OCTOBER
1915
U-boat
Warfare - German U-boats transferred their main
area of operations to the Mediterranean
Sunday
3
October
Baltic
Sea - Submarine E.19 sank SS Svionia, first German
merchant ship war loss in the Baltic
Monday
4
October
Central
Mediterranean
CRAIGSTON,
Admiralty collier, 2,617/1911, Seville & United
Kingdom Co, Cardiff-reg, sailing Cardiff for Mudros with
coal. Captured by U.33 (Konrad Gansser), sunk by
gunfire 35 miles W of Ovo Is, N of Cape St John, NE
Crete (+L/Lr/te/un)
Tuesday
5
October
Central
Mediterranean
BURRSFIELD
(may be spelt Bursfield), Admiralty collier, 4,037/1902,
Burrsfield SS Co, London-reg, Mr A Hunt, Barry/Malta for
Salonica/Dardanelles with government and general stores.
Overhauled and stopped by U.33 (Konrad Gansser), sunk by
gunfire 70 miles W of Cape Matapan; master, 4th
engineer, messroom steward and a fireman killed by
gunfire during the chase (+L/Lr/Mn/te/un)
Wednesday
6
October
Bulgaria
and Serbia declared war on each other; Balkan Front -
Austro-German armies invaded Serbia
Belgian
Coast
BRIGHTON
QUEEN,
auxiliary paddle minesweeper, 553/1897, ex-excursion
steamer, P & A Campbell, Shoreham-reg, first paddler
taken up, hired 16/9/14 for conversion at Devonport,
Admiralty No.181, with Grimsby unit of 6 sweepers,
Lt Eric Rees RNR in command.
Operations
area between Humber & Belgian coast, attached to
Dover Patrol, based at Dunkirk, sweeping at night
(according to “Swept Channels”) in
the West Deep, off
Nieuport with Devonia, Glen Avon and Westward Ho. About
to turn and head for Dunkirk at 0145, mine exploded
under paddle box, laid by UC.5 (Herbert
Pustkuchen), ship broke in two and sank within minutes
(He – at 1430(?)), 4 miles off Nieuport pier, near
Ostend in West Deep; 6 ratings and 1 MN killed, 1 rating
died of wounds, other ships lowered boats and rescued 34
of crew of 41, four survivors taken to hospital in
Dunkirk, rest to Dover on board destroyer Viking. First
Admiralty paddler lost
(+J/L/Lr/C/Cn/D/He/ap/dk/do/ge/sc/te/un; ADM.1/8435/298)
Friday
8
October
Balkan
Front - Austrians captured Belgrade by 9th
Central
Mediterranean
THORPWOOD,
Admiralty collier, 3,184/1912, Joseph Constantine,
Middlesbrough-reg, Dunston/Tyne for Malta with coal.
Captured by U.39 (Walter Forstmann), sunk by
gunfire 122 miles S of Cape Martello, Crete (L - 100
miles S of Candia/Heraklion, which happens to lie on the
north coast) (+L/Mn/Lr/te/un)
Sunday
10
October
Location
Not Known
WRESTLER,
Admiralty hired tug, 346/1876, hired on harbour service
1915. Lost, no other details. Note: Dittmar lists
hired screw tug Wrestler, 192/1914, hired 1916 (also
in Colledge) and rescue tug Wrestler, 192/1915, hired
14/1/16, both of which survived the war. Finally,
Miramar Ship Index (ms) confirms the Dittmar listings
and also has Wrestler, tug, 338/1876, Liverpool Steam
tug Co, in collision at Liverpool 24 March 1903,
beached and broken up (C only)
Monday
11
October
Balkan
Front - Bulgaria invaded Serbia
North
Sea
Ardent
and Fortune, K-class, 1,300t, 4th DF, Mandate,
Repeat M-class, c1,250t, all Grand Fleet destroyers,
sent back to Scapa Flow because of bad weather even
through the battle fleet was due to sail for the
northern North Sea. Ardent and Fortune in collision,
with Ardent damaged and Mandate damaged by heavy sea
(Cn/D/gf/gr)
Tuesday
12
October
North
Sea
FRONS
OLIVIAE
(C - Frons Olive; D/dk/dq - Frons Olivae), Admiralty
drifter, 98/1912, Yarmouth-reg YH.217, hired 12/14 as
patrol boat, 1-3pdr, Admiralty identification letter Q,
Dover Patrol, Lt
Thomas Rogers RNR in command, Skipper George Meale.
Patrol duties in the Downs, mined, laid by UC.5
(Herbert Pustkuchen), sank at 0450, ¼ mile SE of Elbow
Buoy, off North Foreland, Kent; Lt Rogers, the Skipper
and 9 ratings lost. Note: correct spelling appears
to be Frons Olivae (+L/C/D/Hedk/dq/un; ADM.1/8435/303)
Adriatic
Sea
RESTORE,
Admiralty drifter, 93/1914, Lowestoft-reg LT215, hired
8/15 as net drifter, Admiralty No.1826, armed with five
rifles, with the first 60 hired drifters that reached
Taranto by 31/9/15 to lay nets across Otranto Straits,
Skipper George Catchpole RNR in command,
MIdshipman RNR in charge of the Division. Tending her
nets with three other drifters 3 miles away. In the
first attack on the Otranto drifters, U.39 (Walter
Forstmann) started shelling from 4 miles at 0800,
Restore blew her whistle, sent up rockets and headed NE
for Saseno (Sazan) island, hit in engine-room and
disabled, crew abandoned ship in the one boat, U-boat
closed from 2 miles to just a few yards, shelled and
sank her within 3min off the Albanian coast, then
attacked the other three drifters before heading north
for Cattaro; 2 engine room ratings killed. As a
measure of the responsibility placed on often young
and inexperienced officers, Hepper
notes "Midshipman
William Hargreave RNR, who was in charge of the
division, was admonished for failing to engage the
submarine, despite most of the drifters having only
small arms embarked and Rear Admiral Thursby ordered
that the Articles of War should be publicly read to
him, stressing the requirement for officers to do
their utmost to engage an enemy in sight. The Court of
Enquiry was more sympathetic, wondering why a young
reservist should have been placed in this position."
(+L/Mn/C/D/He/ap/dk/ge/un;
ADM.137/3133)
Thursday
14
October
Northern
European Waters
COMBE,
Admiralty ammunition carrier, 2,030/1912, Stephenson
Clarke, London-reg, hired 1915, sailed Liverpool 12th
for Archangel with Admiralty cargo, parted from escort
14th, went missing, posted by Lloyds 29/12/15. After
14th - Lost in northern British, Norwegian or Russian
waters (+L/Lr/C)
Friday
15
October
Britain
declared war on Bulgaria
Saturday
16
October
Red
Sea
Lama, armed boarding steamer, 2,198/1905, 16kts,
hired 12/7/15, 3-4.7in, on patrol against contraband
smuggling, and in action. No further details; one crew
member killed (D/dk only)
Sunday
17
October
North
Sea
JAVELIN,
Admiralty-owned trawler, 205/1913, Aberdeen-registered,
purchased pre-war as minesweeper, 1-6pdr, Admiralty
No.21, believed Harwich-based,
Skipper Frederick Banks RNR.
Sweeping about 3 miles S of Longsand light vessel, mined
at 1615, laid by UC.3 (Erwin Wassner) (He –
probably UC.6), sank off the Longsand, off Clacton (wi -
3.75 miles SE of, in 51.44.30N, 01.42W); one rating lost
(+C/D/Mn/He/dk/sc/un/wi; ADM.137/165)
Monday
18
October
Italian
Front - Third Battle of the Isonzo to 4 November
Tuesday
19
October
English
Channel
ERIN
II,
Admiralty trawler, 181/1903, Great Northern SS Fishing
Co, Hull-reg H757, hired 9/14 as minesweeper, 1-3pdr,
Admiralty No.381, Portmsouth-based, Lt
Edward Rule RNR.
Returning to harbour late morning, mined, laid by UC.5
(Herbert Pustkuchen) earlier that day, stern lifted out
of water and after end wrecked, sank rapidly 3 cables SE
of off Nab Light (wi - SE of Nab LV, in 50.35N,
00.51.12W); 6 ratings lost and 1 DOW. Lt Rule reached
the boat which had floated clear, then a second
explosion, presumably a second mine, blew him over the
other side, but he was rescued (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/un/wi;
ADM.1/8436/309,
ADM.137/543)
Wednesday
20
October
English
Channel
STAR
OF BUCHAN,
Admiralty drifter, 81/1913, Fraserburgh-reg FR534, hired
1/15 as patrol boat, Admiralty No.787. Recovering
indicator nets when a mine was probably snagged and
exploded at 0630, laid by UC.5 (Herbert
Pustkuchen) the day before, blown up and foundered about
500 yards S of Nab Light (wi - SE of, in 50.35N,
00.53W); 7 ratings lost (+L/C/D/He/dk/un/wi; ADM.1/8436/310,
ADM.137/543)
Thursday
21
October
Aegean
Sea - Royal Navy bombarded Dedeagatch in what was
then Bulgaria. Monitors M.16, M.19, M.29 (M.15 and M.28
in one source), bulged old cruiser Theseus and old light
cruiser Doris took part
UC.9
possibly mined in North Sea off Thames estuary
North
Sea
MONITORIA,
Admiralty collier, 1,904/1909, Ericsson Shipping Co,
Newcastle-reg, Mr G Marlow, sailing Humber for London
with coal. Mined, laid by UC.6 (Matthias Graf
von Schmettow), sank 1¾m N by E¾E of Sunk Head Buoy, off
Harwich (L - 1½m N by E¾E of; wi - 1¾m N by E of, in
51.47.33N, 01.31.15E) (+L/Lr/te/un/wi)
Barents
Sea
CAPE
ANTIBES,
Admiralty collier, 2,549/1903, Cape Antibes SS Lyle Co,
Greenock-reg, sailing Barry/Greenock for Archangel with
coal. Mined, presumably laid by Meteor, sank at
entrance to White Sea (L - in 67.35N, 41.16E); 6 crew
lost (+L/Lr)
Friday
22
October
Barents
Sea
LORD
DENMAN,
Admiralty trawler, 309/1914, Yorkshire Steam Fishing Co,
Hull-reg H118, hired 6/15 as minesweeper, 1‑12pdr,
Admiralty No.1525,
Skipper William Lowrey RNR,
one of six Lowestoft-based trawler minesweepers sent to
sweep Meteor-laid mines, arrived Alexandrovsk, Murman
coast in early July. In collision (He – mined), sank in
Barents Sea at 68.04N, 39.34E, half way between Murmansk
and Archangel, near Bezimyanni Island, Murmansk Oblask.
AMC Arlanza took part in salvaging the wreck on 1st
November; no lives lost (+Lr/C/D/He/dk/hw/sc; ADM.1/8441/345;
also Old Weather project)
North
Sea
SCOTT,
Admiralty trawler, 288/1913, Pickering & Haldane's
Steam Trawling Co, Hull-reg H.968, hired 4/15,
minelayer, 1-6pdr/24 mines, Admiralty No.3218,
then N.2A,
Lt Arthur Notley RNR.
(un – 21st) - Mined, laid by UC.1 (Egon von
Werner) two days before, sank 2 miles ESE of Tongue LV,
N of North Foreland (wi - in 51.32N, 01.25E); 3 ratings
lost (+L/Lr/D/C/He/dk/hw/wi; ADM.1/8437/314)
Saturday
23
October
Baltic
Sea - German armoured cruiser Prinz Adalbert sunk
by submarine E.8 off Libau, Latvia, German heavy
warships withdrawn from Baltic
Sunday
24
October
off
English coast
CHARITY,
Admiralty drifter, 102/1901, Inverness-reg INS40, hired
1914 (D - 10/15; He - 1915) as net drifter,
Skipper John Bruce RNR,
sailed from Great Yarmouth that day for Poole to be
fitted out for duties. Disappeared on passage, possibly
mined; 1 officer and 7 ratings lost, all on board
(+C/D/He/dk; ADM.1/8441/347)
Monday
25
October
English
Channel
VELOX,
destroyer, C-class, 445t, 1902, 1-12pdr/5-6pdr/2-18in
tt, 27kts, c63 crew, Pennant No.D.71, probably
Portsmouth Local Defence Flotillas,
Lt Frank Pattinson RNR,
on patrol between Dunnose and Culver
cliffs with destroyer Conflict, easterly gale and high
seas. Both came inshore and Velox patrolled between Nab
and Dean sandbanks, at 1545, near Bullock Patch buoy,
there was an explosion aft followed by a second one,
probably the depth charges going off.
Mined, laid by UC.5 (Herbert
Pustkuchen) a week before, stern wrecked, rest of ship
stayed afloat. Two drifters assisted, one taking off
all the crew except captain, gunner and ten men.
Conflict now took Velox in tow for Portsmouth, but she
was settling all the time and went down off Nab Rock
buoy (wi - off Bembridge Ledges, sank 1.5 miles E of
Bembridge, IoW in 50.41.31N, 01.02.05W); 4
ratings killed by explosion (wi - 12 lost). Wreck
lies at 30ft, sold in 1970, stripped and dispersed
by explosives (+J/C/Cn/D/He/dk/dx/ge/un/wi; ADM.1/8438/329)
Sea
of Marmara
E.12,
submarine, E-class, 667/807t, 5/9/14, Lt-Cdr Kenneth
Bruce, operating with H.1 in Sea of Marmara, joined by
E.20 and French Turquoise. E.12 now due to leave, headed
down on 25th. Passed net and appeared to have carried
away part of it, boat forced down to 245ft, then came up
near the surface dragging the net behind her, seen and
attacked by patrol vessels, plunged down again near
Kilid Bahr, missed by two shore-based torpedoes next
time she came up, fired at and hit several times by
small shells, no serious damage done, dived again and
got away (Rn/Cn)
Wednesday
27
October
Dover
Straits
BONAR
LAW,
Admiralty trawler, 284/1912, Pickering & Haldane's
Steam Trawling, Hull-reg H437, hired 2/15 as minesweeper
(He – employed as patrol vessel), 1-3pdr, Admiralty
No.1223, Dover Patrol,
Lt Alfred Stableford RNR.
(wi - 28th) - In collision with SS
Dwina (756grt), ½ mile W of South
Goodwin light vessel, off Deal and sank (wi - in
51.07.38N, 01.24.39E); no lives lost
(+Lr/C/D/He/dk/dq/hw/wi; ADM.137/167)
Thursday
28
October
Orkneys
ALEXANDRA,
(He – Alexandra II), Admiralty hired screw tug,
168/1907, Alexandra Towing Co, Liverpool-reg, hired as
unarmed patrol boat in Liverpool area 10-12/14, tug from
9/15, Pennant No.T.7, Mr G Jenkinson, Scapa Flow-based.
Wrecked at entrance to Hoxa Sound, S side of Scapa Flow
(wi - in 58.49N, 03.04.30W) (+Lr/C/D/He/wi)
North
Sea
ARGYLL,
armoured cruiser, Devonshire-class, 10,850t, 1904,
4-7.5in/6-6in/2-12pdr/20-3pdr/2tt, 22kts, 655 crew,
Pennant No.N.80, 3rd CS Grand Fleet, Capt James Tancred,
heading for Rosyth (Rn - to rejoin squadron after refit
in Devonport; He - sailed from Scapa Flow), weather
thick with rain squalls and high winds, Bell Rock LH
blacked out. Ran on to Bell Rock off Dundee early in the
morning (He - at 0425; wi - in 56.26N, 02.23.30W),
Rosyth-based destroyers arrived at 0625, Hornet laid
alongside the port quarter and took of 400 men and
Jackal took off others in boat, all "in very difficult
conditions". Heavy seas soon reduced her to a wreck; no
lives lost. Salvaged for guns, fittings and stores
over the next few months, commercial salvage companies
later removed non-ferrous metals and bronze
propellers, wreck lies scattered at 50ft, only 400ft W
of the lighhouse (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/dk/ke/wi; ADM.137/3643)
Gallipoli
Campaign
HYTHE,
auxiliary screw minesweeper (J - paddle), ex-railway
packet, 509/1905, South Eastern & Chatham Railway
Companies Managing Committee, London-reg, hired
18/10/14, 1 or 2-12pdr, Pennant No.T.10, Lt-Cdr
Arthur Bird RNR, carrying 230 troops, probably from
Mudros, for the Gallipoli beaches. At the same time, armed
boarding steamer Sarnia, 1,498grt, having landed her
troops, was returning to Mudros, night dark. Sarnia
sighted Hythe right ahead at 2010, both ships sounded
whistles and changed course, but Sarnia hit Hythe's port
quarter, holing her and she shortly sank near Cape
Helles, Dardanelles; 9 ratings, 2 MN lost (He – 10 crew
and 145 troops lost) (+J/Lr/C/Cn/D/He/dk/dx; ADM.137/3136)
Sunday
31
October
Dover
Straits
Admiralty yacht and trawler mined in field laid by UC.6
(Matthias Graf von Schmettow) that day. This followed
the mining of Norwegian SS Eidsiva at 0745, 2 miles SW
of South Foreland, and British SS Toward, around two
hours later:
ARIES,
Admiralty yacht, 201/1880, steam yacht hired as
auxiliary patrol vessel 12/9/14, 2-3pdr, Pennant No.05,
Dover Patrol,
Lt-Cdr Harry Calder RNR, picking up survivors from the
merchant ships and transferring them to trawlers.
Trawler reported a floating mine, and Aries proceeded
into the field to mark and destroy any mines, large
explosion at 1100 and she broke in two and rapidly sank.
Mined off
Leathercoat Point, near Dover; 5 officers including
commanding officer, 4 ratings and 14 MN lost (He
– 22 killed, 9 survivors). Wreck discovered and lies
in
51.00.64N
01.24.41E
(+J/L/C/D/He/dk/dq; ADM.137/3131)
OTHELLO
II,
Admiralty trawler, 206/1907, Hellyers Steam Fishing Co,
Hull-reg H956 (He – Grimsby-reg), hired 3/15 as
minesweeper, 1-6pdr, Pennant No.1193, Dover Patrol,
Skipper Duncan MacLachlan RNR, with other trawlers
preparing to sweep the field. Mined around 1820, between
Goodwin Gate buoy and Gull LV and
broke in two,
wheelhouse windows and door jammed shut, sank
immediately off Leathercoat Point; Skipper and 8 ratings
lost, only the deck-boy survived, trapped in the
wheelhouse with the skipper, 2nd mate and helmsman, he
was pushed through a half-open window. The boy went
on to survive the sinking of HM Trawler Weigelia four
months later on the Goodwins. Sliding wheelhouse doors
in trawlers were replaced by light canvas ones (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/dq/hw/sc/wi;
ADM.137/168;
ADM137/3131)
off
NW Scotland
JOHN
G WATSON,
Admiralty trawler, 196/1910, R Irvin & Sons,
Aberdeen-reg A.327, hired 1915 (D - 11/1914) as
minesweeper, 1-6pdr, Pennant No.427, (wi - E Baker,
Capt). Escorting
oil tanker Rosalind from Stornoway, collided with her
and sank
at Stornoway, Isle of Lewis (wi - in 58N, 06W); no lives
lost; crew rescued by escort
trawler Invicta (+Lr/C/D/He/dk/wi;
ADM.137/168)
Gallipoli
Campaign
gggLOUIS,
destroyer, L-class, c1,300t, 1913, 3‑4in/1-Maxim
mg/4‑21in tt, 29kts, c73 crew, Pennant No.H.07, 3rd DF
Harwich on completion, to Mediterranean early 1915,
Lt-Cdr Harold Adair- Hall, Gallipoli evacuation plans
now being made but likely to be endangered by winter
storms, SW storm now blowing, at anchor. Anchors dragged
and driven ashore early hours of 31st in Suvla Bay, had
to be abandoned, strong SW winds blew for three weeks
preventing salvage, reduced to a wreck over the weeks by
Turkish artillery; no lives lost (ke - all 102 crew
saved) (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/he/dk/dx/ke; ADM.137/191,
ADM.53/47327)
Arrived
in Suvla Bay, Gallipoli during the late afternoon and
anchored amongst other ships, the weather at that time
being fair, with a fresh south‑westerly wind. During the
evening the wind strengthened to a strong gale, and at
8.15pm it was found that she was dragging her anchor.
The port anchor was let go and the port engine put full
ahead, but the ship's stern fouled an anchored tug, so
the engine was stopped. The destroyer now swung round
alongside the tug to lay bow to stern and hung together,
both ships now dragging towards the shore. At 8.30pm she
drifted clear and the port engine was again put to full
ahead and the cables worked to bring her into the wind,
but five minutes later she was reported to be aground.
The engines were worked to try and free her, but to no
avail and she remained firmly held. That evening it was
found that water was entering the engine room and
stokehold which were soon flooded. Over the course of
the next few nights the ammunition and stores were
removed, the ship being repainted 'to resemble a rocky
background' in an effort to camouflage her, and no work
was done on her during the day so as not to attract
attention. Despite efforts to salvage her, at 3pm on 4
November she broke her back, and she had to be abandoned
as a wreck. She was placed out of commission on 3
December.
NOVEMBER
1915
Barents
Sea
Arlanza,
Admiralty armed merchant cruiser, 15,044/1912, hired
3/15, 10th CS Northern Patrol, carried Allied Military
Mission to Russia, now returning with Russian Mission.
Date uncertain (bi - early 10/15; gf - 29/10; Mn -
14/11) - Mined off Lumbovski near Svyatoi Nos on Murman
coast, presumably laid by Meteor, passengers
taken off by British SS Novo, towed by a tug and two
British minesweeping trawlers into nearby Yukanskie
Roads, remained there through the winter, later patched
up with help of Russian materials and diving plant,
towed home for repairs in June 1916; as repairs were
impossible through the winter of 1915/16, most of crew
brought back by an AMC (Mn - Orotova; gf - Orcoma)
(Rn/Mn/D/bi/gf)
Monday
1
November
gggMotor Patrol Boat Number 33 (He/D ; ADM.137/168)
Reported
as destroyed by accidental fire whilst lying in
Brightlingsea Creek. She caught fire at 12.15pm and was
scuttled one hour later when it was found to be
impossible to get the fire under control. The identity
of the craft is uncertain; Dittmer & Colledge record
the name Weenie for Motor Boat 33, but that vessel
continued to be carried on the Navy List until 1919.
Straits
of Gibraltar
TB.96,
torpedo boat, White 140ft-type, 130t, 1894, 23kts,
3-3pdr/3-14in tt, 18 crew, TB’s 83 and 88-97 formed the
Gibraltar Local Defence Flotilla,
Chief Gunner John Summer in command of TB.96.
On patrol about 5 miles E of Gibraltar, in collision
with mercantile fleet auxiliary or "troopship" SS Tringa
at 0115 and
sank rapidly. Tringa was presumably the 2,154grt
squadron supply ship torpedoed and sunk three weeks
later; 2 officers including Chief Gunner Summer and 9
ratings lost (ke - no casualties) (+J/C/Cn/D/He/dk/ke;
ADM.137/194)
Gallipoli
Campaign
MARSDEN,
Admiralty hired iron paddle tug, 131grt, 1906, France,
Fenwick Tyne & Wear, Co Newcastle-reg, hired
24/6/15, serving off Gallipoli,
Sub‑Lt Albert Trick.
(C/D - 31 October) - Driven ashore by gale at Suvla Bay,
W Gallipoli peninsula, stranded, later destroyed by
Turkish gunfire; no lives lost. Owners received
£6,500 compensation (+C/D/He/dk/mc/tu)
Friday
5
November
Eastern
Mediterranean
gggTARA,
ex-Hibernia, Admiralty armed boarding steamer,
1,862/1900, Dublin-reg, London & North Western
Railway, hired 8/8/14, 3-6pdr, 105 crew, Capt Rupert
Gwatkin-William i/c, master, Lt Tanner RNR. During
Senussi revolt in Cyrenaica against the Italians,
submarine sighted off Sollum on Egyptian border, four
armed Egyptian customs cruisers on patrol off Egyptian
coast now joined by Tara as senior ship in Western
section east from Sollum, steaming into Sollum.
Torpedoed by U.35 (Waldemar Kophamel), sank immediately
in Sollum Bay (te - off Bardia); 10 lives lost during
the attack, 95 survivors towed in their lifeboats by
U.35 to Bardia, handed over first to the Turks, and then
local Senussi tribesmen. Senussi were defeated that same
month and Bardia re-occupied 3/16 when it was learnt
that Tara’s crew were prisoners in a camp 120 miles W of
Bir Hakim/Hacheim. Vehicles of the Duke of Westminster’s
Armoured Car Squadron and motor ambulances crossed the
unmapped desert in 14 hours to rescue the survivors,
four of whom had died in captivity; total of 14 lives
lost - 3 officers, 1 rating, 8 merchant seaman killed,
and 1 officer and 1 MN DOW. At the time of the attack on
Tara, U.35 sank the Egyptian Abbas (also damaged: ap/dx
- Nur el Bahr; ge - Abdul Moneim) off Sollum
(+J/L/Lr/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/dk/dx/ge/ke/te; ADM.116/1529,
ADM.137/4020)
A former
railway company ferry, employed in the task of stopping
neutral shipping. Having served in the Irish Sea, she
was despatched in late 1915 to the Mediterranean, to set
up a patrol in the Gulf of Sollum (Salum), Egypt. At
10.10am when about eight miles north of Bardia, a
torpedo track was seen and immediately afterwards a
periscope observed. A 6pdr attempted to engage the
periscope and avoiding action ordered, but neither had
effect and she was hit. The survivors quickly took to
the boats and their attacker, the U.35 came to the
surface as she sank, her commander, von Arnaud de la
Periere, ascertained her identity and took Captain
Williams onboard, and would have taken him prisoner, but
he insisted on staying with his men, and this was
respected. U.35 then towed the boats inshore to within
sight of land before leaving them, the survivors landing
in Libya where they were detained for some time. Twelve
men died in the initial attack and five died later in
captivity from her complement of 109.
Saturday
6
November
Sea
of Marmara - E.20 was the last of four British and
four French submarines lost in the Dardanelles in 1915
out of a total of 13 boats that took part. Turkish
losses remain uncertain but are quoted as 1 battleship,
1 old battleship/coast defence ship, 1 destroyer, 5
gunboats, 11 transports and around 200 steamers and
sailing boats
North
Sea??? Westward??
gggAlbemarle,
battleship, Duncan-class, c15,200t (Cn - heavily loaded
with spare ammunition) sailing with King Edward
VII-class battleships Hibernia and Zealandia, all 3rd BS
Grand Fleet, left Scapa Flow on 6th for southern ports
and the Mediterranean, passing westward through Pentland
Firth with strong wind over spring tides, very heavy sea
running. Night of 6th/7th (gr - 7th; Cn - 11th) - Seas
washed away Albemarle's fore bridge and displaced roof
of conning tower, returned to Scapa Flow with Hibernia;
1 officer, 4 ratings washed overboard (gf - 1 officer, 1
rating), others injured. After repairs, returned to
Scapa in December. Zealandia also had to turn
back to repair damaged gunports (Rn/Cn/D/gf/gr)
DK
– 7th
Albemarle,
pre-Dreadnought battleship, damaged by heavy seas off
northern Scotland, upper deck crushed, probably
accounting for first three casualties listed, who were
buried ashore
AIKEN,
William J, Chief Petty Officer, 161866 (Po), DOI
ARNOLD,
Arthur E, Ordinary Seaman, J 22237 (Po)
NAYLOR,
David A, Able Seaman, J 18657 (Po)
NIXON,
George R, Commander, washed overboard and drowned
STROUD,
George E B, Able Seaman, 221919 (Po), washed overboard
and drowned
Central
Mediterranean
Admiralty
oiler (and two British steamships) captured by U.35
(Waldemar Kophamel) off Cape Martello, S Crete:
LUMINA,
Admiralty chartered red-ensign oiler, 5,950/1915, H E
Moss, Liverpool-reg, armed, Tarakan for Malta with fuel
oil. Sunk by gunfire 120 miles S by E of (L - 33.04N,
25.56E; te - in 33.40N, 25.06E) (+L/Lr/te/un)
Sea
of Marmara
E.20,
submarine, E-class, 667/807t, 12/6/15, 1-6in
howitzer for shore bombardment/5-18in tt with 10
torpedoes, 15/9kts, 30 crew, Pennant No.I.69, Lt-Cdr Clyfford
Warren, successfuly reached Sea of Marmara. Due to
rendezvous with French submarine Turquoise near Rodosto,
NE part of Sea of Marmara on 6th, but Turquoise had been
captured on 30 October, reportedly with charts and other
documents intact including details of the planned
meeting. (C/D - 5th) - UB.14 (Heino von
Heimburg) waited submerged at the rendezvous, at 1600
sighted E.20 laying stopped, fired single torpedo at
1710 at the still stationery target from 550yds, hit her
amidships and she sank instantly; 21 ratings lost (ke -
27), UB.14 surfaced and rescued the 9 survivors
including Cdr Warren who were on the deck at the time
(+J/C/Cn/D/He/bw/dk/dx/ke/un)
Sunday
7
November
Baltic
Sea - German light cruiser Undine sunk by
submarine E.19 off Trelleberg, Sweden
Atlantic
off NW France
PRINCESS
VICTORIA,
Admiralty trawler, 272/1903, Armitage's Stream Trawling
Co, Hull-reg H.766, hired 9/15 as patrol vessel, 1‑3pdr,
Admiralty No.1971,
Skipper Ernest Wales RNR.
Escorting collier Cressington Court and motor lighter
X.65 in company with Admiralty trawler Donalda from
Devonport across the English Channel. In collision with
the collier at 1900 near Ushant, NW France and sank, no
lives lost (+Lr/C/D/He/dk/hw; ADM.137/169)
Tuesday
9
November
North
Sea
IRENE,
Trinity House tender (J - Admiralty armed yacht),
543/1890, Corporation of Trinity House, London-reg, on
loan to Dover Patrol for anchor work connected with net
and mine barrages, sailing Harwich for London in
ballast. Mined, laid by UC.1 (Egon von Werner),
sank 1½m ESE of Tongue LV, off North Foreland (L/wi -
2½m SE by E of, in 51.29.35N, 01.27.20E); 21 crew lost
including master. Note: only Janes list her as a
naval auxiliary, but included here as on naval service
(+J/L/ge/sc/te/un/wi)
Wednesday
10
November
Italian
Front - Fourth Battle of the Isonzo to 2 December
Friday
12
November
English
Channel
RESOURCE
II,
ex-steam yacht, Admiralty yacht, 734/1865, hired 1/10/15
as depot ship for the new RNVR-commanded ML’s arriving
from the US, Pennant No.098,
Lt-Cdr Francis Richardson RNVR in command.
Fitting out in Southampton, possibly at anchor, caught
fire, towed clear of the dock to stop the fire spreading
to shore installations, gutted and sank in Southampton
Water (wi - in 50.48N, 01.17W); no lives lost
(+J/C/D/He/ap/dk/se/wi; ADM.137/170)
Saturday
13
November
North
Sea
Matchless,
destroyer, M-class, c1,100t, Cdr George Gibbs, one of
five Harwich Force destroyers, believed 10th Flotilla,
finding their way back into Harwich after being out for
two days and nights, trying to make for Orford Ness LH,
dark winter evening. A Saturday in November, not
necessarily the 13th - Matchless mined at 0551 in German
field, stern complete with rudder and screws blown off,
badly down by the stern and rolling heavily, taken in
tow by sister-ship Murray (CO was the naval author
Taffrail) by 0715, with great difficulty headed for
Harwich. Just short of there, tow parted, taken in rest
of way by light cruiser; no casualties. Patched up and
taken to Chatham for new stern (Cn/dd/ty)
Atlantic
off SW England
SILVERY
WAVE,
Admiralty drifter, 96/1915, Lowestoft-reg LT507, hired
9/15 as net drifter, 1-6pdr, Admiralty No.1900, from St
Mary’s, Scilly Islands for patrol and return, entering
Crow Sound in bad weather in company with Boy Eddie to
take shelter on the night of the 12th/13th. Driven
ashore on NE side of St. Mary's island, near Pelistry
Bay, Scillies (He - Water Mill Cove; wi - in 49.55.30N,
06.16.30W), too badly damaged to be salvaged, declared
total loss; no lives lost (+C/D/He/dk/wi; ADM.137/170)
Boy
Eddie, Admiralty
drifter, 59/1909, hired 3/15 as net drifter. Went ashore
at same time as Silvery Wave, salvaged and refloated
(D/He/wi)
Tuesday
16
November
North
Sea
gggXERXES,
Admiralty trawler, 243/1908, Swansea-reg SA55, Buckworth
& Mumby, hired 12/14 as minesweeper, 1-6pdr,
Admiralty No.835, Skipper F Hayes. Sank off Girdle Ness,
near Aberdeen (H - mined, C/D/wi - in collision; wi - in
57.06N, 02W); 3 ratings lost, 1 DOW. Note: exclusion
from Lloyds listing suggests loss was due to collision
(+Lr/C/D/He/dk/wi; ADM.156/18)
16
November Lt John Joseph William Whitfield RNR
Based at Aberdeen, she was ordered to escort the oiler
Burma clear of the area. The oiler sailed at 8.40pm,
twenty minutes before the trawler, forcing the escort to
catch up. With the light failing, the masthead, stern
and starboard lights of the oiler were sighted and it
was estimated that she was steering to the south‑east.
The trawler matched the course and slowly overhauled
her, and when off her starboard quarter signalled by
light, asking the oiler to confirm her course and speed.
The tanker did not immediately reply, and the trawler,
still assuming that she was heading south‑east, decided
to take station ahead of her. The pair were actually on
a converging course, as the oiler was steering to the
south-south‑west. The officers of the Xerxes became
confused as the pair closed, and thought that the Burma
had altered course towards them. Before any action could
be taken she crossed the bows of the tanker and at
9.28pm was struck on the port side amidships. She hung
on the bows for some moments before falling away to sink
on the starboard side of the oiler, with the loss of
four men. The position was then 57.50.30N 01.59.30W. The
blame for the incident was shared by both commanding
officers. The master of the Burma, Mr William Frost, had
not been on the bridge when the escort was closing,
leaving an inexperienced third officer in command, who
had failed to appreciate the dangerous situation that
was developing. Lt Whitfield had been guilty of an error
of judgement in attempting to take station ahead of the
tanker whilst judging her course and speed 'by eye'.
Both officers were reprimanded.
Wednesday
17
November
Merchant Navy
- LAKE SIMCOE, barque, 350/1871, Canadian-reg,
sailed Naples on this date for St. Johns, Newfoundland,
went missing with all crew, including three members of
the
Newfoundland Mercantile Marine who were listed with
Naval casualties (dk/ms)
Thursday
18
November
Central
Mediterranean
ENOSIS,
Admiralty collier, 3,409/1906, Eftikhia SS Co,
London-reg, Mr Alfred Bowling, from Barry/Malta with
coal (te - Barry for Malta). Captured by U.33
(Konrad Gansser), sunk by torpedo 150 miles ESE of Malta
(L - 240 miles E by S of); master mortally wounded on
bridge by shell-fire (+L/Lr/Mn/te/un)
Friday
19
November
Scourge,
destroyer, G or Beagle-class, c950t, believed with all
of class in Mediterranean, had been operating off
Gallipoli. Boiler explosion; 6 stoker rating killed
(D/dk)
Dover
Straits
FALMOUTH
III,
Admiralty trawler, 198/1909, Western Steam Trawling,
Bristol-reg BL12, hired 1915 (D - 8/14) as minesweeper,
Admiralty No.152, Sub-Lt Harry Beedle (or Beadle) DSC
RNR, Dover Patrol, sweeping area where hospital ship
Anglia sank. (dq - 17th) - Mined, laid by UC.5
(Herbert Pustkuchen) two days earlier, blown in half
just before bridge, sank immediately off Dover (D - off
Deal; He/dq - around No.8 buoy off Dover; sc - on top of
wreck of Anglia until dislodged by gale some days later;
wi - in 51.02.38N, 01.19.01E); 1 officer and 6 ratings
lost, Lt Beedle went down with the ship but came to the
surface and was rescued (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/dq/sc/un/wi;
ADM.1/8440/340)
Central
Mediterranean
HALLAMSHIRE,
Admiralty collier, 4,420/1907, Helmsdale SS Co,
Glasgow-reg, Mr A Clark, armed, Cardiff for Malta/Milo
with 5,600t coal. Torpedoed at 1420 by U.34
(Claus Rücker) but did not sink fast enough, shelled and
sank by 1700, 20 miles SW by S from Cerigotto
Is/Anti-Kythera, between Greece and Crete (L - in
35.38N, 23.01E); survivors picked up by French destroyer
(+L/Lr/Mn/te/un)
Adriatic
Victoria
Cross - Sdn-Cdr Richard Bell-Davies RNAS (No.3
Sqdn), landed and rescued pilot behind enemy lines at
Ferrijik railway junction, Bulgaria under heavy fire
Monday
22
November
Mesopotamian
Campaign - Battle of Ctesiphon south of Baghdad
until 25th/26th, British/Indian forces then forced to
retreat down the River Tigris towards Kut. New
Yarrow-built river gunboat Firefly, armed tug Comet,
armed launches Shaitan, Sumana, and stern-wheelers
Messoudieh and Shushan towing horse-boats carrying
4-4.7in naval guns took part
Tuesday
23
November
Norwegian
Sea
Tenby
Castle,
Admiralty trawler, 256/1908, Swansea-reg, hired 2/15,
serving with 10th CS off Norway for inshore blockade
duties, heavy gale. Swept by "terrific sea" and
considerably damaged, put into Bessiker, near Kya Island
for repairs which took three days assisted by Norwegian
gunboat Hidalgo without any threat of internment, later
reached Lerwick (D/bi)
Wednesday
24
November
Central
Mediterranean
RUBY
(1), Admiralty trawler, 198/1899, T C & F Moss,
Grimsby-reg GY1136, hired 7/15 (He – as minesweeper),
1-3pdr, Admiralty No.1742, Skipper
George Barrett RNR.
Wrecked in Grandes Bay, S of Cape Sidero, Crete; no
lives lost (+Lr/C/D/He/dk)
Friday
26
November
Central
Mediterranean
TRINGA,
Admiralty store or squadron supply ship, 2,154/1913,
Cork SS, hired 28/11/14 as RFA, Pennant No.Y9.21,
probably not commissioned, sailing Malta for Gibraltar,
no cargo. Captured by U.33 (Konrad Gansser),
sunk by gunfire 30 miles NE by N of Galita Is, off NW
Tunis (L - 40 miles N of Cani Rocks); 3 lives lost
(+LC/D/te/un)
Saturday
27
November
Albatross, old destroyer, C-class, c375t,
probably serving with Patrol or Local Defence Flotilla,
perhaps in the Humber. Boiler explosion; four stoker
ratings killed, three of them buried at Immingham, so
presumably English east coast area (D/dk)
Sunday
28
November
North
Sea
WILLIAM
MORRISON,
Admiralty trawler, 211/1915, Aberdeen Pioneer Steam
Fishing Co, Aberdeen-reg A355, hired 9/15 as
minesweeper, 1-3pdr, Admiralty No.3217, believed
Harwich-based. Mined, laid by UC.7 (Franz Wäger)
earlier in the day, sank near Sunk Head Buoy, off
Harwich (He - 51.52.40N,
01.31E,
wi - in 51.47.30N, 01.30E); 3 ratings lost
(+L/D/He/dk/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/844/346)
Mesopotamian
Campaign
SHAITAN,
armed launch, taken over 1/12/14, 1-3pdr, later 1-12pdr,
Lt Aubrey
Thursfield, with River Flotilla vessels Firefly, Comet,
Messoudieh, Shushan, Sumana covering withdrawal from
Ctesiphon to Kut. (D/dx - 29th) - Both Comet and Shaitan
went aground just above Aziziya, Comet was soon off, but
Shaitan remained unmoveable. Comet, Firefly and Shushan
spent all day under constant sniper fire trying to get
her free but were forced to abandon her with the
approach of the Turkish advance guard; no lives lost.
After two days rest the retreat continued to
Umm-at-Tubal (+Rn/D/He/dk/dx/gb/tf; ADM.137/3089)
Monday
29
November
UC.13
stranded and wrecked in Black Sea
North
Sea
DUCHESS
OF HAMILTON,
auxiliary paddle minesweeper, ex-Clyde excursion
steamer, 553/1890, Caledonian Steam Packet Co,
Glasgow-reg, hired 3/15 (D - 11th), Pennant No.933, Lt-Cdr
Hugh Archer, sweeping
with HMS Westward Ho, 19 miles SE of Harwich at N end of
Black Deep. Mined at 1315, laid (He – possibly) by UC.3
(Erwin Wassner), sank near Galloper LV (J/dx/wi - off
the Longsand, in 51.46.46N, 01.37.18E; He – 1½ miles SW
of Sunk Head buoy in Black Deep; te - in 51.47N,
01.40E); 8 ratings and 1 MN lost, survivors picked up by
paddle minesweeper Clacton
Belle
(+J/L/Lr/C/Cn/D/do/dk/dx/ge/te/un/wi; ADM.1/8441/348;
ADM.137/140)
Tuesday
30
November
Norwegian
Sea
Newland,
Admiralty trawler, 245/1903, Hull-reg, hired 1/15, 10th
CS, off Norway. Around 30th - badly damaged in a gale,
boats smashed and leaking seriously, managed to reach
Lerwick (D/bi)
DECEMBER
1915
U-boat
warfare - restarted around the British Isles in
December
Serbian
Campaign - Serbian Army retreating through Albania
evacuated to the island of Corfu through until
February 1916, survivors concentrating there before
being sent to Salonika. During much of this time,
the Adriatic drifters, now armed with small guns,
assisted in the evacuation of the Serbian army and
refugees, landing Italian troops at Valona, protecting
ships carrying food and supplies for Serbian and
Montenegrin troops, and rescuing sinking ships often
under fire.
Wednesday
1
December
Mesopotamian
Campaign
Reaching
Umm-at-Tubal on the 30th, British/Indian forces
discovered the Turks next morning camped barely a mile
away, attacks were launched to cover the continued
withdrawal from Ctesiphon back to Kut supported by River
Flotilla vessels Firefly, Comet, Messoudieh, Shushan and
Sumana, all of which were fired on:
FIREFLY,
river gunboat, Fly-class, 98t, built by Yarrow in
sections, re-erected at Abadan starting 8/15, entered
service 11/15, 9½kts, c1-4in/1-12pdr/1-6pdr, 22 crew, Lt
Christopher
Eddis. Hit in the boiler by a shell, entirely disabled;
1 rating lost. Comet managed to take her in tow
but both went hard aground, with the Turks closing in,
Sumana took off both crews and both vessels had to be
abandoned. Firefly captured by Turks and put back into
service as Suleiman Pak, in action and recaptured 26
February 1917 by gunboat Tarantula, near where she was
lost. Lt Eddis resumed command (J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/dx/gb/tf;
ADM.137/3089)
COMET
(1), armed paddle launch-tug, 144t, ex-RIM, official
yacht of British Resident at Baghdad, hired 5/11/14 (C -
1915), 1-3pdr from Espiegle, later 1-6pdr/3-3pdr/2mg, Lt
George
Harden. When Comet went aground as she was trying to
take Firefly in tow, a tug dropped two barges to try to
pull her off but failed, tug managed to get away but
lost the barges, one full of wounded. Reportedly Comet
was set ablaze and the commander dived overboard "when
the Turks were already swarming upon (its) abandoned
deck"; 1 Indian rating lost (+Rn/C/D/He/dk/dx/tf; ADM.137/3089)
Thursday
2
December
English
Channel
NITA
PITA,
naval motor boat, ex-high speed pleasure motor boat,
12grt, with Motor Boat Reserve as HM MB No.149, armed
with rifles, manned by RNVR crew, incorporated in Yacht
Patrol organisation on 1/10/15,
Sub‑Lt Charles Marten RNVR in command.
Destroyed by fire at Poole, Dorset (wi - near Poole
Harbour, around 50.42N 02W); no lives lost (+D/He/dk/wi;
ADM.137/186)
Friday
3
December
North
Sea
Warspite
and
Barham, dreadnoughts, Queen Elizabeth-class,
31,500t, 5th BS Grand Fleet, Barham only completed in
October, carrying out battle exercises westward from
Scapa. Warspite collided with Barham, Barham holed
starboard side abreast of quarterdeck, both ships in
dock for a long period - Barham at Invergordon 8 to 23
December, Warspite at Devonport 11 to 21 December. Corbett
describes Warspite, the ship with the most battle
honours of World War 2, as "that unlucky ship", yet
Warspite survived the war and Barham, after ramming
and sinking a destroyer in 1939, was lost in 1941
(Rn/Cn/gf/gr)
Dover
Straits
ETOILE
POLAIRE,
Admiralty trawler, 278/1915, transferred directly into
naval service, hired 3/15 (He – as minesweeper), 1-3pdr,
Admiralty No.1402, Dover Patrol, blowing hard from SW
with heavy seas. Mined at 1130, laid by UC.1
(Egon von Werner), sank off South Goodwin Sands, off
Deal (D/sc/wi - off South Goodwin LV, in 51.12N, 01.29E;
He – 1 mile ESE of LV); 3 ratings lost (He – all ten
crew saved), survivors got away, carried towards
breakers on Goodwin Sands, tide turned and they drifted
down-Channel, by pulling hard they managed to reach the
South Goodwin LV and safety
(+L/Lr/C/D/he/dk/dq/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/8441/351)
Tuesday
7
December
Mesopotamian
Campaign - British/Indian forces reached Kut on
the 3rd, but by the 7th they were completely surrounded
by the Turks. Armed launch Sumana stayed with the
garrison when the rest of the River Flotilla withdrew
Saturday
11
December
Adriatic
Sea
B.11,
submarine, B-class, 287/316t, 2-18in tt, on patrol off
Punta Salvore. Attacked by Austrian flying boat whose
engine failed and came down 500yds off, submarine's
maxim gun brought up but jammed, B.11 then tried to ram
but the flying boat crew got the engine going and took
off (Cn/md)
Tuesday
14
December
St
George's
Channel
SUSANNA,
Admiralty drifter, 83/1907, Banff-reg BF637, hired 8/15
(D/He - as net drifter; wi - armed patrol drifter),
Admiralty No.2704, Skipper
George Cowie RNR,
entering Milford Haven in a gale, started to leak and
pumps unable to keep her afloat. Foundered around 1430
off Saint Ann's Head (He – 1½ miles S of Skokholm
island; wi - in 51.40.45N, 05.10.15W), one of three
Milford-based patrol drifters lost in the 1915 winter
storms; no lives lost. Hepper reports that much of
her hull was found adrift some days later by trawler
Nodzu, and taken into Milford for inspection, where it
was found she was poorly built and in bad condition
(+C/D/He/dk/ps/wi; ADM.137/188;
ADM.137/591)
Thursday
16
December
North
Sea
LEMNOS,
Admiralty collier, 1,530/1880, Lawside Shipping Co,
Dundee-reg, 19 crew, Mr G Hadden, sailing Leith for
Rouen with coal. Wrecked off Teesmouth (wi - stranded
1½m SE of South Gare entrance, in 54.38N, 01.06W)
(+Lr/wi)
Friday
17
December
Baltic
Sea - German light cruiser Bremen and destroyer
V.191 sunk by Russian mines in Baltic; the sinking is
sometimes and wrongly attributed to British submarine
E.9
Saturday
18
December
Adriatic
Sea
LOTTIE
LEASK,
Admiralty drifter, 94/1907, North Shields-reg SN184,
hired 1/15 as net drifter or tender, Admiralty No.1072,
Skipper Robert
Aaron George RNR,
sailed Brindisi forenoon after a refit to rejoin her
group off Valona, taking part in evacuation of Durazzo,
now getting dark. Attacked by two submarines (He/un –
just one, U.39, Walter Forstmann) 20 miles WNW
of Saseno/Sazan Is, off Valona/Vlore, Albania, hit five
times, returned fire but abandoned in sinking condition;
no lives lost. Crew rowed all night, landed on
Austrian-held coast, reached Italian lines on 22nd, then
marched with Serbians to Valona before going back afloat
(+L/Mn/C/D/He/ap/dk/un; ADM.137/3605)
Gallipoli
Campaign
Three
vessels scuttled at Suvla Beach, W Gallipoli peninsula
by the 18th in time for the final evacuation:
FIERAMOSCA,
Admiralty blockship, 578/1873, 170ft, Puglia SS Co,
Bari, Italy-reg, purchased 1914/15 originally for use at
Malta. Scuttled as pier and breakwater (Lr/Rn/D)
PINA,
steamship, presumably Admiralty blockship. Scuttled as
breakwater (ms – lists a Pina, cargo steamship,
1,986/1883, but believed lost March 1917. This is the
only pre-WW1 Pina not definitely accounted for) (Rn/ms)
Dredger
(name unknown), already wrecked, possibly Admiralty
blockship. Sunk as boat pier (Rn)
Sunday
19
December
Gallipoli
Campaign - Evacuation of Suvla and Anzac
beachheads started, completed night of 20th/21st
Tuesday
21
December
North
Sea
KNARSDALE,
Admiralty collier, 1,641/1896, Scandinavian Shipping Co,
Glasgow-reg, 20 crew, Mr J Tinmouth, sailing Blyth for
Sheerness with coal. Mined at 1700, laid by UC.7
(Georg Haag), sank at once 2¾m E by S of Orford Ness,
Suffolk (L - 3 miles E by S of; wi - in 52.05.14N,
01.38.50E); one crew drowned and three injured,
survivors landed at Yarmouth (+L/Lr/te/un/wi)
LADY
ISMAY,
auxiliary paddle minesweeper, ex-excursion steamer,
495/1911, P & A Campbell, Cardiff-reg, hired
4/11/14, 2-6pdr, Admiralty No.186, with Grimsby paddle
minesweeper unit, operations area between Humber &
Belgian coast, Sub-Lt Bernard Hawken RNR i/c, Skipper J
W Knight. Sailed Harwich in the morning with 6 other
paddle minesweepers to sweep area to the SW. Visibility
poor around noon, three of the vessels separated and
left for Harwich, wireless signal to the other four
including Lady Ismay was not received, they slipped
sweeps at 1500 and in the order Westward Ho, Cambridge,
Lady Ismay and Glen Avon headed for Longsand LV, off
Clacton, Essex. (J/dx - 21 December 1917) - First two
paddlers passed the LV on the starboard hand but tide
forced Lady Ismay to pass on port hand, set course for
the LV, and at around 1540 mined amidships beneath
forward bunker and sank within a minute (J/dx - near the
Galloper; He – 1 mile NW of LV; un - LV S40°E 5 cables;
wi - between Longsand Head and the Galloper, in 51.45N
01.49E;). Mine was laid some days earlier by UC.3
(Erwin Wassner); 17 ratings and 2 MN lost, only those on
deck survived including the mate. She went down so
quickly survivors stepped into the lifeboats, Glen Avon
just astern stopped and rescued some of the men with her
boats, the other two turned back towards them, Cambridge
also lowered her boats, picked up survivors and
destroyed confidential papers floating on the water
(+J/L/Lr/Cn/D/He/dk/do/dx/ge/sc/un/wi; ADM.137/3128)
Thursday
23
December
German
East Africa Campaign - Gunboats Mimi and Toutou
ready to start operations on Lake Tanganyika
North
Sea
Morning
Star,
Repeat M-class, c1,250t, 11th DF and Porpoise,
K-class, c1,300t, 4th DF, both Grand Fleet destroyers,
escorting Russian ice-breaker north and forced to heave
to near Fair Island Channel in heavy weather on 23rd,
1st CS sent out to search for them without success, and
returned to Scapa on 26th. Both destroyers were damaged
by heavy seas off Fair Isle, with many compartments
flooded and considerably damaged, Porpoise reached
Cromarty on 25th, Morning Star on 26th (Cn/gf/gr)
Friday
24
December
North
Sea
Admiralty
trawler (and another British vessel) mined and sunk in
field laid by UC.1 (Egon von Werner) off Kent
the day before:
CARILON,
Admiralty trawler, 226/1915, Grimsby-reg GY692, hired
11/15 as minesweeper, 1-3pdr, Admiralty No.21, Dover
Patrol, Skipper
William Reuben Francis RNR.
Sweeping near
Elbow buoy off North Foreland, mined
and badly damaged (He – vessel Actaeon, type not
identified, closed to take her in tow), foundered near
Margate (He – last
noted position 51.24.25N, 01.30.12E;
wi - 51.23.26N, 01.31.18E); no lives lost
(+L/C/D/He/dk/dq/un/wi; ADM.137/189)
English
Channel
LADY
IVEAGH,
Admiralty collier, 2,286/1892, Dublin-reg, Lady Iveagh
SS. Wrecked at entrance to St Valery of Cayaux, probably
the rocks off St Valery-en-Caux between Dieppe and
Fecamp. Note: St Valery-sur-Somme is on the S bank
of the Somme estuary, Cayeux or Cayeux-sur-Mer just S
of the estuary (+Lr)
Sunday
26
December
German
East Africa Campaign - Gunboats Mimi and Toutou
captured German steamer Kingani on Lake Tanganyika
North
Sea
Two
naval vessels mined in field laid by UC.5
(Herbert Putkuchen) ten days earlier:
RESONO,
Admiralty trawler, 230/1910, George F Sleight,
Grimsby-reg GY508, hired 1/15 as auxiliary patrol
vessel, Admiralty No.1042, commanded by a Lt RNR, “one
of God’s own seamen”, Skipper
Peter Burgon RNR.
Sank near Sunk LV, off Harwich (wi - in 51.50.54N,
01.38.09E); skipper and 12 ratings lost, survivors
included the captain (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/sc/wi; ADM.1/8443/365)
E.6,
submarine, E-class, 655/796t, 1912, 1-12pdr/4-18in tt
with 8 torpedoes, 15k/9kts, c30 crew, Pennant No.I.86,
Harwich-based 8th Flotilla, Lt-Cdr William Foster.
Sailing from Harwich for anti-U-boat patrol off the
Horns Reef, left harbour and warned by torpedo boat she
was heading into danger - a known minefield that sank HM
Trawler Resono earlier in the day (He – saw Resono mined
and sink, and closed to rescue survivors), signal
acknowledged but E.6 held her course. Mined and sank
quickly near Sunk LV; 3 officers and 29 ratings lost, no
survivors (ke - 38 crew) (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/bw/dk/dx/ke/un)
Monday
27
December
St
George's
Channel
Two
Admiralty drifters employed as net tenders lost off
Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire in winter storm. Both
attempting to enter the Haven and return to Pembroke
Dock:
FERNDALE,
75/1910, owned by Janes Garden, Inverness-reg INS171,
hired 2/15 as net drifter, Admiralty No.2269, Skipper
James Garden RNR in command.
Wrecked on St. Ann's Head (wi - in 51.40.45N,
05.10.15W), observed by Coastguard station turning into
the Haven in heavy seas, member of crew washed
overboard, attempt made to rescue him, drifted close
inshore, struck rocks below the Head and quickly broke
up. Winds were too strong for rocket apparatus to reach
the stricken ship with rescue lines; Skipper and 8
ratings lost (+C/D/He/dk/ps/wi; ADM.137/190)
LADYSMITH
(1),
89/1904, Banff-reg BF1528, hired 6/15 as net drifter,
Admiralty No.2180, Skipper
John Wood RNR.
Last seen that afternoon being driven by gale towards
Skokholm island, disappeared off Milford Haven, believed
foundered (wi - blt 1906, Grimsby-reg, lost in
51.40.45N, 05.10.15W); Skipper and 8 ratings lost (He –
all 11 hands) (+C/D/He/dk/ps/wi; ADM.137/897)
Aegean
Sea
21st??
gggTB.046,
torpedo boat, Thornycroft 125ft-type, 60t, 1886, 20kts,
2-3pdr/4-14 in tt, 16 crew, one of five TB's (Cn - 042,
044, 046, 063, 070; D - 043, 044, 063, 064, 070) formed
Malta Local Defence Flotilla, in early 1915 took part in
defence of Suez Canal, Gunner
Robert Stocker in command,
now sailing Port Said for Mudros, ran out of coal, taken
in tow. Wrecked by heavy weather on Lemnos island, later
salved, apparently refloated, repaired and put back into
service, sold for breaking up 1920 (J - foundered in
tow); no lives lost (+J/C/Cn/D/He/dk; ADM.137/3607)
21
December . Left Malta on 18 December in tow of the
Mercantile Fleet Auxiliary vessel Carrigan Head bound
for Mudros. The weather was poor, and worsened, with the
torpedo boat having to batten down the hatches. During
the early hours of the 19th, water was found to be
entering the stokehold and messdeck. Initially this was
cleared by pumps, but by that evening hand bailing was
resorted to. The following day the boat laboured heavily
in the seas, suffering several minor mechanical defects,
and still bailing constantly. At 1am on the 21st the
circulating engine finally gave out and all steam had to
be shut off. Soon after this Gunner Stocker confirmed to
the Carrigan Head that the crew of the torpedo boat
should be taken off, as he feared that if the tow were
to part they would be helpless. Hauling in the tow
proved to be long and difficult, and it was not until
7am that she was brought alongside the quarter and the
crew managed to scramble aboard, using ropes and
ladders. Two men were injured during the transfer, and
TB.046 suffered further damage as she struck the side.
After this she was cast adrift and then sunk by gunfire.
Her position then was 35.42N, 22.37W. In 1920 the wreck
was raised and scrapped
Tuesday
28
December
Atlantic
off S Ireland
Admiralty-chartered
oiler (and British steamship) attacked by U.24
(Rudolf Schneider):
EL
ZORRO,
Admiralty chartered red-ensign oiler, 5,989/1914,
Lobitos Oilfields Co, London-reg, 35 crew, Mr Tamlin,
sailing Port Arthur for Dartmouth with oil, steaming at
9kts. U.24 opened fire at 0530, Master turned stern-on,
went to full speed and sent out SOS, U-boat came up on
starboard side at which point engines were stopped and
ship abandoned. As the crew were leaving, a torpedo hit
starboard-side amidships at 0630, followed shortly by a
second one port-side. The attack probably took place 10
miles S of Old Head of Kinsale, Co Cork (L - 10 miles SE
of), “Wreck Index” goes on to report that the crew
reboarded when assistance arrived, she was taken in tow
next day but the tow parted and went ashore - in Man o'
War Cove, near Cork, in 51.45N 08.18W - broke in two and
totally wrecked; 3rd engineer killed by shrapnel and a
crew member fell overboard and drowned, survivors picked
up by patrol boat and landed ashore. A Liverpool
company used Chinese labourers to salvage non-ferrous
metal (+L/Lr/Mn/te/un/wi)
Wednesday
29
December
Adriatic
Sea - Durazzo, Albania raided by Austrian naval
forces to interfer with the Serbian evacuation, brought
to action by British-Italian force but escaped, British
light cruisers Dartmouth and Weymouth took part, French
submarine Monge and two Austrians destroyers sunk
German
commerce raider Möwe, 4,788grt, 4-5.9in/1-4.1in
headed from Germany for the Atlantic; returned 4/3/16
after sinking 15 British & Allied ships of 57,520grt
Gallipoli
Campaign
Two
Admiralty blockships were scuttled at "W" -Tekke Burnu
beach, S tip of Gallipoli peninsula by 29th as
breakwaters for the final evacuation. Note: French
old battleship Massena & French steamer Saghalien,
4,058/1881 were sunk as breakwaters at "V"- Sedd el
Bahr or Cape Helles beach, in November (+ms):
MARIE
DELLE VITTORIE (ms
– Maria …..), cargo steamship, ex-Clan liner Clan
Graham, 2,926/1882, T Astarita (Rn/ms)
VINCENZO
FLORIO,
2,752 (ms – 2,840)/1880 was I & V Florio &
Co, Palermo/Servizi Marittimo, Genoa, Italy-reg
(Lr/Rn/ms)
Friday
31
December
Orkneys
RESPONSO,
Admiralty trawler, 228/1912, George F Sleight,
Grimsby-reg GY666, hired 1914
as auxiliary patrol vessel,
1-3pdr, Admiralty No.196, Lt
Horace Harvey RNR
(wi - J McKenzie, Captain). Driven ashore at Rive, N of
Sanday Island, Orkneys in westerly storm, abandoned as
total wreck (wi - in 59.17N, 02.35W); no lives lost
(+Lr/C/D/He/dk/wi; ADM.137/207)
North
Sea
30th???
gggNATAL, armoured
cruiser, Warrior-class, 13,550t, 1905,
6‑9.2in/4‑7.5in/24-3pdr/3-18in tt, 22kts, 712 crew,
Pennant No.69, 2nd CS Grand Fleet, Capt Eric Back, lying
in Cromarty Firth at anchor S of Nigg Bay, E of
Invergordon, advanced New Year’s party being held in
wardroom with civilian guests including children. Online
photographs of graveyard inscriptions appear to confirm
30th (H/C/gf/ke - 31st) - Fire started in stern around
1525 and quickly spread, stern magazine exploded, ship
blew up at 1530 and sank very quickly (wi - in 57.41N,
04.05W), Court of Enquiry blamed faulty cordite charges;
418 lives lost - 25 officers, 378 ratings, 4 canteen
staff, 3 QARNNS, 1 civilian fitter, 7 civilian guests
(Cn/He/ke - 404 lives lost; dx - 404 crew, 7 women, 3
children; wi - 408 crew plus 13 civilians). Wreck lay on
her side with bilge keel just above water at low tide,
sold for scrap in 1921. Difficult to break up, much of
the hull is still on the seabed
(+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/cw/dk/dx/gf/ke/wi/www; ADM.178/123)
.
The fire spread rapidly and a small explosion took
place. This was followed immediately afterwards by a
series of small explosions and then a final very large
and violent explosion, the whole sequence taking only a
few seconds. The explosions were followed by a fierce
fire with smoke and fumes enveloping the after part of
the ship and soon spread forward. The men were ordered
to quarters and the forward magazines ordered to be
flooded, but this was frustrated by the thick smoke and
a power failure. A list to port developed which steadily
increased and five minutes after the explosions she
capsized and settled with her bilge keel clear of the
water. Four hundred and four men died in the explosion
and fire. Several causes were suggested, but the most
likely was the ignition of old cordite charges, as it
was found that she was carrying several lots of cordite
with a very questionable history. This had started a
fierce fire, which then spread to the after magazines,
initially in the 3pdr magazine, then small arms followed
by the after 9.2in magazine.
SPEETON,
Admiralty trawler, 205/1913, Hull Steam Fishing &
Ice, Hull-reg H104, hired 10/15, 1-3pdr, Admiralty
No.1908, Skipper
George Norvell RNR.
Ordered to patrol off Lowestoft, explosion heard at 1915
by a number of vessels which went to investigate, body
of a crew member found between Corton Lightvessel and
South Scroby Sands. Believed to have detonated a mine,
laid that day by UC.7 (Georg Haag), sank 4¾m E
by S of Corton, N of Lowestoft (un – in 52.33N, 01.50E;
wi - in 52.30.54N, 01.52.43E); 2 officers and 9 ratings
lost, all hands (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/hw/un/wi; ADM.137/3126)
N
or W British Waters
Two
Admiralty chartered colliers, loaded with coal and
heading for northern Britain went missing, “not since
heard from”, lost on passage on or after 31st:
SATRAP,
2,234/1913, Trident Line, Newport-reg, 22 crew, Mr J
Charlmers, sailed Barry 31st under sealed orders for
“Naval Base in the north, within 5 days steam of
Cardiff”, posted by Lloyds 9 February 1916. “Wreck
Index” refers to a memorial plaque in Manorbier Church,
near Caldey Is, Pembrokeshire. Satrap was presumably
lost off this coast - in approximately 51.38.15N,
04.48.45W as bodies were washed ashore and buried in the
churchyard (+L/Lr/wi)
TYNEMOUTH,
2,222/1909, Burnett SS Co, Newcastle-reg, sailed Cardiff
21st for North Scotland, posted by Lloyds 9/2/16 (+L/Lr)
Aegean
Sea
Two
Admiralty blockships, ex-passenger liners, both
converted to dummy capital ships, ordered 21/10/14,
purchased 28/10/14, converted at Harland & Wolff,
Belfast with wood & canvas superstructure and guns,
heavily ballasted to approximate the proportions of a
battleship, ready by 4/12/14. Based at Scapa Flow
January to October 1915, then transferred to Aegean as
blockships in December:
MICHIGAN,
4,935/1887, White Diamond SS Co, Liverpool-reg, ex-dummy
capital ship No.2 “Collingwood”. (C - 12/15) - Expended
as blockship at Mudros, Lemnos island, salvaged after
war (Lr/C/Cn/D)
ORUBA,
5,971/1889, Royal Mail Steam Packet Co, Liverpool-reg,
ex-dummy capital ship No.6 “Orion”. (C - 1915) -
Scuttled as "a much needed" breakwater in Kephalo Bay,
Imbros island (Cn - Mudros) (Lr/C/Cn/D/da)
