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)
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)