1914

NAVAL BALANCE OF POWER

Russia's aging Baltic Fleet consist of five pre-dreadnoughts with four dreadnoughts completing, six old armoured cruisers, four light or protected cruisers, destroyers, torpedo boats and a few small submarines. Although the German forces allocated to Baltic operations are few in number, the Imperial German Navy with its 15 dreadnoughts, five battlecruisers and other modern ships, able to transfer at ease between the North Sea and Baltic via the Kiel Canal, is more than a match for the Russians.

For nearly a decade therefore, the Russian General Staff had set the Navy the objective of defending the Russian coastline and preventing any landings aimed at capturing Petrograd. A major plank in this strategy is the laying of offensive minefields off the Russian and German coasts. These claim many victims.

Although the Russian Navy is active in the Baltic through until 1917, probably its most significant contribution to the war at sea - in all theatres - happens just 25 days after the two countries went to war with the capture of German cruiser 'Magdeburg'.

The Royal Navy also comes to play a small but important part when the first of a number of submarines slip through into the Baltic, starting in October 1914

AUGUST 1914

26th August - German cruiser 'MAGDEBURG' (1912, 4,570t, 12-10.5cm). German light cruisers 'Augsburg' and 'Magdeburg' continue minelaying and other sorties into the northern Baltic. Early on the 26th, in thick fog, 'Magdeburg' runs hard aground on the island of Odensholm at the southern entrance to the Gulf of Finland (59-18N, 23-21E). Escorting destroyer 'V-26' tries to tow her off, but without success. The crew attempt to scuttle, but Russian cruisers 'Bogatyr' and 'Pallada' come up and opened fire. 'Magdeburg' is only partly destroyed and the Russians recover three sets of the main German naval codes, complete with the current key. One of the sets makes its way quickly to the Royal Navy’s 'Room 40' in London. Added to other British captures, German naval codes are soon broken and give the Allies a major advantage at sea.

SEPTEMBER 1914

OCTOBER 1914

11th October - Russian armoured cruiser 'PALLADA' (1911, 7,800t, 2-20.3cm). Three German U-boats have been sent to patrol the waters off the Gulf of Finland. The Russians are also patrolling the area using unescorted cruisers, and apparently unaware of the hard lessons the Royal Navy is learning about the danger from submarines. Armoured cruiser 'Pallada' is hit by a single torpedo from 'U-26', her magazines exploded and the entire crew of 600 men killed.

Arrival of British Submarines - The Russian Baltic Fleet has few really effective submarines and three British 'E'-class boats are ordered to make the hazardous journey into the Baltic through the Sound separating Denmark from Sweden. During the attempt in mid-month, 'E-11' (Lt-Cdr Naismith) is forced to turn back, but 'E-1' (Lt Cdr Laurence) and 'E-9' (Lt Cdr Horton of World War 2 Battle of the Atlantic fame) get through. Russia has abandoned the naval base at Libau and the British boats make their way to Reval in the Gulf of Finland, coming under the command of the Russian C-in-C. Joined in late 1915 by more 'E' boats and then by four 'C' class, the British submarines came to play an important part in stopping the German High Seas Fleet exercising freely in the southern Baltic and disrupting iron ore traffic from Lulea in Sweden.

NOVEMBER 1914

17th November - German cruiser 'FRIEDRICH CARL' (1903, 9,700t, 4-21cm). On her way to bombard Libau, armoured cruiser 'Friedrich Carl', serving as a coastal defence ship, sinks on two mines in a Russian field laid by destroyers, west-southwest of Memel (54-41N, 20-11E). The shelling of Libau by other cruisers goes ahead.

30th November - German large torpedo boat 'S-124' (1904, 470t, 3-5cm, 3-45cm tt) sinks in collision with Danish steamer 'Anglodane' off the German Baltic coast (55-22N, 12-11E). She is salvaged, and broken up at Kiel in 1915.

DECEMBER 1914

12th December - Russian destroyers 'ISPOLNITELNI' and 'LETUCHI' (1906, 400t, 2-45.7cm tt). The two 'Lovki' class destroyers are lost in a snow storm off Odensholm during a planned minelaying operation southwest of Libau. 'Ispolnitelni' sinks after one of her own mines explodes, and 'Letuchi' capsizes trying to rescue the crew. Few if any men survive from the two ships.

1915

JANUARY 1915

25th January - German cruisers 'Augsburg' and 'Gazelle' - The Russian minelaying offensive continues to take a toll of German warships and merchantmen. Light cruiser 'Augsburg' and the older 'Gazelle' are damaged in separate cruiser-laid minefields near the Danish island of Bornholm on the night of the 24th/25th.

FEBRUARY/MARCH/APRIL 1915

MAY 1915

8th May - German torpedo boat 'V-107' (ex-Dutch small destroyer, 1915, 340t, 2-8.8cm, 2-45cm tt). As the Germans take Libau, 'V-107' has her bow blown off by a mine in the harbour entrance (56-33N, 20-58E), and becomes a total loss. Libau becomes an important base for the German Baltic Fleet.

JUNE 1915

4th June - Russian minelayer 'YENISEI' (or 'Enisej', 1910, 2,900t, 320 mines). Russian minelaying operations are not without their losses. German 'U-26' (sank armour cruiser 'Pallada' in October 1914) torpedoes and sinks 'Yenisei' off the Gulf of Finland to the west of Revel (Tallinn) as she makes her way to Moon Sound.

British submarine operations - As the two British submarines continue offensive patrols, 'E-9' (Horton) torpedoes and sinks a German collier and badly damages destroyer 'S-148', to the west of Windau on the 5th.

JULY 1915

2nd July - German mine cruiser 'ALBATROSS' (1908, 2,200t, 288 mines, 8-8cm) and cruiser 'Prinz Adalbert' - On the evening of the 1st, 'Albatross' screened by armoured cruiser 'Roon', light cruisers 'Augsburg' (SNO, Cdre von Karpf) and 'Lubeck' with seven destroyers lay mines in the northern Baltic, south of the Aaland Islands. The same night, Russian armoured cruisers 'Adm Makarov' (flagship, Rear Adm Bakhirev) and 'Bayan', and light cruisers 'Bogatyr' and 'Oleg', followed by armoured cruiser 'Rurik' and destroyer 'Novik' sail south to shell Memel. Diverted to hunt for the Germans by wireless intelligence and Russian decoding, they encounter 'Albatros', 'Augsburg' and three of the destroyers on the morning of the 2nd.

Minelayer 'Albatros' is badly hit and beached near Ostergarn on the Swedish island of Gotland (57-25N, 18-57E) but later refloated and interned. The German 'Roon', 'Lubeck' and remaining four destroyers are then sighted by the Russians, and ships of both sides damaged by gunfire.

As two more German armoured cruisers sail to give support, 'Prinz Adalbert' is torpedoed and badly damaged by British submarine 'E-9' (Horton) north of Danzig.

AUGUST 1915

8th-21st August 1915 - German Naval Attack on Gulf of Riga

As the Germans advance east and north into Russia, a strong naval force (Vice Adm Schmidt) complete with battleships stands ready on the 8th to break into the Gulf of Riga to destroy Russian naval forces and shipping, and lay mines. But first the minefields of the Irben Straits have to be clear. Supporting them are eight dreadnoughts, three battlecruisers, light cruisers and destroyers of the High Sea Fleet under the command of Vice Adm Hipper. The minefields prove a tough obstacle, and after German minesweeping torpedo-boats 'T-52' (ex-'S-52', 1890, 150t) and 'T-58' (ex-'S-58', 1892, 150t) are sunk by mines (57-42N, 21-50E), the first attack is broken off.

The second attempt is made on the 16th. A third German minesweeper 'T-46' (ex-'S-46', 1889, 150t) is also mined (57-41N, 21-50E), but further Russian attempts to interfere with minesweeping are stopped when old battleship 'Slava' is driven off by German dreadnoughts 'Posen' and 'Nassau', accompanied by three light cruisers and two destroyers. The main support force - the remaining six dreadnoughts and three battlecruisers stay in the Baltic. On the night of the 16th/17th, German destroyers 'V-99' and 'V-100' break through the Irben Strait to look for the 'Slava'. In a running battle with Russian destroyers, German 'V-99' (1915, 1,350t, 4-8.8cm, 6-50cm tt, 24 mines) is hit by 'Novik's' gunfire, mined twice, and with severe battle damage and 21 men dead, scuttled on the morning of the 17th in position 57-37N, 21-52E.

During the day of the 17th as minesweeping continues, Russian battleship 'Slava' is hit three times by shells from dreadnoughts 'Posen' and 'Nassau', and withdraw in to Moon Sound. The Germans eventually clear a passage through the dense minefields, and on the 19th, pass into the Gulf of Riga to attack Russian shipping. Late that night, German large torpedo boat 'S-31' (or destroyer, 1914, 800t, 3-8.8cm, 6-50cm tt, 24 mines) is mined and sunk within the Gulf of Riga off the island of Runö (57-47N, 23-05E).

Earlier on the 19th, out in the Baltic west of Dago, covering German battlecruiser 'Moltke' is torpedoed in the bow and slightly damaged by British submarine 'E-1' (Lt-Cdr Laurence) in her first success with the Baltic flotilla. By the 21st, with too many ships sunk and damaged, the Germans call off the attacks and Riga is saved from bombardment from the sea. The city does not fall to the Germans for another two years.

15th August - Russian minelayer 'LADOGA' (ex-old armour cruiser 'Minin', 1878, 6,100t, c900 mines) is lost on mines laid by German 'UC-4' off the Aaland island of Oro in the northern Baltic.

19th August - British submarine 'E-13' (1915, 670t, 5tt, 1-12pdr). The Admiralty decide to reinforce the small Baltic flotilla with four more 'E'-class submarines. Sailing from the English East Coast port of Harwich on the 14th, 'E-8' gets through safely on the night of the 17th/18th, but 'E-13' runs aground on the neutral Danish island of Saltholm at the southern end of the Sound late on the 18th. Next morning, two German torpedo boats appear, including the 'G-132', and in spite of Danish Navy attempts to shield the submarine, open heavy fire. The disabled 'E-13' (Lt Cdr Layton) is interned and only returned to the Royal Navy at the end of the war. Cdr Layton escapes back to England.

Two more British boats - 'E-18' and 'E-19' - make the passage to Reval safely in September.

SEPTEMBER 1915

4th September - German 'U-26' (1914, 670t, 4-50cm tt, 1-8.8cm). Operating off the Gulf of Finland, and after presumably torpedoing a Russian transport to the NW of the island of Worms on the 30th August, 'U-26' disappears. Her previous victims included armour cruiser 'Pallada' and minelayer 'Yenesei'. She is believed to have been a victim of mines to the west of the larger island of Dago (c 59-40N, 23-50E) around the 4th September.

OCTOBER 1915

British submarine successes - The few Russian and British submarines have been sent out to attack shipping between Germany and Sweden. The British boats score their greatest successes of the war in the Baltic. On the 3rd, the first German merchant ship victim - 'Svionia' - is sunk by the gunfire of 'E-19' (Cromie) off Sassnitz in the western Baltic. Over the next three weeks, another nine vessels, mostly ore-carriers go down mainly to gunfire or scuttling by 'E-8' (one ship), 'E-19' (five ships) off the Swedish island of Oland, and 'E-9' (three ships) further north off Norrkopping.

15th October - German large torpedo boat 'T-100' (or 'S-100', 1901, 390t, 3tt) is lost in collision with the 2,900grt railway ferry 'Preussen' off Sassnitz on the German coast (54-30N, 13-43E).

23rd October - German armoured cruiser 'PRINZ ADALBERT' (1904, 9,700t, 4-21cm) sole sister ship of the 'Friedrich Carl' lost on mines in November 1914, is also sunk in the Baltic. In July three months before, 'Prinz Adalbert' was badly damaged by a torpedo from Lt Horton's 'E-9'. On the 23rd October as the escorted cruiser sails into Libau on her first cruise, she is attacked by Lt Cdr Goodhart's 'E-8'. Hit in a magazine by one torpedo, she explodes and sinks with the loss of 672 crew (56-33N, 20-28E). German heavy warships withdrew from the Baltic as the British flotilla continues to attack the Swedish iron ore trade.

NOVEMBER 1915

7th November - German light cruiser 'UNDINE' (1904, 2,700t, 10-10.5cm). British submarines continue their 1915 successes. On patrol in the western Baltic, 'E-19' (Lt Cdr Cromie) hits 'Undine' with two torpedoes, sinking her south of the southern Swedish town of Trelleborg (54-59N, 13-51E).

25th November - German light cruiser 'Danzig' is badly damaged in a newly-laid Russian minefield south of the Swedish island of Gotland.

28th November - Russian submarine 'AKULA' (c1911, 370t, 4-45.7cm tt and 4 drop collars). Three days after the mine damage to the German 'Danzig', 'Akula', herself on a mining mission is probably sunk in a German minefield in the area off Libau.

DECEMBER 1915

17th December - German light cruiser 'BREMEN' (1904, 3,760t, 10-10.5cm) and large torpedo boat 'V-191' (or destroyer, 1911, 650t, 2-8.8cm, 4-50cm tt). A Russian minefield off German-occupied Courland between Windau and Lyserort account for three German warships in December. On the 17th, cruiser 'Bremen' and destroyer 'V-191' go down, both at position 57-31N, 21-24E. (Some sources report both ships torpedoed by British submarine 'E-9').

23rd December - German large torpedo boat 'S-177' (or destroyer, 1911, 650t, 2-8.8cm, 4-50cm tt). Six days later, the same Russian minefield off Courland accounts for 'S-177', same class as 'V-191' at position 57-30N, 21-27E.

1916

JANUARY 1916

13th January - German light cruiser 'Lubeck' is damaged mid-month in a Russian minefield in the middle of the southern Baltic, between Danzig and the island of Gotland.

FEBRUARY 1916

With the northern Baltic frozen, few naval operations are possible over the next two months.

MARCH/APRIL 1916

MAY 1916

Submarine Operations - Three belligerent submarines are lost late in the month in varying circumstances, but mainly in the many minefields laid throughout the Baltic.

23rd May - Russian submarine 'SOM' (ex-'Fulton', 1904, 105t, 1-38.1cm tt). In the northern Baltic off the Aaland Islands, the old Russian boat is lost in collision with Swedish steamer 'Angermanland'.

24th May - British submarine 'E-18' (1915, 670t, 5tt, 1-12pdr). On the 24th or sometime after, the first of the British boats are lost in action within the Baltic. Accounts vary. Some sources show 'E-18' sunk off Bornholm in the south by German decoy or Q-ship 'K'. Others that she went on to torpedo and damage German destroyer 'V-100' off Libau, and on her return in late May/early June, was lost in a German minefield, perhaps west of the island of Osel.

27th May - German 'U-10' (1911, 490t, 4-45cm tt). Leaving for patrol on the 27th, 'U-10' goes missing. She is assumed lost on Russian mines off the Gulf of Finland, possibly north of the island of Dago (c 59-30N, 21-00E).

JUNE/JULY 1916

AUGUST 1916

15th August - German large torpedo boat 'V-162' (coastal defence vessel, 1909, 640t, 2-8.8cm, 2-50cm tt). Dense Russian minefields in the Irben Strait guarding the southern passage into the Gulf of Riga continue to take a toll of warships. Screening minesweeping operations, 'V-162' goes down off Lyserort (57-35N, 21-35E) on the Courland coast.

21st August - Russian destroyer 'DOBROVOLETZ' (1906, 570t, 2-10.2cm, 3-45.7cm tt) is lost six days later in the Irben Straits on a Russian mine while on a laying operation herself.

SEPTEMBER 1916

OCTOBER 1916

28th October - Russian torpedo boat 'KAZANETS' (or destroyer, or 'Kazanec', 1905, 580t, 2-11pdr, 3-45.7cm tt). German submarines have concentrated on minelaying in the Gulf of Finland. On the 28th, the old destroyer 'Kazanets' sinks on a mine laid by 'UC-27' off Odensholm at the southern entrance to the Gulf.

NOVEMBER 1916

7th November - Russian destroyer 'LETUN' (1916, 1,260t, 4-10.2cm, 9-45.7cm tt). German submarine-laid mines in the Gulf of Finland continue to account for Russian ships, one to the successful 'UC-27'. On the 7th, newly completed destroyer 'Letun' is badly damaged north of Reval, laid up and not recommissioned.

10th/11th November - German large torpedo boats 'V-75', 'S-57', V-72', 'G-90', 'S-58', 'S-59', 'V-76' (or destroyers, all 1916, 920t, 3-8.8cm, 6-50cm tt, 24 mines). Ships of the 10th Torpedo boat Flotilla suffer even more heavily from Russian mines - seven out of eleven new vessels lost during an attack on shipping in the Reval area. On the way into the Gulf of Finland, late on the 10th, 'V-75' sinks and the damaged 'S-57' scuttled. An abortive attack is made on Baltic Port, and as they return, 'V-72', 'G-90', 'S-58', 'S-59' and 'V-76' are sunk early on the 11th, although casualties are light (all at c 59-23N, 22-30E).

DECEMBER 1916

1917

JANUARY 1917

British submarines reinforcements - Four more smaller 'C' class submarines - 'C-26', 'C-27', 'C-32' and 'C-35' - reach the Baltic to join the four surviving 'E' boats under Cdr Cromie, senior officer since early 1916 when Cdrs Horton and Laurence returned home to Britain. Arriving by sea at Archangel in the north of Russia, the 'C' boats travelled overland to the Gulf of Finland by canal and river.

FEBRUARY/MARCH - Russia 'March Revolution' /APRIL 1917

MAY 1917

28th May - Russian submarine 'BARS' (1916, 650t, 4-45cm tt and 4 drop collars, 1-6.3cm). Sailing from the Gulf of Finland in mid-May with other Russian submarines for operations off the Swedish coast, 'Bars' is lost, probably near Norrkopping to the south of Stockholm. The cause may have been mines or German depth charge attack on the 28th. Russian sources suggest she may have been rammed and sunk in error on an earlier date (the 21st) by a Russian destroyer off the Russian island of Dago.

JUNE 1917

c 11th/14th June - Russian submarine 'LVITSA' (or 'Lvica', 1916, 650t, 4-45.7cm tt and 4 drop collars, 1-6.3cm). As British submarines concentrate on reconnaissance patrols off the Baltic coast and in the Gulf of Riga to forestall German moves towards Petrograd, the Russian boats continue the trade war against the now well-protected Swedish ore convoys. 'Lvitsa', sister to 'Bars' lost in late May, goes missing at this time. She may have gone down to German surface craft attack on the 11th, or mines around the 14th to the south of Gotland.

JULY 1917

6th July - Russian submarine 'AG-14' (1916, 355/430t, 4-45.7cm tt, 1-4.7cm). For the third month running a Russian submarine goes missing in uncertain circumstances operating against German shipping. The brand new 'AG-14' is presumed lost off the German-occupied port of Libau around this date, probably on mines.

AUGUST 1917

12th August - Russian torpedo boat 'LEITENANT BURAKOV' (or destroyer, 1907, 350t, 2-11pdr, 2-45.7cm tt), in use as a despatch vessel is lost on a mine laid by German 'UC-78' of the Aaland Islands in the northern Baltic.

21st August - Russian destroyer 'STROINI' (also 1907, 350t, 2-11pdr, 2-45.7cm tt). 'Stroini', screening a minelaying operation in the Irben Straits, runs aground in the Gulf of Riga off the southern Osel port of Zerel. Badly damaged in a German seaplane bombing attack, salvage attempts are abandoned.

SEPTEMBER 1917

26th September - Russian destroyer 'OKHOTNIK' (1906, 615t, 2-11pdr, 2-45.7cm tt) is sunk off Zerel in the Irben Strait in possibly the first such success of its kind. She blows up on a mine laid by a German aircraft.

OCTOBER 1917

12th-20th October 1917 - Naval Battle for the Gulf of Riga

Amphibious landings are made by German forces on the Russian-held islands blocking the entrances to the Gulf of Riga, partly to trap units of the Russian Navy. In this they are only partially successful and ships on both sides are lost or damaged. The islands, from north to south are present day Estonian Vormi (Worms), Hiiumaa (Dago), Muhu (Moon) and Saarema (Osel). Osel with heavy shore batteries at the southern point of Zerel prevents the Germans from breaking through in to the Gulf, while Moon Island to the north guards the only other possible exit for the Russians. German naval forces, the greatest concentration of the war in the Baltic included ten dreadnoughts, plus cruisers, destroyers and minesweepers with air support. The Russians include two pre-dreadnoughts, cruisers and three small British 'C'-class submarines, including 'C-27' and 'C-32'.

Arriving off Osel Island on the 12th, the German dreadnoughts bombarded the coastal batteries before putting troops ashore for an advance on the town of Arensburg in the east. The only damage at this time is to dreadnoughts 'Grosser Kurfurst' and 'Bayern' from mines. To the north, light forces clash as the Germans attempt to approach Moon Island through the passage separating Dago; and Osel Islands.

By the 14th, German land forces have crossed Osel, cutting off Zerel in the south. Both sides now concentrate on the struggle for the more northerly Moon Island area and the Germans bring up heavy warships to support the light naval forces. During the day dreadnought 'Kaiser' hits Russian destroyer 'GROM' (1915, 1,260t, 4-10.2cm, 9-45.7cm tt), which is further damaged in action with German destroyers before sinking. However the Russians still control one of the northern exits from the Gulf of Riga.

Meanwhile, German minesweepers start to clear the Irben Straits in the south to allow heavy units to break through to the Gulf, but operations are held up by the Russian's Zerel batteries still holding out at the south end of Osel. These are captured next day on the 15th, leaving only mines as the remaining obstacles.

With Osel Island in German hands and the Irben Straits minefields cleared, heavy German ships enter the Gulf of Riga on the 16th. As they head north for Moon Island, British submarine 'C-27' torpedoes and badly damages a support ship.

On the 17th, the Germans approach the southern end of Moon Island and the entrance to Moon Sound. Dreadnoughts 'Konig' and 'Kronprinz' open fire on Russian pre-dreadnoughts 'Slava' and 'Grazdanin' (ex-'Tsesarevitch') respectively. Both are hit, 'Slava' heavily. The old Russian armoured cruiser 'Bayan' is also badly damaged by a 30.5cm (12in) shell from 'Konig'.

Flooded and with her draught too great to escape, 'SLAVA' (1905, 13,500t, 4-30.5cm) is scuttled in shallow water and finished off by torpedoes from Russian destroyer 'Turkmenets Stavropolski'. Retreating north, the Russians continue to lay defensive minefields in the vicinity of Moon Island and just after midnight on the 17th/18th, German destroyer 'S-64' (1917, 920t, 3-10.5cm, 6tt, 24 mines), approaching Moon Sound from the north hits one and sinks at position 58-43N, 23-24E.

The Russians evacuate Moon Island on the 18th as the Germans land, and next day Dago Island is also occupied. By the 20th, surviving Russian ships have slipped past Worms Island and made for bases in the Gulf of Finland.

24th October - British submarine 'C-32' (1909, 290t, 2-18in tt) stranded on a mudbank near Pernau on the north-eastern side of the Gulf of Riga. She is abandoned and blown up by her crew. According to Greger, she unsuccessfully attacked a German auxiliary on the 20th and was damaged by the resulting depth-charges before being run aground.

29th October - Russian submarine 'GEPARD' (1916, 650t, 4-45cm tt and 4 drop collars, 1-6.3cm) is lost around this time. On patrol with other Russian and British submarines off the Gulf of Riga and the outlying islands, she is reported on this date to the northwest of Windau. She may have been mined at this time or later off Osel on the way home.

29th October - German 'U-52' sinks in dock in Kiel after a stern torpedo explodes. She is raised in October and returned to service.

NOVEMBER 1917 - Russian Revolution and Civil War

19th November - German coastal minelayer 'UC-57' (1917, 420/490t, 18 mines, 3-50cm tt, 1-8.8cm). As the naval war between Germany and Russia comes to an end, warships are still lost to the many mines laid by both sides. Sometime around the 19th, 'UC-57' is presumed mined off the Estonian coast at c 59N, 23E.

27th November - Russian torpedo boat 'BDITELNI' (or destroyer, 1906, 380t, 2-11pdr. 3-45.7cm tt). Further north of 'UC-57’s' last reported position, 'Bditelni' is lost on a mine laid by German 'UC-78' or 'UC-58' (accounts vary) off the Aaland Islands guarding the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia.

DECEMBER 1917

7th December - German medium submarine 'UB-84' sinks off the German coast following a collision. She is raised and returned to service as a training boat.

Trapped British submarines - With Russia and Germany negotiating and with no hope of leaving the Baltic, the surviving British submarines sail for Helsingfors (Helsinki) in Finland. The crews are ordered home and the boats left with a small care and maintenance party.

---

1918

JANUARY 1918

FEBRUARY 1918

25th February - Russian submarine 'EDINOROG' (1916, 650t, 4-45.7mm tt and 4 drop collars, 1-6.3cm). Previously damaged by stranding and now temporarily repaired at Reval, 'Edinorog' founders in on tow across the Gulf of Finland to Helsingfors (Helsinki).

MARCH 1918 - Russian-German Treaty of Brest-Litovsk - Russian Civil War and Allied Intervention

15th March - German medium submarine 'UB-106' is accidentally sunk off the German coast, but raised three days later.

APRIL 1918

4th-8th April - British submarines 'E-1', 'E-8', 'E-9', 'E-19' (all 1913/15, 655t, 4tt and 1-12pdr), and 'C-26', 'C-27', 'C-35' (1909/10, 290t, 2tt). With the Germans ashore at Hango in Finland and moving on Helsingfors, the surviving submarines of the British Baltic Flotilla are taken to sea one at a time, blown up and scuttled off the port. Between the 4th and the 8th, 'E-1', 'E-8', 'E-9', 'E-19' and 'C-26', 'C-27', 'C-35' are denied to the Germans in this way.

MAY 1918

13th May - German medium submarine 'UB-114' sinks in Kiel harbour during trimming exercises. She is raised and later surrendered.

JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 1918

SEPTEMBER 1918

5th September - German coastal minelayer 'UC-91' is sunk in collision with SS 'Alexandra Woermann' off the German coast. She is raised and repaired.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1918 - Armistice signed - Russian Civil War continues

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