler, 196/c1896, Hull-reg H430, F & T Ross, hired 1915 as minesweeper (D - 12/14; wi - as armed patrol trawler), Admiralty No.395, Sub?Lt Frederick Townend RNR who had only joined ship that day, now night-time, heading along NW  shore of Isle of Lewis, bound for Carloway. Ran aground on Port Arnol, Lewis, may have steered wrong course or compass affected by new gun installation, but apparently not keeping sufficient look-out. Trawler wrecked  (wi - exact position unknown, “somewhere on the Isle of Lewis”, around 58N, 06W); no lives lost (+Lr/C/D/He/dk/wi; ADM.1/8427/198)

German East Africa

German East Africa and Rufigi Delta - from "The Navy Everywhere" by Conrad Gato
(believed out of copyright), click maps to enlarge
Click the title for the story - Chapter 2

Mersey (Cdr R Wilson) and Severn, river monitors, Humber-class, 1,520t, 2-6in/2-4.7in/4-3pdr, 140 crew, after operations off Belgian coast, both ships were due for service in the Dardanelles in March 1915. Sailed 28 April from Malta with fleet messenger Trent, four tugs and a collier, reached Aden 15 May and Mafia Island 3 June, made good defects, fitted with extra protection and exercised with spotting aircraft. German light cruiser Königsberg moored down the Kikunja channel, northernmost tributary of Rufuji delta and 10 miles from the sea. Mersey and Severn entered the channel at 0520 on 6th, immediately came under 3pdr, pom-pom and machine gun fire from shore defences, both hit, but undamaged, whalers Echo, Fly, Childers swept and sounded ahead, light cruisers Weymouth and Pyramus followed in support. By 0630, 6 miles or 11,000yds from Königsberg, anchored, waited for spotting aircraft and opened fire, Königsberg also had spotting station nearby and replied with salvoes. Neither monitor hit for an hour until at 0740, shell struck Mersey's foremost 6in gun shield and put gun out of action, shortly holed near the waterline and pulled back 1,000yds. Severn continued for half an hour, then both ships waited until a second spotting aircraft arrived at 1330, returned to original position and fired until 1530, Königsberg hit around 6 times. Withdrew to prepare for next attempt five days later; Mersey’s casualties were 4 ratings killed, 2 DOW and 2 wounded (Rn/Cn/dk)

 

Friday 9 July

South African Campaign - Surrender of last German forces in South-West Africa, at Tsumeb

 

Sunday 11 July

German East Africa

Mersey and Severn, river monitors, Humber-class, some damage and badly worn by shoot on the 6th, only now ready to resume attempt to destroy the Königsberg assisted by aircraft spotting. (dx - 15th) - Again fired on when entering the Rufuji River, both hit but little damage, starting at 1230 they took turns to fire although Königsberg fired back, at 1252 there was a large explosion, Königsberg was then apparently blown up and scuttled at 1346, firing continued until 1420 to complete her destruction, monitors recalled at 1430; two men slightly wounded on Mersey. Other ships taking part included light cruisers Chatham, Dartmouth, Challenger, Hyacinth, Pioneer (RAN), Pyramus, Weymouth, and armed merchant cruiser Laconia; Royal Navy Single Ship Action - Mersey and Severn v KÕNIGSBERG 1915 (Cn/Rn/dx)

see Despatch, dated 15 July 1915 in London Gazette, No.29395 - Destruction of German cruiser “Königsberg”

 

Monday 12 July

Gallipoli Campaign - British offensive at Helles to 13th

 

Tuesday 13 July

Barents Sea

T. R. Ferens, Admiralty trawler, 307/1913, Hull-reg, hired 5/15 as minesweeper, one of six trawlers fitted out at Lowestoft to sweep German mines laid in June in White Sea on the route to Archangel, departed 22 June, arrived Alexandrovsk, Murman coast on 6 July, started sweeping successfully. Mined, damaged off one of the headlands (D/sc)

 

Thursday 15 July

North Sea

AGAMEMNON II, Admiralty trawler, 225/1907, Consolidated Steam Fishing & Ice, Grimsby-reg GY187 (He – Hull), hired 8/14 as minesweeper, Admiralty No.19, Harwich-based, Skipper Frederick Sibley RNR. With other Harwich sweepers clearing minefield discovered that morning, and in fact laid that morning by UC.1 (Egon von Werner). Lt-Cdr Hugh Archer of HMS Actaeon, Sheerness Torpedo School, embarked and in command of operation. Recovering sweep when a mine fouling the wire was pulled into the ship and exploded, sank off the Shipwash Sands, off Orford Ness (wi - in 51.57N, 01.36.45E); 9 ratings lost (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/8427/203)

 

Sunday 18 July

Italian Front - Second Battle of the Isonzo to 3 August

 

Tuesday 20 July

U.23 sunk by combination decoy trawler Princess Louise/submarine C.27 off Fair Isle

North Sea

RHIANNON, Admiralty yacht, 126/1914, hired 15/9/14 as auxiliary patrol vessel, 2-3pdr, Pennant No.055, Lt-Cdr George Wellburn RNR. On patrol in Thames Estuary between Longsand and Kentish Knock sands with Admiralty trawler Strathspey, approaching wreck of Norwegian steamer Peik mined and sunk on 5 July. Detonated mine which destroyed the forepart of the vessel, leaving after part afloat before it too sank, off Longsands, off Clacton (wi - in 51.40N, 01.29E). The mine had not been left over from the field that sank Peik and which had been swept; it had been laid by UC.3 (Erwin Weisbach); Cdr Wellburn, 1 officer, 1 rating and 2 MMR killed by explosion (+J/L/C/D/He/dk/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/8427/194, ADM.1/8427/206)

 

Wednesday 21 July

North Sea

BRITON (1), Admiralty trawler, 196/1906, John Lewis, Aberdeen-reg A101, hired 2/15, armed, Admiralty No.1170, patrol vessel, 13 crew, Skipper Peter Christie RNR, probably Harwich-based, guardship for outer group of unarmed minesweepers ordered to sweep area around Longsand LV where HMS Rhiannon was lost the day before, most of the crew below having their evening meal. Mined at 1715, mine laid by UC.3 (Erwin Weisbach) on 5 July, “stern broke off, the bow went up into the air and was then hidden by a column of water and smoke. When this cleared away there remained of the ship nothing”, sank 13 cables SW of Longsand LV, off Clacton (wi - in 51.40N, 01.29E); Skipper and 10 ratings lost (wi - all 13 crew lost; He/ap - three crew saved) (+L/Lr/C/D/He/ap/dk+/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/8427/194, ADM.1/8428/207)

Eastern Mediterranean

DOROTHEA, naval motor boat, ex-high speed pleasure motor boat, 33grt, 60ft, 11kts, hired 1914, serving with Motor Boat Reserve as HM Motor Boat No 203, 2-3pdrs, also rifles/small arms, manned by RNVR crew, reached Mudros around now as deck cargo, due to serve with flotilla of six motor boats carrying out local patrol duties off Turkish coast including Smyrna (Izmir) area, Lt Henry Holloway RNVR in command. Probably destroyed before she went into action, taking on fuel, spillage and explosion, burnt out; no lives lost (+D/He/ap/dk; ADM.137/775)

 

Thursday 22 July

Atlantic off NW Scotland

One armed merchant cruiser attacked (and two trawlers captured and sunk) off Hoy Head, SW Orkneys by U.36 (Ernst Graeff):

Columbella, Admiralty armed merchant cruiser, 10th CS. Attacked by U.36, W of Orkneys (Mn - in 60.26N, 04.42W) (Rn/Mn/ge)

 

Friday 23 July

English Channel

WATERLILY, Admiralty drifter, 82/1907, Banff-reg BF595, hired 5/15 as net drifter, Admiralty No.2171, Skipper George Slater RNR. Fitted out at Devonport and now sailing for Granton to take up duties, in collision with trawler Ouse at 0500 off St. Alban's Head, Dorset (wi - in 50.30N 02.00W) and foundered; no lives lost (+D/He/dk/wi; ADM.137/132)

 

Saturday 24 July

Mesopotamian Campaign - British-Indian forces forces advancing from Kurnah/Al Qurnah along the increasingly shallow River Euphrates drove the Turks out of Nasiriya, which was occupied next day. Old stern-wheelers Shushan, Muzaffri and Messudieh (all manned and armed respectively by deeper-draught sloops Espiegle, Odin and launch tug Miner) and armed launch Sumana took part.

U.36 sunk by Q-ship Prince Charles in Atlantic off N Scotland, first success by submarine decoy ship working alone; Prince Charles was not believed damaged in the action.

 

Sunday 25 July

North Sea

E.16, submarine, E-class, 667/807t, 1-12pdr/5-18in tt, Cdr C Talbot, sailed Yarmouth 24th for Ems, next morning kept under by air patrols. Apparently trapped in anti-submarine net near Borkum Riff LV, struggled to surface to find Zeppelin overhead, bombs dropped as she struggled clear, got free an hour after first entanglement. Sank V.188 off Terschelling next day (Rn/Cn/D)

 

Monday 26 July

German destroyer V.188 torpedoed and sunk by submarine E.16, 50 miles N of Terschelling

 

Saturday 31 July

Atlantic off SW England

Two Admiralty fleet messengers sailing in company from Glasgow under sealed orders, bound for Dardanelles, heavy seas with SW force 8 gale blowing, sunk by U.28 (Georg-Günther Freiherr von Forstner) off the Scillies:

TURQUOISE, ex-coaster, 486/c1892, Glasgow-reg, W Robertson, hired 2/7/15, Pennant No.Y4.30, 15 crew, Lt John McNicol RNR, sailing for Bizerta in ballast. In the afternoon sighted surfaced submarine on starboard bow which rapidly approached, ordered to stop but attempted to ram, U.28 opened fire around 1600 making several hits, ship immediately abandoned and sank at 1615, 60 miles SW of Scillies (wi - attacked in 49N, 07.08W, sank 40 miles SW of, in 49.00N 07.00W); one life lost, probably Merchant Navy (He/wi - chief engineer killed by gunfire, two crew wounded), survivors picked up by patrol trawler, landed at St Mary’s next day (+L/Lr/C/Cn/D/He/dk/wi; ADM.137/1130)

NUGGET, ex-coaster, 405/1889, Glasgow-reg, W Robertson, hired around 23/7/15, Pennant No.Y4.38, 15 crew, Lt Charles Amburger RNR. U.28 approached at speed and ordered crew to abandon ship in spite of conditions, when close enough Nugget went to full-speed and tried to ram, U-boat opened fire hitting the hull with 14 shells, sank at 2100, 45 miles SW of (wi - in 49.05N 06.58W); no lives lost, all crew picked up by Dutch sailing vessel Annetta at 2200, transferred next morning at 0545 to patrol boat, landed at St. Mary's next day at 1030 (+L/Lr/C/Cn/D/He/dk/wi; ADM.137/1130)

 

---

 

AUGUST 1915

U.26 probably sunk in August/September by Russian mine in Gulf of Finland

Orkneys

AORANGI, Admiralty blockship, 4,268/1883, 389ft, Union SS Co, Dunedin (NZ)-reg, chartered as non-commissioned RAN supply ship 8/14, purchased by Admiralty 1915 for use at Scapa Flow. August - Scuttled as part of No.1 Barrier, Kirk Sound, between island of Lamb Holm & Mainland (wi - in 58.53.26N, 02.51.42W). Wreck refloated in 1920 (wi - resunk in Holm Kirkyard) (Lr/D/wi)

 

Sunday 1 August

Sea of Marmara - Submarine E.11 (Cdr Nasmith RN) raided Constantinople Harbour

 

Monday 2 August

Atlantic off SW England

PORTIA, Admiralty fleet messenger, ex-coaster, 494/1906, Liverpool-reg, South Wales & Liverpool SS, hired c23/7/15, Pennant No.Y4.36, Lt-Cdr Langton Bromwell (Rtd). Captured by U.28 (Georg-Günther Freiherr von Forstner), sunk by gunfire 70 miles S of Scillies (He – SW of); no lives lost. The third fleet messenger sunk in three days by U.28 (+L/Lr/C/Cn/D/He/cs/dk/un; ADM.137/1131)

 

Wednesday 4 August

North Sea

C.33 (below, sister-boat C.38 - Navy Photos), submarine, C-class, 290/320t, 1910, 2?18in tt with 4 torpedoes, 13/7½kts, c16 crew, Pennant No.I.63, Rosyth-based 7th Flotilla, Lt Gerald Carter. Trawler Weelsby, renamed Malta for decoy purposes, left Harwich on 31 July to meet up with C.33 for anti-U-boat patrol off the Norfolk coast, but failed to repeat the earlier successes of C.24 and C.27. At 2015 on the 4th, C.33 slipped her tow to return to harbour independently, last signal at 2150 - "have nothing to communicate", then failed to arrive, “overdue, presumed lost”. (declared lost on the 5th) - Lost, cause unknown, no wreckage found, probably mined in British field near Smith’s Knoll, alternatively an accident as no German claims were made for her sinking; 3 officers and 14 ratings lost, no survivors. Destroyer Firedrake sailed at dawn on the 5th but failed to find any trace of her, declared lost (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/bw/dk/ke/on)

 

Thursday 5 August

Eastern Front - Germans entered Warsaw, Austrians captured Ivangorod

Caucasus Front - Turks recaptured Van

North Sea

Industry, store carrier, 1,460 tons/497grt, 1901, Admiralty-owned. In collision with Dutch SS Zeeland off Wold LV. Sunk c19 October 1918 (D/gr/ms)

Atlantic off W Ireland

CLEMENTINA, Admiralty yacht, 469/1887, hired 22/9/14, 2-6pdr, Pennant No.025, Examination Service, Capt Thomas Walker (retired Vice Admiral). Closing the SS Adam Smith (299grt) for examination off Tor Cor Point (C/D - off Tor Point) in the early morning, in collision, holed, and flooded from the stokehold aft. To prevent her sinking, run aground and beached nearby. Salvage was abandoned, sold for breaking-up where she lay; no lives lost at this time, but an Assistant Engineer RNR died on 20 September 1915 possibly from injuries sustained. Note: location is confirmed as South Tor Cor or Torcor Point, Co Galway (+J/C/D/He/dk; ADM.137/143)

 

Friday 6 August

Gallipoli Campaign - ANZAC offensive at Lone Pine to 9th; British landings at Suvla start night of 6th/7th

North Sea

LEANDROS (L/Lr/D/dq - Leander; D - but renamed Leandros), Admiralty trawler, 276/1907, Lindsey Steam Fishing, Grimsby-reg GY.260, hired 8/14 as Leander, minesweeper, Admiralty No.18, Dover Patrol, Skipper Walter Richmond RNR. Mined, laid by UC.5 (Herbert Pustkuchen) three days earlier, sank off North Knock Sand Buoy, off Thames Estuary (wi - in 51.43N, 01.38E); 7 ratings lost (He – 5 died) (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/dq/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/8429/223)

 

Saturday 7 August

German Minefield - Moray Firth field of nearly 400 mines laid by German auxiliary minelayer Meteor (1,912grt, ex-British Vienna seized Hamburg 4/8/14), night of 7th/8th to foul the approach to Cromarty and the Grand Fleet base of Invergordon, discovered the morning of the 8th by a minesweeping trawler

Gallipoli Campaign

                  
Gallipoli and area - click to enlarge

Scourge, destroyer, G-class, c1,100t, one of ten destroyers taking part in Suvla landings, each one carried in 500 troops on deck with another 500 in a towed X or motor lighter, Scourge landed her men on C-beach, S of Nibrunesi Point. Now trying to get some of the lighters off the ground, hit in engine-room by Turkish shell around 0830 and had to retire for repairs; casualties uncertain, but one rating lost (Rn/Cn/dd/dk)

X-lighters, ramped self-propelled landing craft, X.1-series, designed for Dardanelles, launched 4-7/15, 160t, could carry 500 troops, carried K numbers, also known as K-boats, motor lighters, nicknamed "beetles". At least 10 lighters, numbered K.1-10 took part in the Suvla landings, some of which may not have got off, others damaged by gunfire (Rn/Cn/da/ec)

see Army Despatch, dated 11 December 1915 in London Gazette No.29429 - Gallipoli Campaign, including Suvla Landings

 

Sunday 8 August

Baltic Sea - German naval attack on Gulf of Riga, to 21st, driven off by Russian fleet,

Austro-Hungarian submarine U.XII mined in Adriatic off Venice

Sea of Marmara - Turkish old battleship Hayreddin Barbarossa sunk by submarine E.11 (Lt-Cdr Nasmith)

Norwegian Sea

INDIA, Admiralty armed merchant cruiser, ex-passenger ship, 7,940/1896, 18 kts, Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co, Greenock-reg, hired 13/3/15, Pennant No.M.81, 10th CS, Northern Patrol, c300 crew, Cdr William Kennedy i/c, master, Lt Richard Groundwater RNR. On patrol off Norwegian coast to intercept iron ore carriers sailing from Narvik for Germany via Rotterdam, with attached hired trawlers Saxon and Newland also 10th CS for inshore duties. Swedish SS Gloria sighted at 0830, India intercepted, boarded and searched her, details of Gloria wirelessed in. Other ships were sighted and followed, at noon ordered to send Gloria into Kirkwall, and proceeded to search for her. Now 1740, alarm gong sounded, and torpedo track seen approaching, could not be avoided and struck starboard side aft near No.3 gun, fired by U.22 (Bruno Hoppe), ship immediately started to settle by stern. Of the four starboard and three port boats kept lowered for such an emergency, six were successfully manned but with ship's way still on, a port boat capsized and on the starboard side the boats were fouled or stove in, ship sank in five minutes, 6-7 miles NNW of Heligver Light near Bodo (te - in 67.30N, 13.20E; ke - mined off Helligvaer/Hellevoer island); 121 lives lost - 11 officers, 53 ratings including some Royal Marines and  57 MMR, number of crew buried ashore in Norway (Mn - 9 officers and 107 men lost, with 189 men saved including the captain; of the latter, 19 officers and 138 men either went down with the ship and came up again or had to dive over the side before rescue; He – 166 lives lost; ke/wd - 10 officers and 150 ratings lost, 141 survivors including Cdr Kennedy), survivors picked up by Swedish SS Gotaland and HM Trawler Saxon, and landed in Norway where they were interned (+J/Mn/C/Cn/D/He/bi/dk/gf/ke/po/te/un/wd; ADM.137/185, ADM.1/8429/229, ADM.1/116/1440)

North Sea

North Sea - click to enlarge 

THE RAMSEY, (J/C - Ramsey), Admiralty armed boarding steamer, 1,443/1895, Isle of Man Steam Passenger Co, Douglas-reg, hired 28/10/14, 2-12pdr, Pennant No.M.14, attached to Grand Fleet, Lt-Cdr Harry Raby RNR (Rn - Lt P Atkins RNR; gf - refers to Acting-Lt Atkins RNR as senior surviving officer), on patrol SE of Pentland Firth. After laying mines in the Moray Firth (see 7 August), Meteor, flying the Russian flag, met The Ramsey around 0600 c70 miles ENE of Kinnaird Head in 58.20N, 00.05W "but nearer to Cromarty". The Ramsey signalled the stranger to stop, closed to about 80yds to lower a boat when the German ensign was hoisted and Meteor (c2-8.8cm/2tt/375 mines) attacked with gunfire and torpedoes, The Ramsey sank in three minutes (J - torpedoed; J/D - SE of Pentland Firth; C - off Firth of Forth; dx - off Moray Firth); 53 lives lost - 5 officers including Cdr Raby, 23 ratings and 25 MMR (He – 65 lives lost, 33 survivors; gf - 54 lives), 4 officers and 39 men taken prisoner, Meteor headed back to Germany, but was scuttled next day and the British POW's released. Note: D - "The Ramsey" is in Navy Lists as "Ramsey" (+J/L/Lr/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/dk/dx/gf/kp; ADM.1/8430/241)

BEN ARDNA, Admiralty trawler, 187/1912, R Irvin, Aberdeen-reg A517, hired 8/14 as minesweeper, Admiralty No.289, Dover Patrol. Engaged in sweeping, mined at 1330, mine laid by UC.1 (Egon von Werner) three days before, sank quickly about ¾ mile E of Elbow Buoy, off North Foreland/Broadstairs, Kent; 2 ratings lost. Note: Lloyds lists her as fishing when sunk, not in Admiralty service (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/dq/sc/un; ADM.1/8429/224)

 

Monday 9 August

German auxiliary minelayer Meteor 1,912grt, ex-British Vienna seized Hamburg 4/8/14. First laid mines off north Russia, now on second mission to lay mines in North Sea, sank HMS Ramsey the day before, now in danger of interception by British light cruisers and scuttled.

North Sea

LYNX (Lynx had three funnels; below, two-funnelled sister-ship Ardent - Navy Photos), destroyer, K-class, c1300t, 1913, 3-4in/2-21in tt with 4 torpedoes, 29kts, 73 crew, Pennant No.H.71, 4th DF Grand Fleet, Cdr John Cole, on patrol with two other destroyers in Moray Firth, SE of Helmsdale. Around 0600 or 0630, explosion under No.1 boiler room,  bridge area destroyed and back broken, fore part sank almost straightaway and stern half ten minutes later. Mined, laid by Meteor off Moray Firth (He - in 58.07N, 02.38W; wi - in 58N, 03W), "position stated to be 2 miles to the northward of the mine-field as then located"; Cdr Cole, 1 officer and 61 ratings lost (Rn/gf - 3 officers and 21 men survived; He/ke/wi - 70 lost including captain, 26 survivors), survivors picked up by SS Vocana later that morning (+J/C/Cn/D/He/dk/dx/ke/sc/wi; ADM.1/8429/230, ADM.137/3603)

 

Tuesday 10 August

Dover Straits

Cleon, 266/1907, hired 5/15 and Equinox, 198/1899, hired 6/15 both Grimsby-reg Admiralty trawlers, at anchor close together in Dover Harbour. Zeppelin dropped bombs just after midnight, Cleon damaged, one landed near Equinox, exploded in water, funnel and sides riddled with shrapnel; three Equinox crew asleep in their bunks below were wounded; one rating died of wounds (dp - four asleep, two ratings killed outright, one dangerously wounded but recovered) (Mn/D/dp)

 

Thursday 12 August

Gallipoli Campaign - British offensive at Suvla.

Naval Aviation - Short Type 184 seaplanes from carrier Ben-my-Chree carried out first ever aerial torpedo attacks, launching 14in torpedoes in the Dardanelles area against Turkish ships on the 12th and 17th, results in ships sunk or damaged is uncertain.

Gallipoli Campaign

Swiftsure, battleship, Swiftsure-class, 11,800t, 4-10in/14-7.5in and Grafton, ex-1st-class protected cruiser, Edgar-class, 7,350t, 2-9.2in/10-6in, now bulged or "blister ship", providing gunfire support off Suvla beaches. Swiftsure hit by 12-pdr field gun, 5 ratings lost and 10 wounded, one of whom died, Grafton off C-beach, S of Nibrunesi Point lost 9 ratings killed and 10 wounded (Cn/da/dk)

Manica, kite balloon ship, 4,120/1900, hired 12/5/15, supporting Suvla landings. (da - 14th) - Torpedo fired by UB.8 from 500yds passed under her shallow draught (da - submarine sighted outside net, two torpedoes fired and missed Manica, hit net at acute angle and burst). Attack two days later on a similar vessels also unsuccessful (D/da/md)

 

Friday 13 August

U-boat Warfare - Troop transport Royal Edward was first British merchant ship sunk in Mediterranean; French ammunition ship Carthage was sunk earlier on 4 July.

Austro-Hungarian submarine U.III sunk by Italian and French warships in Strait of Otranto.

Persian Gulf

Juno, ex-2nd-class cruiser, Eclipse-class, 5,600t, 5-6in/6-4.7in, was 11th CS, arrived Persian Gulf in July, Capt D Wake. Shore party casualties were recorded for August. Apparently German-inspired trouble led to decision to occupy the whole of the island of Bushire on the Persian side of the Gulf, carried out by a small joint naval/army force commanded by Capt Wake on 13th/14th; 4 ratings killed on 13th, 1 officer DOW on 14th, 1 rating on 16th, ship presumably not damaged (Rn/Cn/dk)

 

Saturday 14 August

WORSLEY, Admiralty trawler, 309/1913, E C Grant, Grimsby-reg GY814, hired 1914 as minesweeper (D - 7/15 as auxiliary patrol vessel), 1-3pdr, believed Harwich-based, Lt James Feetham RNR. On patrol with a second trawler along the Suffolk coast between Sizewell and Shipwash LV, mined under the bridge at 1800, laid by UC.6 (Matthias Graf von Schmettow) the previous day, broke in two and sank in under two minutes, one mile N of Aldeburgh Napes buoy, off Suffolk (WI - in 52.09N, 01.36.30E); Lt Feetham lost (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/sc/un/wi; ADM.137/3123)

 

Sunday 15 August

UB.4 sunk by Q-ship fishing smack lnverlyon off Yarmouth; Inverlyon was not believed damaged in the action

 

Monday 16 August

U-boat Raid - U.24 shelled Harrington area of Whitehaven, Cumberland and damaged benzol and naphtha works, which were out of action for four days

North Sea

JAPAN, Admiralty trawler, 205/1904, H L Taylor, Grimsby-reg GY28, hired 1915 (D - 8/14; He - 1914) as minesweeper, Admiralty No.42, Lt Richard Harcourt RNR i/c, Skipper Arthur Barber RNR, believed Harwich-based, sailed from Lowestoft or Harwich, sweeping with HMT Touchstone for UC-laid mines, both vessels clearing sweeps at 1915. Winch boat Japan heaved in sweep wire and saw it was fouled by a mine (laid by UC.6, Matthias Graf von Schmettow) only 30yd away, by the time the winch-man’s warning had been heard and acted on, the mine was only 3-4yd distant, insufficient headway was kept on using the trawler’s engines, mine blew up port-side between bridge and foremast, sinking her within 30sec off S end of Shipwash shoal, off Harwich (wi - three entries - in 51.53.28N, 01.34.29E, in 51.57N, 01.36.45E and in  51.52.40N, 01.37E); five ratings killed (He – 4 killed), two of the bodies were picked up by HMT Lord Roberts and Touchstone and landed at HMS Ganges, survivors rescued from the water within 15min (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/sc/un/wi; ADM.137/3124)

Eastern Mediterranean

B.6, (Lt C MacArthur) and B.11 (Lt N Holbrook), submarines, B-class, 287/316t, 2-18in tt, Mudros-based, from Alexandria with ABS Heroic for patrol off the Libyan/Egyptian border, information received that Turkish arms would be smuggled to Senussi tribesmen by German U-boats. Lt Holbrook attempted to land in a small boat under a flag of truce near Sollum, became suspicious and pulled back to B.11, shore group opened fire and riddled casings and bridge screens of both submarines with bullets; Lt Holbrook hit in the face by a ricochet, on B.6, ERA killed and fell overboard, CERA badly wounded, Coxswain slightly (Cn/dk/md)

Gallipoli Campaign

LUNDY, Admiralty trawler, 188/1908, Hull Steam Fishing & Ice Co, Hull-reg H993, hired 5/15, 1?3pdr, Admiralty No.1791, patrol vessel, Skipper Henry Charles Taylor RNR, in Suvla Bay, alongside SS Kalyan, taking on ammunition. Anchorage came under fire and master of the Kalyan decided to move position, slowly, with Lundy still secured. As more shells landed, one of them nearby, Kalyan increased speed and turned slightly, Lundy failed to hear the shouted warnings, her stern was dragged under the stern of the larger ship, the hull holed by the propeller, and she flooded and sank; one ratings lost (He - the engineer dying 'of shock' in the process); crew got away in their boat(s) (+Lr/C/D/He/dk/hw; ADM.137/3135)

 

Tuesday 17 August

North Sea

Princess Margaret, auxiliary minelayer, 5,934/1914, and Mentor, destroyer, M-class, 1,055t, 3-4in/2-1pdr/4-12in tt, 10th DF, Cdr E Inman. Princess Margaret escorted by two divisions of 10th DF, supported by Harwich LCS and four 4th DF destroyers, sailed to lay field off Amrun Bank, 25 miles N of Heligoland, heading S from Horns Reef LV, very dark night, sea calm, heavily overcast. Ran into division of German 2nd TBF, attacked with torpedoes, Princess Margaret missed but Mentor's bows blown away under water, steamed back to Harwich; no casualties listed. Operation called off (Rn/Cn/D/ty)

St George's Channel/Atlantic off SW England

Three Admiralty colliers, all presumably chartered (and six, probably seven more vessels) captured by U.38 (Max Valentiner) and all sunk (except one which escaped):

KIRKBY, 3,034/1891, Sir R Ropner & Co, West Hartlepool-reg, Mr W Hewison, Barry for Manchester with coal. Torpedoed by U.38, 23 miles W by S of Bardsey Isle (L/wi - 20 miles WSW of, in 52.30N, 05.10W) (+L/Lr/te/un/wi)

THE QUEEN, coastal collier, 557/1897, John Hay & Sons, Glasgow-reg, Mr D Macalister, Ayr for Devonport with coal. Sunk by gunfire, 40 miles NNE of The Smalls LH, E of Milford Haven (wi - in 52.15N, 05.05W) (+L/Lr/te/un/wi)

GLENBY, 2,196/1900, Sir R Ropner & Co, West Hartlepool-reg, Mr W Crighton, Cardiff for Archangel with coal. Sunk by gunfire, 30 miles N of The Smalls (L - 30 miles W of; wi - in 52.13N, 05.45W); two crew lost (+L/Lr/te/un/wi)

 

Wednesday 18 August

Baltic Sea - Action in Gulf of Riga, Russian Navy inflicted some damage on German fleet

Kattegat

E.13 (below, stranded - Navy Photos/Antoine), submarine, E-class, 667/807t, 22/9/14, 1-12pdr/5-18in tt with 10 torpedoes, 15kts/9kts, c30 crew, Pennant No.I.93, served at Harwich, Lt-Cdr Geoffrey Layton. Ordered with E.8 to join E.1 and E.9 in the Baltic, sailed Harwich 14th, now approaching the Sound separating Denmark from Sweden late on the 18th, and E.13 dived. (C - 3 September) - Compass failed shortly before 2300, surfaced and ran hard aground on the SE of Saltholm island between Copenhagen and Malmo in neutral waters, tried all night to get clear and at 0500 on the 19th, Danish torpedo boat Narhvalen arrived to inform the captain that there was a 24 hour limit for getting off, no assistance could be given and a guardship would anchor nearby.

German destroyer came up but left when two more Danish TB's arrived, by this time it was accepted that E.13 could not be refloated and the crew were waiting to be taken off. About 0900 (or 0930) two German destroyers approached from the south flying the signal "abandon ship immediately", the leading G.132 fired one or two torpedoes which hit the bottom and failed to damage E.13, then both opened fire with machine guns, crew jumped into the water and swam for the shore or the Danish vessels but the Germans apparently fired on them until torpedo boat Soulven interposed herself, destroyers left and surviving men picked up by the Danes; 15 ratings lost by gunfire or drowning, 23 survivors landed in Copenhagen that evening and interned, Lt-Cdr Layton and 1st Lt Paul Eddis later withdrew their parole and escaped back home. The wrecked boat was interned (Cn - 18th; J - 3 September), sold to Danish shipbreakers Petersen & Albeck December 1921 (J - 1919), BU at Copenhagen. E.8 safely reached Revel (Tallinn) (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/bw/dk/ke; ADM.137/146) (Casualty list, for the 19th)

Orkneys

POONAH, Admiralty trawler, 171/1903, Hull Steam Fishing & Ice, Hull-reg H737, hired 11/14 as minesweeper, 1?3pdr, Admiralty No.550. In collision with minesweeping trawler HMT Northward (204grt), foundered off Stromness, Orkneys (hw - in Suvla Bay); no lives lost (+Lr/C/D/He/dk/hw; ADM.137/146)

North Sea

Lilac, fleet sweeping sloop, Acacia-class, 1,200t, 2-12pdr/2-3pdr, recently joined Grand Fleet minesweeping flotilla, Lt-Cdr Leslie Fisher, sweeping Meteor-laid field in Cromarty Firth, bad weather with heavy sea running. (sc - 8th) - Stem hit mine, bows blown off nearly as far as bridge, remains hung down from keel, now drew nearly 30-40ft of water, towed by sister-ship Hollyhock into Peterhead, received new bow and rejoined flotilla some months later; 16 ratings lost (Rn/Cn/D/dk/gf/sc)

Aegean Sea

Barry, fleet messenger and store carrier, ex-excursion paddle steamer, 398/1907, hired 29/6/15 (C - as minesweeper), Pendant No.Y4.28, based at Mudros, serving as supply ship off Dardanelles, carrying supplies to Suvla Bay. In collision with hired screw minesweeper Whitby Abbey (do - ABS) in Mudros Bay, island of Lemnos, stern badly damaged and had to unload cargo, repaired by repair ship Reliance. Believed returned to duties in September carrying men, ammunition, mail and supplies to Anzac Cove and Suvla Bay, often under shellfire but never hit (C/Cn/D/da/do)

 

Thursday 19 August

U-boat Warfare - In spite of German assurances that large passenger liners would not be attacked, British liner Arabic was sunk without warning with the loss of 2 or 3 US citizens. Strong US protests led to German claim she was zig-zagging and as a single-funnelled vessel, not easily identified as a liner. Germany shortly extended assurances to small passenger ships. Also "The Baralong Incident" - U.27 sunk by Q-ship Baralong in Atlantic off SW England; Baralong was not damaged in the action

Baltic Sea - German battlecruiser Moltke torpedoed and damaged by submarine E.1 off Gulf of Riga

Atlantic off SW England

Possibly three Admiralty-hired colliers sunk by gunfire of U.38 (Max Valentiner):

RESTORMEL, (wi - Admiralty-requisitioned collier, released for this one voyage and cargo), 2,118/1901, New Restormel SS Co, Cardiff-reg, 19 crew, Seville for Clyde with 3,300t iron ore. U.38 surfaced close by, fired two shells and ordered her to stop, crew tried to abandon ship but master headed away at full-speed. Firing continued and ship finally hove-to, crew abandoned ship and a torpedo was fired hitting her in No.2 hold. Restormel was still afloat after the sinking of the nearby Baron Erskine, the U-boat returned, fired four shells into the engine-room and she sank at 0900, 28 miles NNW of Bishop Rock, Scillies (wi - in 50.15N, 06.52W); armed yacht Rovenska arrived, forced the submarine to withdraw, the survivors were then rescued and landed at Penzance (+L/te/un/wi)

BARON ERSKINE, 5,585/1911, Hogarth Shipping Co, Ardrossan-reg, 114 crew, on Admiralty charter for this voyage, Avonmouth for New Orleans in ballast. After U.38 had shelled Restormel, the U-boat headed for the expectant Baron Erskine and fired a warning shot, she headed at full speed for Land’s End sending SOS, continued to be chased and shelled. At 0840 shrapnel brought down the radio aerial, she stopped and after the crew had taken to the boats, torpedo hit port side in the engine-room. Six more shells were fired into the hull, she went down at 0920, 25 miles NNW of Bishop Rock (wi - in 50.12N, 06.50W); ship’s boats headed for St Ives, picked up by Rovenska and landed at Penzance (+L/te/un/wi)

SAMARA (wi - Admiralty requisitioned collier No.563), 3,172/1906, MacLay & McIntyre, Glasgow-reg, sailing Colombo via Port Said for Bristol with sugar. Shelled by U.38, ship abandoned, sank 35 miles W of Bishop Rock (L - 30 miles W of; wi - 35 miles NW of, in 49.45N, 07.20W); survivors picked up by HMT Dewsland, landed at Penzance that day at 1730 (+L/te/un/wi)

__________

"The Baralong Incident"

Admiralty collier (and a second British vessel) sunk by U.27 (Bernd Wegener). An attack on a third vessel led to U.27 being sunk by HMS Baralong:

BEN VRACKIE, Admiralty collier, 3,908/1905, Watson Brothers Shipping Co, Glasgow-reg, sailing Cardiff for Malta with coal and stores. (te/un - 18th) - Captured by U.27, sunk by gunfire 55 miles NW by N of Scillies (L - in 50.24N, 07.55W; te/un - 50.30N, 07.30W) (+L/Lr/te/un)

Nicosian, cargo steamship, 6,369/1912, Leyland Line, Liverpool, sailing New Orleans for Liverpool, carrying mules. (L - 20th) - stopped at 1500 by U.27 (Wegener), 73 miles S by W of Old Head of Kinsale (L - in 50.22N, 08.12W; dx - 50.43N, 07.22W; ge - c100 miles S of Queenstown), Q-ship Baralong was nearby, sighted Nicosian and received signals she had been captured by one or two U-boats. Baralong, headed as if to pick up Nicosian's crew from their boats, the U-boat passed behind the stopped ship to intercept the new arrival and when she appeared again, Baralong had the White Ensign hoisted and opened a heavy fire from 600yds which soon sank U.27. As Baralong picked up Nicosian's crew, Germans were seen swimming for the stopped ship and fearing they would board and scuttle her, opened fire on them in the water. Four Germans managed to reach her and disappeared below. With guns and ammunition onboard, Baralong sent her small Royal Marine contingent across to hunt them down, no doubt on a "shoot-on-sight" basis, before they could do any damage. All four were killed. Nicosian's crew returned and brought her into Bristol holed by U-boat shells. On the bases of reports by some of the American muleteers carried by Nicosian, the Germans described the incident as an atrocity and demanded the crew of Baralong be tried for murder and punished. Britain agreed to an impartial tribunal as long as the enquiry included the sinkings of liner Arabic, firing on the boats of collier Ruel and the attack on E.13 in neutral waters. The Germans dropped their demands although still threatened reprisals (+L/Rn/Mn/dx/ge/ms)

Adriatic

Albert Medal 1st Class, later George Cross - CPO Michael Sullivan Keogh, HMS Ark Royal, aircraft taking off from Imbros airfield, crashed and caught fire, attempted to rescue the fatally injured pilot

 

Saturday 21 August

Gallipoli Campaign - British offensive at Suvla

U-boat warfare - UC.5 was the first minelayer to penetrate the English Channel

 

Monday 23 August

North Sea

MIURA, Admiralty trawler, 257/1911, Neale & West, Cardiff-reg CF36, hired 1914 (D - 2/15; He - 1915) as auxiliary patrol vessel, 1-3pdr or 6pdr, Admiralty No.979, Lt Leslie Kersey RNR. On patrol off Great Yarmouth, explosion on starboard quarter at 1245, heeled over, righted, then slowly settled by the stern, sank off Yarmouth, Norfolk (wi - in 52.36.16N, 01.54.20E). Not known if she had been mined or torpedoed although survivors gave evidence that a U-boat was involved. Most sources list her as mined, Hepper as torpedoed. In either case, the submarine involved was UB.2 (Werner Fürbringer); 11 ratings lost (+L/Lr/C/D/He/ap/dk/sc/un/wi; ADM.137/3125)

Belgian Coast

Albyn, ex-Albion, paddle minesweeper, 363/1893, hired 26/5/15, 1-6pdr AA, one of the first six hired paddlers to arrive at Dover 14/7/15 as the Dover Paddlers, Lt A Daniels RNR i/c, night before swept ahead of monitors for Zeebrugge shoot, now daylight on 23rd, returning to Dover. (do - 22nd) - Attacked by German seaplane, a reported seven bombs dropped in two groups, avoided by helm and engine changes. During many subsequent operations, the paddle minesweepers with their broad beam often became the focus of German air attacks; it was reported on 10 June 1916 that "The paddle sweepers at Dunkirk... (had their routine work) enlivened on most days by attacks from hostile aircraft" (D/do/sc)

Atlantic off SW Ireland

One, possibly two Admiralty-chartered vessels stopped by U.38 (Max Valentiner) and sunk with bombs off Fastnet Rock, off Co Cork:

SILVIA, Admiralty chartered red-ensign oiler, 5,268/1913, Oil Tank SS Co, Liverpool-reg, 41 crew, Mr J Prouse, Halifax (NS) for Queenstown with 6,600t fumace fuel oil. U.38 sighted two miles away on starboard beam at 1100, started shelling, tanker stopped and abandoned, U-boat closed, boarded and placed charges in engine room, pulled off a short distance and opened fire after they had exploded, Silvia sank at 1215, 47 miles W of (L/wi - 40 miles W of, in 51.07N, 10.46W), ship's confidential papers thrown overboard by Master in weighted bag; survivors picked up by armed trawler at 1900, landed at Berehaven (+L/Lr/te/un/wi)

TRAFALGAR, 4,572/1911, Glasgow-reg, Glasgow Shipowners, 31 crew, Mr W Peter (wi - on Admiralty charter), Mejillones for Clyde with nitrates. Sunk 54 miles SW by W of (L - 54 miles SW of; wi - in 50.39N, 10.27W) (+L/te/un/)

 

Wednesday 25 August

Eastern Front - Austro-Germans captured Brest-Litovsk

 

Thursday 26 August

North Sea

JASPER, Admiralty-owned trawler, 221/1912, previously Kingston Steam Trawling, purchased by Admiralty pre-war, 1-6pdr, Admiralty No.164, commissioned as minesweeper, Lt William St Clair Fleming RNR. Taking part in sweeping field laid by German auxiliary minelayer Meteor in Moray Firth, mined at 0935 and sank quickly (He - 58.13N, 02.22W; wi - in 58N, 03W); 8 ratings killed (He – 7 died; wi - 11) (+Mn/C/D/He/dk/wi; ADM.1/8431/250)

 

Saturday 28 August

North Sea

DANE, Admiralty trawler, 265/1913, 'D' Line Steam Fishing, Grimsby-reg GY947, hired 4/15 as auxiliary patrol vessel, Admiralty No.1446, believed Harwich-based, Lt Parker RNR. Mined at 0750, laid by UC.6 (Matthias Graf von Schmettow), sank about 1 mile NW of North Aldeburgh Napes buoy, off Suffolk (wi - 2½m ESE of Thorpe Ness, in 52.10.08N, 01.41.06E); 4 ratings lost and 1 more DOW (wi - 8 killed) (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/8431/251)

Irish Sea

DOLORES, naval motor boat, ex-high speed pleasure motor boat, 12grt, hired 1914, serving with Motor Boat Reserve as HM Motor Boat No.55 (number also used by motor boat Arabian), armed with rifles/small arms, manned by RNVR crew, Sub?Lt Harold Bishop Mylchreest RNR in command. Caught fire, burnt to the waterline and sank alongside the quay in Douglas Harbour, Isle of Man (wi - in 54.08.45N, 04.28.05W); no lives lost (+D/He/dk/wi)

 

Sunday 29 August

North Sea

C.29, submarine, C-class, c290/320t, 1909, 2?18in tt with 4 torpedoes, 13/7½kts, 16 crew, Pennant No.I.59, Rosyth-based 7th Flotilla, Lt William Schofield, on anti-U-boat patrol with decoy trawler Ariadne, submerged, in tow and in telephone contact with Ariadne. Underwater explosion and tow rope went slack, mined off the Humber near Outer Dowsing LV (bw - 53.59N, 01.25E), accidentally towed into British minefield laid in January; 2 officers and 15 ratings lost (He – all 16 crew lost), no survivors (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/bw/dk/dx/go/ke/on)

 

---

 

SEPTEMBER 1915

Wednesday 1 September

Auxiliary Patrol - First 6 Elco-built ML's reached Portsmouth, overhauled and carried out trials, ML's 1, 2, 3 commissioned at Portsmouth on 14 October

North Sea

Two Admiralty trawlers, both Grimsby-reg and Harwich-based (and one steamship), mined and sunk in field laid by UC.7 (Franz Wäger) the day before off the Shipwash, off Orford Ness:

NADINE, Admiralty trawler, 150/1898, Orient Steam Fishing, GY138, hired 11/14 as auxiliary patrol vessel, Pennant No.693, tender to HMS Ganges, shore training establishment at Shotley, Suffollk, Skipper Percy Michael Saunders RNR. Sank off North Shipwash Buoy (wi - 52.01.18N, 01.37.35E); Skipper and 8 ratings lost (He – 3 survivors) (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/8432/257)

MALTA (1) Admiralty trawler, 138/1897, W Grant, GY325, hired 11/14 as auxiliary patrol vessel, Pennant No.700, had operated with submarine C.33 as trawler-submarine decoy, Skipper Frank McPherson RNR. Sank 2 cables NW of North Shipwash Buoy (wi - in 52.01.18N, 01.37.35E); 7 ratings lost (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/qs/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/8432/259)

 

Friday 3 September

North Sea

CHURSTON, Admiralty collier, 2,470/1914, Wilton SS Co, Dartmouth-reg, Mr W Martin, from Cardiff with 2,310t Welsh coal. Mined at 0850, laid by UC.7 (Franz Wäger), tugs attempted to take her in tow but weather too bad, finally sank at 1300, 2½m S of Orford Ness (W/te - in 52.01N, 01.38E); four crew lost, survivors picked up by naval patrol vessel (+L/Lr/sc/te/un/wi)

 

Saturday 4 September

U-boat Warfare - SS Natal Transport was the first recorded British merchant ship lost in the Mediterranean to a U-boat

North Sea

Dahlia, fleet sweeping sloop, Acacia-class, 1,200t, 2-12pdr/2-3pdr, Grand Fleet minesweeping flotilla, Lt G Parsons, sweeping Meteor-laid field in Cromarty Firth. (Rn - 2nd) - Mined and very badly damaged, bows blown off but ship saved and repaired; 3 ratings killed, one missing and one died of wounds, Lt Parsons severely injured (Rn/Cn/D/dk/gf/sc)

Atlantic off SW Ireland

Admiralty chartered red-ensign oiler (and a British steamship) captured off Fastnet Rock and sunk by U.33 (Konrad Gansser), then on passage for the Dardanelles:

CYMBELINE, 4,505/1902, Bear Creek Oil & Shipping Co (C T Bowring & Co), Liverpool-reg, Port Arthur for Dartmouth with oil. Sunk by torpedo 96 miles W by S of (H/te/un - also 29 miles W by S of; un – in 51.16N, 12.04W); six crew lost (+L/Mn/Lr/te/un)

Dardanelles

E.7, submarine, E-class, 655/796t, 1913, 1-12pdr/4-18in tt with 8 torpedoes, 15/9kts, 30 crew, Pennant No.I.87, fitted with 6pdr in 1915, Lt-Cdr Archibald Cochrane, attempting to break through Dardanelles defences to Sea of Marmara to relieve E.11 and partner E.7, set out from Kephalo Bay at 0200 on 4th. Reached Nagara Point at 0700, starboard propeller fouled anti-submarine net, struggled for 12 hours to get free, blowing and flooding tanks and manouevring, which only alerted the defences. Lt Heino von Hemburg, commander of UB.14 (ke - U.14) was rowed out to the approximate position, reportedly by the boat's cook, with one or more small mines which were lowered and detonated near the trapped submarine. According to Hepper, the first mine exploded at 1030 shaking the boat, and a second at 1840 which broke lights and other equipment. Lt Cochrane accepted E.7 would be destroyed, burnt the confidential papers, prepared for scuttling, came to the surface and blew her up (C/Cn - on 5th); no lives lost, all 38 crew saved, taken to Constantinople as POW's (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/bw/dk/go/ke)

 

Tuesday 7 September

Belgian Coast

Attentive, scout cruiser, Adventure-class, 2,670t, c9-4in/2-14in tt, 6th DF leader, Capt Johnson, in support of Dover Patrol bombardment force preparing to carry out Ostend shoot, forced to wait for haze to clear. Bombed by aircraft, Attentive hit on deck, one 4in gun disabled; two men killed and seven wounded (Rn/Cn/D/dk/dp/dq)

 

Wednesday 8 September

Dover Straits

Leven, destroyer, C-class, 420t, Dover Patrol, dark night. In collision with transport carrying 2,000 troops, bow flattened, found drifting broadside in heavy swell in the direction of Boulogne by destroyer Viking, taken in tow stern-first into Dover assisted by destroyer Tartar and tug Lady Crundall (Cn/D/dp/gr)

 

Thursday 9 September

North Sea

BALAKANI, Admiralty chartered red-ensign oiler, 3,696/1899, Petroleum SS Co, London-reg, Mr F White, Port Arthur for London with oil fuel. Mined, laid by UC.1 (Egon von Werner), sank ½m SW of South Longsand Buoy, off Clacton (L/te - 51.31.15N, 01.20E; wi - ½m SW by S of, in 51.31.11N, 01.20.57E); six crew lost (+L/Lr/te/un/wi)

 

Friday 10 September

North Sea

Fearless, scout cruiser, Active-class, 4,000t, 1st DF leader, Harwich Force, sailing with battlecruiser force supporting minelaying operation in the Heligoland Bight on the night of 10th/11th. Collided with unidentified destroyer during mining, Fearless sustained "considerable damage"; but apparently no deaths. Kindell confirms that Fearless was in collision with destroyer Hydra, also 1st DF and that the the cruiser lost two men killed with two more dying of injuries, and Hydra, one man killed (Cn/dk/gf/gr)

 

Saturday 11 September

Atlantic W of Scotland

Patia, 6,103/1913, hired 21/11/14 and Oropesa, 5,364/1895, hired 22/11/14 (later French Champagne), armed merchant cruisers, 10th CS, on patrol W of Hebrides at night. In collision about 2200, both sent to Clyde for repairs, Oropesa damaged from waterline to upper deck at point of impact and leaking, Patia's stem badly damaged, escorted in by AMC Ebro and later a destroyer and trawlers, attacked by U-boat on passage (Mn/D/bi/gf/gr)

 

Tuesday 14 September

Dover Straits

CITY OF DUNDEE, Admiralty trawler, 269/1914, Fleetwood-reg FD4, T F Kelsall, hired 11/14 as auxiliary patrol vessel, Admiralty No.678, Lt Albert Coles DSC RNR, Dover Patrol. In collision with Dutch steamship Patroclus, nearly cut in two and began to sink at once, going down off Folkestone, Kent at 1900; Warrant Officer and 6 ratings lost, Lt Coles was on the upper bridge at the time, became entangled in signal halliards and nearly pulled down, reached the surface, swam to a raft and pulled on board three other men, survivors picked up after hour and a half in the water (+Lr/C/D/He/dk/dq/ft/sc; ADM.137/151)

 

Wednesday 15 September

U.6 sunk by British submarine E.16 off Stavanger, Norway

 

Thursday 16 September

North Sea

Warspite, dreadnought, Queen Elizabeth-class, 31,500t, completed 3/15, 5th BS Grand Fleet. Damaged by grounding off Dunbar in the Firth of Forth, repaired (Cn - at Rosyth 17/9-20/11/15; gf - Tyne), rejoined 5th BS on 23/11/15 (Cn/gf/gr)

 

Saturday 18 September

Eastern Front - Germans captured Vilna by 19th.

U-boat Warfare - following US protests over the sinking of Arabic (19 August) and Hesperian (4 September) and because of limited success with the unrestricted submarine campaign, the Germans decided that by the end of September U-boats should: (1) stop attacks off the west coast of the British Isles and in the English Channel; (2) carry out attacks in the North Sea strictly according to prize rules; (3) transfer their main area of operations to the Mediterranean where there was less chance of meeting US ships or killing their citizens. There were no shipping losses to U-boat attack in the restricted areas in October and November, although they restarted in December.

Dover Straits

Admiralty trawler (and two other British vessels) mined, all believed laid by UC.6 (Matthias Graf von Schmettow) three days before:

LYDIAN, Admiralty trawler, 244/1908, S A Laycock, Milford Haven-reg M232, hired 1915 (D - 8/14) as auxiliary patrol vessel, Admiralty No.162, Dover Patrol, Skipper James Charles Phillips. Sank at 1100 off South Foreland, near Dover, Kent (He - off Leathercoat Point, St Margaret's Bay; wi - in 51.08N, 01.27E); Skipper and 7 ratings lost, 2 survivors (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/dq/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/8434/279, ADM.137/152)

Gallipoli Campaign

Swiftsure, battleship, Swiftsure-class, 11,890t, proceeding Mudros for Suvla. Believed attacked by U-boat - possibly U.21, but not recorded in German Official History (Rn/Cn/D/ge)

 

Monday 20 September

Central Mediterranean

LINKMOOR, Admiralty collier, 4,306/1914, Moor Line, London-reg, sailing Lemnos for Malta with coal. Captured by U.35 (Waldermar Kophamel), sunk by gunfire 50 miles W of Cape Matapan (L/te - in 36.16N, 21.18E) (+L/Lr/te/un)

 

Thursday 23 September

North Sea

Christopher, destroyer, K-class, 1,300t, 4th DF Grand Fleet. In collision with armed boarding vessel King Orry 1,877grt in fog, Christopher damaged (D/Cn/gf/gr)

 

Friday 24 September

U.41 sunk by Q-ship steamer Baralong in Atlantic, 90 miles W of Ushant, Baralong was not damaged in the action, her second success in five weeks

Belgian Coast

Southern North Sea and Dover Straits (with later defences)
click maps to enlarge

GREAT HEART (may be spelt Greatheart or Great Hart), Admiralty drifter, 78/1911, Inverness-reg INS233, hired 6/15 as net drifter, Admiralty No.1395, Dover Patrol, Skipper William Davidson RNR. Sailed with other drifters to screen monitors that were due to carry out a bombardment of Ostend and Zeebrugge - apparently streaming her buoyed nets as protection against submarine attack. Just off Dover, sunk by explosion (He - about 2 miles off harbour entrance; wi - in 51N, 01.20E), cause unknown at the time, and probably considered due to one of her own net mines. Now confirmed mined, laid by UC.6 (Matthias Graf von Schmettow), two days earlier; Skipper and 7 ratings lost. Admiralty yacht Sanda was lost next day as part of the bombardment force (+L/Rn/C/D/He/dk/dq/un/wi; ADM.1/8434/284)

 

Saturday 25 September

Western Front - Battle of Loos to 8 October; Second Battle of Champagne to 6 November

Belgian Coast

SANDA, ex-St Serf, Admiralty yacht, 300/1906, hired 26/1/15 as auxiliary patrol vessel, 2-6pdr, Pennant No.073, Dover Patrol, Lt-Cdr Henry Gartside-Tipping RN Rtd, aged over 70 in August 1914, volunteered for war service, “the oldest naval officer serving at sea”. Sailed in company with monitor bombardment force including Prince Eugene and General Crauford evening of 24th for Zeebrugge shoot, to start on 25th at 0700 in support of attack by British Army. Sanda was screening net drifters, shore batteries started replying at 0900. Hit near the deckhouse and sunk, probably by 8in shell from German batteries at Blankenberghe around 0915; 4 officers including the captain, 5 ratings and 4 MN lost (Rn - 12 officers and men lost; ap - 4 officers, 11 men killed or missing), survivors rescued by drifter Fearless (+J/Rn/C/D/he/ap/dk/dp/dq; ADM.1/8437/315)

 

Monday 27 September

Mesopotamian Campaign - First Battle of Kut/Kut al Imara/Amara on the River Tigris by British/Indian forces advancing from Amara, taken on 28th. Armed paddle launch-tug Comet, and armed launches Shaitan, Sumana took part

 off N Scotland

CARIBBEAN, Admiralty accommodation ship, ex-passenger ship, 5,820/1890, Royal Mail Steam Packet Co, London-reg, hired 19/11/14 as armed merchant cruiser, accommodation ship 6/15, now fitted out as receiving ship for dockyard workmen, Cdr Henry Bethune in command, sailed from Liverpool on passage for Scapa Flow in “extremely heavy weather”. Shipped a lot of water and got into difficulties off Cape Wrath, sent out SOS in the afternoon of the 26th, light cruiser Birkenhead and tugs came out from Scapa and tried to tow her to safety, foundered around 0730 on the 27th (He - in 58.14N 05.42W); most of crew taken off early hours of 27th, but 15 lives lost - 6 ratings, 7 MN and 2 canteen staff (Lr/C/Cn/D/He/bi/wd/dk; ADM.156/16)

 

Tuesday 28 September

Central Mediterranean

H. C. HENRY, Admiralty chartered red-ensign oiler, 4,219/1909, Steamer "H C Henry" Co, Vancouver (BC)-reg, sailing London/Alexandria for Mudros with tar oil. Captured by U.39 (Walter Forstmann), sunk by gunfire 59 miles S½E of Cape Matapan, Greece (L - 30 miles SW of Cerigotto Is/Anti-Kythera) (+L/Lr/te/un)

Mesopotamian Campaign

Comet (1), armed paddle launch-tug, 144t. Only a boom which included a dhow and two iron barges at the centre appeared to prevent the final capture of Kut. Comet (Lt-Cdr Cookson, on the books of sloop Clio), Shaitan and Sumana steamed up under heavy rifle and machine gun fire, Comet went ahead to ram the dhow, failed to break through, gunfire also failed, Lt-Cdr Cookson jumped onto the dhow with an axe to try to cut the wire hawsers securing her, was riddled with bullets from close-range and killed, no other lives lost. The gunboats sank the dhow with gunfire and all retired. Early next day, the Turks had gone, the boom was dismantled and Kut occupied. Lt-Cdr Edgar Christopher Cookson DSO was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross (Rn/D/dk/vc)

 

Wednesday 29 September

Western Front - French captured crest of Vimy Ridge

 

Thursday 30 September 1914

Mesopotamian Campaign

Shaitan and Sumana, launches, both armed with 3pdrs, with Comet continued to chase the retreating Turks north from Kut up the increasingly shoaling River Tigris. By the 30th Shaitan was fast aground near Kut and Sumana had broken both rudders by grounding, only Comet remained in action (D/Rn)