JULY
1915
North
Sea
Cameo,
Admiralty trawler, 172/1898, Hull-reg, hired 2/15,
1-12pdr (ap - 3pdr), Skipper Albert Sayers, on patrol
with trawlers Sea Ranger and Eastward Ho!, all
Peterhead-based. July - Cameo sighted U-boat, headed
in its direction and was fired at, returned fire and
hit three times, Eastward Ho! came up and submarine
headed away on the surface; skipper wounded and
awarded DSC, gunner the DSM (D/ap)
Tuesday
1
July
North
Sea
Hampshire,
armoured cruiser, Devonshire-class, 7th CS Grand
Fleet. Reported a torpedo fired at her in Moray Firth,
confirmed as attacked by U.25. Twelve destroyers and
local patrol vessels sent to hunt for the attacker,
but without success (Cn/ge/gf)
Atlantic
off NW Scotland
Patuca,
Admiralty armed merchant cruiser, 6,103/1913, hired
21/11/14, 10th CS Northern Patrol, on line C to NW of
Hebrides on lookout for the blockade-running Swedish
SS Oscar II, sighted and stopped early morning. Oscar
II hit Patuca crushing her own bows and then crashed
alongside, hull-to-hull before Patuca's propeller
holed the Swede's engine-room. Patuca's plates bulged
and propeller flange bent, made seaworthy with
collision mats, shoring and cement infill, made for
Clyde as ordered at 14kts. Oscar II taken in tow by
AMC Digby and ABS Royal Scot, assisted by destroyers
Fury and Staunch, but sank after two days (D/bi/gf/gr)
Atlantic
off SW England
Two
auxiliaries (and three more British vessels) captured
and sunk by U.39 (Walter Forstmann) off
Cornwall:
CAUCASIAN,
Admiralty chartered red-ensign oiler, 4,656/1899,
Petroleum SS Co (Lane & Macandrew), London-reg, Mr
F Robinson, London for New Orleans with creosote. Sunk
by gunfire 80 miles S of Lizard Point (L - 60 miles SW
of) (+L/Lr/Mn/te/un)
INGLEMOOR,
Admiralty collier, 4,331/1912, Moor Line (W Runciman
& Co), London-reg, Mr A Stonehouse, Barry for
Malta with coal and general cargo. Sunk by torpedo 75
miles SW by W of Lizard Point (L - 60 miles SW of)
(+L/Lr/Mn/te/un)
Friday
2
July
UC.2
believed rammed by SS Cottingham in North Sea off
Yarmouth, otherwise own mines (un - own mines on 30
June, Cottingham probably hit the wreck)
Sunday
4
July
Atlantic
off S Ireland
Anglo-Californian,
cargo ship, nitrate carrier converted to
horse transport, 7,333/1912, Lawther Latta &
Co/Nitrate Producers SS, not armed, Montreal for
Avonmouth with 927 horses for Western Front, 150 crew,
master, Lt Frederick Parslow RNR aged 60.
U.39 (Walter Forstmann) (dx - U.38; ge - U.20
or U.39) surfaced about 0800 a mile or more away on
port beam 90 miles SW of Queenstown (L - in 50.15N,
9W; dx - 50.10N, 09W), ship turned stern on and went
to full speed, reached 14kts, submarine opened a
steady fire about 0900 frequently hitting,
Anglo-Californian continued to manoeuvre in an attempt
to escape while transmitting SOS’s. Ordered at 1030 by
the U-boat to stop and abandon ship, the master
decided to do so, then in response to his signals,
destroyers Mentor and Miranda requested him to delay
as long as possible. He got under way again, but now
U.39 opened a heavy fire wrecking the bridge, all the
port-side lifeboats and hitting the superstructure. By
the time the U-boat had closed to 50yds, the master
was dead and the Germans fired on anything that moved.
Throughout the action, the master's eldest son, Fred
Parslow was at the wheel or what remained of it. When
the destroyers arrived, U.39 dived away and
Anglo-Californian was brought into Queenstown on the
5th; 21 lives lost including Lt Frederick Daniel
Parslow RNR who was awarded the Victoria Cross. His
son and the chief engineer received the DSC and others
MID.
Sunk 9 June 1918 (+L/Mn/dx/ge/ms/un/vc)
(Casualty list – Lt Parslow only)
Monday
5
July
Mesopotamian
Campaign
Sumana,
armed launch-tug, 2-3pdr, Lt W Harris, supporting
advance along River Euphrates towards Nasiriya.
Turkish shell cut main steam pipe during the day, out
of action, back next day (Rn/D)
Tuesday
6
July
Barents
Sea
AFRICAN
MONARCH,
Admiralty collier, 4,003/1898, Monarch SS Co,
Glasgow-reg, Cardiff for Archangel with coal, general
cargo. Mined, laid by Meteor, sank at entrance
to White Sea around 1½m E of Toryaneff Is and 9 miles
S of Cape Orloff; two crew killed (+L/Lr/Rn/Mn)
Orkneys
STRATHGARRY,
Admiralty trawler, 202/1906, Aberdeen Steam Trawling
& Fishing, Aberdeen-reg A97, hired 6/15 (D/He - as
boom defence vessel; wi - armed patrol trawler),
Admiralty No.5, based at Scapa Flow,
Skipper Isaac
McFarlane RNR.
Ships of 2nd Battle Squadron returning to Scapa Flow
anchorage at 0330, passing through boom, battleship
Monarch collided with and sank her (wi - in 58.45N,
03.05W); no lives lost (He – one man drowned)
(+Lr/C/D/He/dk/wi; ADM.137/129)
off NW
Scotland
EDISON,
Admiralty trawler, 196/c1896, Hull-reg H430, F & T
Ross, hired 1915 as minesweeper (D - 12/14; wi - as
armed patrol trawler), Admiralty No.395,
Sub‑Lt Frederick
Townend RNR
who had only joined ship that day, now night-time,
heading along NW shore of Isle of Lewis, bound
for Carloway. Ran aground on Port Arnol, Lewis, may
have steered wrong course or compass affected by new
gun installation, but apparently not keeping
sufficient look-out. Trawler wrecked (wi - exact
position unknown, “somewhere on the Isle of Lewis”,
around 58N, 06W); no lives lost (+Lr/C/D/He/dk/wi; ADM.1/8427/198)
German
East Africa
German East Africa and Rufigi Delta - from
"The Navy Everywhere" by Conrad Gato
(believed out of copyright), click maps to enlarge
Click the title for the story - Chapter 2
Mersey
(Cdr R Wilson) and Severn, river monitors,
Humber-class, 1,520t, 2-6in/2-4.7in/4-3pdr, 140 crew,
after operations off Belgian coast, both ships were
due for service in the Dardanelles in March 1915.
Sailed 28 April from Malta with fleet messenger Trent,
four tugs and a collier, reached Aden 15 May and Mafia
Island 3 June, made good defects, fitted with extra
protection and exercised with spotting aircraft.
German light cruiser Königsberg moored down
the Kikunja channel, northernmost tributary of Rufuji
delta and 10 miles from the sea. Mersey and Severn
entered the channel at 0520 on 6th, immediately came
under 3pdr, pom-pom and machine gun fire from shore
defences, both hit, but undamaged, whalers Echo, Fly,
Childers swept and sounded ahead, light cruisers
Weymouth and Pyramus followed in support. By 0630, 6
miles or 11,000yds from Königsberg, anchored, waited
for spotting aircraft and opened fire, Königsberg also
had spotting station nearby and replied with salvoes.
Neither monitor hit for an hour until at 0740, shell
struck Mersey's foremost 6in gun shield and put gun
out of action, shortly holed near the waterline and
pulled back 1,000yds. Severn continued for half an
hour, then both ships waited until a second spotting
aircraft arrived at 1330, returned to original
position and fired until 1530, Königsberg hit around 6
times. Withdrew to prepare for next attempt five days
later; Mersey’s casualties were 4 ratings killed, 2
DOW and 2 wounded (Rn/Cn/dk)
Friday
9
July
South
African Campaign - Surrender of last German forces
in South-West Africa, at Tsumeb
Sunday
11
July
German
East Africa
Mersey
and Severn,
river monitors, Humber-class, some damage and badly
worn by shoot on the 6th, only now ready to resume
attempt to destroy the Königsberg assisted by
aircraft spotting. (dx - 15th) - Again fired on when
entering the Rufuji River, both hit but little damage,
starting at 1230 they took turns to fire although
Königsberg fired back, at 1252 there was a large
explosion, Königsberg was then apparently blown up and
scuttled at 1346, firing continued until 1420 to
complete her destruction, monitors recalled at 1430;
two men slightly wounded on Mersey. Other ships taking
part included light cruisers Chatham, Dartmouth,
Challenger, Hyacinth, Pioneer (RAN), Pyramus,
Weymouth, and armed merchant cruiser Laconia; Royal
Navy Single Ship Action - Mersey and Severn v
KÕNIGSBERG 1915 (Cn/Rn/dx)
see
Despatch,
dated 15 July 1915
in London Gazette, No.29395 - Destruction of German
cruiser “Königsberg”
Monday
12
July
Gallipoli
Campaign - British offensive at Helles to 13th
Tuesday
13
July
Barents
Sea
T. R.
Ferens,
Admiralty trawler, 307/1913, Hull-reg, hired 5/15 as
minesweeper, one of six trawlers fitted out at
Lowestoft to sweep German mines laid in June in White
Sea on the route to Archangel, departed 22 June,
arrived Alexandrovsk, Murman coast on 6 July, started
sweeping successfully. Mined, damaged off one of the
headlands (D/sc)
Thursday
15
July
North
Sea
AGAMEMNON
II,
Admiralty trawler, 225/1907, Consolidated Steam
Fishing & Ice, Grimsby-reg GY187 (He – Hull),
hired 8/14 as minesweeper, Admiralty No.19,
Harwich-based,
Skipper Frederick
Sibley RNR.
With other Harwich sweepers clearing minefield
discovered that morning, and in fact laid that morning
by
UC.1 (Egon von Werner). Lt-Cdr Hugh Archer of
HMS Actaeon, Sheerness Torpedo School, embarked and in
command of operation. Recovering sweep when a mine
fouling the wire was pulled into the ship and
exploded, sank off the Shipwash Sands, off Orford Ness
(wi - in 51.57N, 01.36.45E); 9 ratings lost
(+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/sc/un/wi;
ADM.1/8427/203)
Sunday
18
July
Italian
Front - Second Battle of the Isonzo to 3 August
Tuesday
20
July
U.23
sunk by combination decoy trawler Princess
Louise/submarine C.27 off Fair Isle
North
Sea
RHIANNON,
Admiralty yacht, 126/1914, hired 15/9/14 as auxiliary
patrol vessel, 2-3pdr, Pennant No.055, Lt-Cdr
George Wellburn RNR. On patrol in Thames Estuary
between Longsand and Kentish Knock sands with
Admiralty trawler Strathspey, approaching wreck of
Norwegian steamer Peik mined and sunk on 5 July.
Detonated mine which destroyed the forepart of the
vessel, leaving after part afloat before it too sank,
off Longsands, off Clacton (wi - in 51.40N, 01.29E).
The mine had not been left over from
the field that sank Peik and which had been swept; it
had been laid
by UC.3 (Erwin Weisbach); Cdr Wellburn, 1
officer, 1 rating and 2 MMR killed by explosion
(+J/L/C/D/He/dk/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/8427/194,
ADM.1/8427/206)
Wednesday
21
July
North
Sea
BRITON
(1), Admiralty trawler, 196/1906, John Lewis,
Aberdeen-reg A101, hired 2/15, armed, Admiralty
No.1170, patrol vessel, 13 crew, Skipper Peter
Christie RNR, probably Harwich-based, guardship for
outer group of unarmed minesweepers ordered to sweep
area around Longsand LV where HMS Rhiannon was lost
the day before, most of the crew below having their
evening meal. Mined at 1715, mine laid by
UC.3 (Erwin Weisbach) on 5 July, “stern broke
off, the bow went up into the air and was then hidden
by a column of water and smoke. When this cleared away
there remained of the ship nothing”, sank 13 cables SW
of Longsand LV, off Clacton (wi - in 51.40N, 01.29E);
Skipper and 10 ratings lost (wi - all 13 crew lost;
He/ap - three crew saved)
(+L/Lr/C/D/He/ap/dk+/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/8427/194,
ADM.1/8428/207)
Eastern
Mediterranean
DOROTHEA,
naval motor boat, ex-high speed pleasure motor boat,
33grt, 60ft, 11kts, hired
1914,
serving
with Motor Boat Reserve as HM Motor Boat No 203,
2-3pdrs, also rifles/small arms, manned by RNVR crew,
reached Mudros around now as deck cargo, due to serve
with flotilla of six motor boats carrying out local
patrol duties off Turkish coast including Smyrna
(Izmir) area,
Lt Henry Holloway RNVR in command.
Probably destroyed before she went into action, taking
on fuel, spillage and explosion, burnt out; no lives
lost (+D/He/ap/dk; ADM.137/775)
Thursday
22
July
Atlantic
off NW Scotland
One armed
merchant cruiser attacked (and two trawlers captured
and sunk) off Hoy Head, SW Orkneys by U.36 (Ernst
Graeff):
Columbella,
Admiralty armed merchant cruiser, 10th CS. Attacked by
U.36, W of Orkneys (Mn - in 60.26N, 04.42W) (Rn/Mn/ge)
Friday
23
July
English
Channel
WATERLILY,
Admiralty drifter, 82/1907, Banff-reg BF595, hired
5/15 as net drifter, Admiralty No.2171,
Skipper George Slater RNR.
Fitted out at Devonport and now sailing for Granton to
take up duties, in collision with
trawler Ouse
at 0500 off St. Alban's Head, Dorset (wi - in 50.30N
02.00W) and foundered; no lives lost (+D/He/dk/wi; ADM.137/132)
Saturday
24
July
Mesopotamian
Campaign - British-Indian forces forces
advancing from Kurnah/Al Qurnah along the increasingly
shallow River Euphrates drove the Turks out of
Nasiriya, which was occupied next day. Old
stern-wheelers Shushan, Muzaffri and Messudieh (all
manned and armed respectively by deeper-draught sloops
Espiegle, Odin and launch tug Miner) and armed launch
Sumana took part.
U.36
sunk by Q-ship Prince Charles in Atlantic off N
Scotland, first success by submarine decoy ship
working alone; Prince Charles was not believed damaged
in the action.
Sunday
25
July
North
Sea
E.16,
submarine, E-class, 667/807t, 1-12pdr/5-18in tt, Cdr C
Talbot, sailed Yarmouth 24th for Ems, next morning
kept under by air patrols. Apparently trapped in
anti-submarine net near Borkum Riff LV, struggled to
surface to find Zeppelin overhead, bombs dropped as
she struggled clear, got free an hour after first
entanglement. Sank V.188 off Terschelling next day
(Rn/Cn/D)
Monday
26
July
German
destroyer V.188 torpedoed and sunk by
submarine E.16, 50 miles N of Terschelling
Saturday
31
July
Atlantic
off SW England
Two
Admiralty fleet messengers sailing in company from
Glasgow under sealed orders, bound for Dardanelles,
heavy seas with SW force 8 gale blowing, sunk by U.28
(Georg-Günther Freiherr von Forstner) off the
Scillies:
TURQUOISE,
ex-coaster, 486/c1892, Glasgow-reg, W Robertson, hired
2/7/15, Pennant No.Y4.30, 15 crew,
Lt John McNicol
RNR,
sailing for Bizerta in ballast. In the afternoon
sighted surfaced submarine on starboard bow which
rapidly approached, ordered to stop but attempted to
ram, U.28 opened fire around 1600 making several hits,
ship immediately abandoned and sank at 1615, 60 miles
SW of Scillies (wi - attacked in 49N, 07.08W, sank 40
miles SW of, in 49.00N 07.00W); one life lost,
probably Merchant Navy (He/wi - chief engineer killed
by gunfire, two crew wounded), survivors picked up by
patrol trawler, landed at St Mary’s next day
(+L/Lr/C/Cn/D/He/dk/wi; ADM.137/1130)
NUGGET,
ex-coaster, 405/1889, Glasgow-reg, W Robertson, hired
around 23/7/15, Pennant No.Y4.38, 15 crew,
Lt Charles Amburger RNR.
U.28 approached at speed and ordered crew to abandon
ship in spite of conditions, when close enough Nugget
went to full-speed and tried to ram, U-boat opened
fire hitting the hull with 14 shells, sank at 2100, 45
miles SW of (wi - in 49.05N 06.58W); no lives lost,
all crew picked up by Dutch sailing vessel Annetta at
2200, transferred next morning at 0545 to patrol boat,
landed at St. Mary's next day at 1030
(+L/Lr/C/Cn/D/He/dk/wi; ADM.137/1130)
AUGUST
1915
U.26 probably
sunk in August/September by Russian mine in Gulf of
Finland
Orkneys
AORANGI,
Admiralty blockship, 4,268/1883, 389ft, Union SS Co,
Dunedin (NZ)-reg, chartered as non-commissioned RAN
supply ship 8/14, purchased by Admiralty 1915 for use
at Scapa Flow. August - Scuttled as part of No.1
Barrier, Kirk Sound, between island of Lamb Holm &
Mainland (wi - in 58.53.26N, 02.51.42W). Wreck
refloated in 1920 (wi - resunk in Holm Kirkyard)
(Lr/D/wi)
Sunday
1
August
Sea of
Marmara - Submarine E.11 (Cdr Nasmith RN) raided
Constantinople Harbour
Monday
2
August
Atlantic
off SW England
PORTIA,
Admiralty fleet messenger, ex-coaster, 494/1906,
Liverpool-reg, South Wales & Liverpool SS, hired
c23/7/15, Pennant No.Y4.36,
Lt-Cdr Langton Bromwell (Rtd).
Captured by U.28 (Georg-Günther Freiherr von
Forstner), sunk by gunfire 70 miles S of Scillies (He
– SW of); no lives lost.
The third fleet messenger sunk in three days by
U.28 (+L/Lr/C/Cn/D/He/cs/dk/un; ADM.137/1131)
Wednesday
4
August
North
Sea
C.33 (below,
sister-boat C.38 - Navy Photos), submarine,
C-class, 290/320t, 1910, 2‑18in tt with 4 torpedoes,
13/7½kts, c16 crew, Pennant No.I.63, Rosyth-based 7th
Flotilla, Lt Gerald Carter. Trawler Weelsby, renamed
Malta for decoy purposes, left Harwich on 31 July to
meet up with C.33 for anti-U-boat patrol off the
Norfolk coast, but failed to repeat the earlier
successes of C.24 and C.27. At 2015 on the 4th, C.33
slipped her tow to return to harbour independently,
last signal at 2150 - "have nothing to communicate",
then failed to arrive, “overdue, presumed lost”.
(declared lost on the 5th) - Lost, cause unknown, no
wreckage found, probably mined in British field near
Smith’s Knoll, alternatively an accident as no German
claims were made for her sinking; 3 officers and 14
ratings lost, no survivors. Destroyer Firedrake sailed
at dawn on the 5th but failed to find any trace of
her, declared lost (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/bw/dk/ke/on)
Thursday
5
August
Eastern
Front - Germans entered Warsaw, Austrians captured
Ivangorod
Caucasus
Front - Turks recaptured Van
North
Sea
Industry,
store carrier, 1,460 tons/497grt, 1901,
Admiralty-owned. In collision with Dutch SS Zeeland
off Wold LV. Sunk c19 October 1918 (D/gr/ms)
Atlantic
off W Ireland
CLEMENTINA,
Admiralty yacht, 469/1887, hired 22/9/14, 2-6pdr,
Pennant No.025,
Examination Service, Capt Thomas Walker (retired Vice
Admiral).
Closing the SS Adam Smith (299grt) for examination off
Tor Cor Point (C/D - off Tor Point) in the early
morning, in collision, holed, and flooded from the
stokehold aft. To prevent her sinking, run aground and
beached nearby. Salvage was abandoned, sold for
breaking-up where she lay; no lives lost at this time,
but an Assistant Engineer RNR died on 20 September
1915 possibly from injuries sustained. Note:
location is confirmed as South Tor Cor or Torcor
Point, Co Galway (+J/C/D/He/dk; ADM.137/143)
Friday
6
August
Gallipoli
Campaign - ANZAC offensive at Lone Pine to 9th;
British landings at Suvla start night of 6th/7th
North
Sea
LEANDROS
(L/Lr/D/dq - Leander; D - but renamed Leandros),
Admiralty trawler, 276/1907, Lindsey Steam Fishing,
Grimsby-reg GY.260, hired 8/14 as Leander,
minesweeper, Admiralty No.18, Dover Patrol,
Skipper Walter
Richmond RNR.
Mined, laid by UC.5 (Herbert Pustkuchen)
three days earlier, sank off North Knock Sand Buoy,
off Thames Estuary (wi - in 51.43N, 01.38E); 7 ratings
lost (He – 5 died) (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/dq/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/8429/223)
Saturday
7
August
German
Minefield - Moray Firth field of nearly 400
mines laid by German auxiliary minelayer Meteor
(1,912grt, ex-British Vienna seized Hamburg 4/8/14),
night of 7th/8th to foul the approach to Cromarty and
the Grand Fleet base of Invergordon, discovered the
morning of the 8th by a minesweeping trawler
Gallipoli
Campaign
Gallipoli and area - click to enlarge
Scourge,
destroyer, G-class, c1,100t, one of ten destroyers
taking part in Suvla landings, each one carried in 500
troops on deck with another 500 in a towed X or motor
lighter, Scourge landed her men on C-beach, S of
Nibrunesi Point. Now trying to get some of the
lighters off the ground, hit in engine-room by Turkish
shell around 0830 and had to retire for repairs;
casualties uncertain, but one rating lost
(Rn/Cn/dd/dk)
X-lighters,
ramped self-propelled landing craft, X.1-series,
designed for Dardanelles, launched 4-7/15, 160t, could
carry 500 troops, carried K numbers, also known as
K-boats, motor lighters, nicknamed "beetles". At least
10 lighters, numbered K.1-10 took part in the Suvla
landings, some of which may not have got off, others
damaged by gunfire (Rn/Cn/da/ec)
see
Army Despatch,
dated 11 December 1915 in London Gazette No.29429
- Gallipoli
Campaign, including Suvla Landings
Sunday
8
August
Baltic
Sea - German naval attack on Gulf of Riga, to
21st, driven off by Russian fleet,
Austro-Hungarian
submarine U.XII mined in Adriatic off Venice
Sea of
Marmara - Turkish old battleship Hayreddin
Barbarossa sunk by submarine E.11 (Lt-Cdr Nasmith)
Norwegian
Sea
INDIA,
Admiralty armed merchant cruiser, ex-passenger ship,
7,940/1896, 18 kts, Peninsular & Oriental Steam
Navigation Co, Greenock-reg, hired 13/3/15, Pennant
No.M.81, 10th CS, Northern Patrol, c300 crew, Cdr
William Kennedy i/c, master, Lt Richard Groundwater
RNR. On patrol off Norwegian coast to intercept iron
ore carriers sailing from Narvik for Germany via
Rotterdam, with attached hired trawlers Saxon and
Newland also 10th CS for inshore duties. Swedish SS
Gloria sighted at 0830, India intercepted, boarded and
searched her, details of Gloria wirelessed in. Other
ships were sighted and followed, at noon ordered to
send Gloria into Kirkwall, and proceeded to search for
her. Now 1740, alarm gong sounded, and torpedo track
seen approaching, could not be avoided and struck
starboard side aft near No.3 gun, fired by
U.22 (Bruno Hoppe), ship immediately started
to settle by stern. Of the four starboard and three
port boats kept lowered for such an emergency, six
were successfully manned but with ship's way still on,
a port boat capsized and on the starboard side the
boats were fouled or stove in, ship sank in five
minutes, 6-7 miles NNW of Heligver Light near Bodo (te
- in 67.30N, 13.20E; ke - mined off
Helligvaer/Hellevoer island); 121 lives lost - 11
officers, 53 ratings including some Royal Marines
and 57 MMR, number of crew buried ashore in
Norway (Mn - 9 officers and 107 men lost, with 189 men
saved including the captain; of the latter, 19
officers and 138 men either went down with the ship
and came up again or had to dive over the side before
rescue; He – 166 lives lost; ke/wd - 10 officers and
150 ratings lost, 141 survivors including Cdr
Kennedy), survivors picked up by Swedish SS Gotaland
and HM Trawler Saxon, and landed in Norway where they
were interned
(+J/Mn/C/Cn/D/He/bi/dk/gf/ke/po/te/un/wd; ADM.137/185,
ADM.1/8429/229, ADM.1/116/1440)
North
Sea
North Sea - click to enlarge
THE
RAMSEY,
(J/C - Ramsey), Admiralty armed boarding steamer,
1,443/1895, Isle of Man Steam Passenger Co,
Douglas-reg, hired 28/10/14, 2-12pdr, Pennant No.M.14,
attached to Grand Fleet, Lt-Cdr Harry Raby RNR (Rn -
Lt P Atkins RNR; gf - refers to Acting-Lt Atkins RNR
as senior surviving officer), on patrol SE of Pentland
Firth. After laying mines in the Moray Firth (see 7
August),
Meteor, flying the Russian flag, met The Ramsey
around 0600 c70 miles ENE of Kinnaird Head in 58.20N,
00.05W "but nearer to Cromarty". The Ramsey signalled
the stranger to stop, closed to about 80yds to lower a
boat when the German ensign was hoisted and Meteor
(c2-8.8cm/2tt/375 mines) attacked with gunfire and
torpedoes, The Ramsey sank in three minutes (J -
torpedoed; J/D - SE of Pentland Firth; C - off Firth
of Forth; dx - off Moray Firth); 53 lives lost - 5
officers including Cdr Raby, 23 ratings and 25 MMR (He
– 65 lives lost, 33 survivors; gf - 54 lives), 4
officers and 39 men taken prisoner, Meteor headed back
to Germany, but was scuttled next day and the British
POW's released. Note: D - "The Ramsey" is in Navy
Lists as "Ramsey"
(+J/L/Lr/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/dk/dx/gf/kp; ADM.1/8430/241)
BEN ARDNA,
Admiralty trawler, 187/1912, R Irvin, Aberdeen-reg
A517, hired 8/14 as minesweeper, Admiralty No.289,
Dover Patrol. Engaged in sweeping, mined at 1330, mine
laid by
UC.1 (Egon von Werner) three days before, sank
quickly about ¾ mile E of Elbow Buoy, off North
Foreland/Broadstairs, Kent; 2 ratings lost.
Note: Lloyds lists her as fishing when sunk, not in
Admiralty service (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/dq/sc/un; ADM.1/8429/224)
Monday
9
August
German
auxiliary minelayer Meteor 1,912grt,
ex-British Vienna seized Hamburg 4/8/14. First laid
mines off north Russia, now on second mission to lay
mines in North Sea, sank HMS Ramsey the day before,
now in danger of interception by British light
cruisers and scuttled.
North
Sea
LYNX
(Lynx had three funnels; below, two-funnelled
sister-ship Ardent - Navy Photos), destroyer,
K-class, c1300t, 1913, 3-4in/2-21in tt with 4
torpedoes, 29kts, 73 crew, Pennant No.H.71, 4th DF
Grand Fleet, Cdr John Cole, on patrol with two other
destroyers in Moray Firth, SE of Helmsdale. Around
0600 or 0630, explosion under No.1 boiler room,
bridge
area destroyed and back broken, fore part sank almost
straightaway and stern half ten minutes later.
Mined, laid
by Meteor off Moray Firth (He - in
58.07N, 02.38W;
wi - in 58N, 03W), "position stated to be 2 miles to
the northward of the mine-field as then located"; Cdr
Cole, 1 officer and 61 ratings lost (Rn/gf - 3
officers and 21 men survived; He/ke/wi - 70 lost
including captain, 26 survivors), survivors picked up
by SS Vocana later that morning
(+J/C/Cn/D/He/dk/dx/ke/sc/wi; ADM.1/8429/230,
ADM.137/3603)
Tuesday
10
August
Dover
Straits
Cleon,
266/1907, hired 5/15 and Equinox, 198/1899,
hired 6/15 both Grimsby-reg Admiralty trawlers, at
anchor close together in Dover Harbour. Zeppelin
dropped bombs just after midnight, Cleon damaged, one
landed near Equinox, exploded in water, funnel and
sides riddled with shrapnel; three Equinox crew asleep
in their bunks below were wounded; one rating died of
wounds (dp - four asleep, two ratings killed outright,
one dangerously wounded but recovered) (Mn/D/dp)
Thursday
12
August
Gallipoli
Campaign - British offensive at Suvla.
Naval
Aviation - Short Type 184 seaplanes from carrier
Ben-my-Chree carried out first ever aerial torpedo
attacks, launching 14in torpedoes in the Dardanelles
area against Turkish ships on the 12th and 17th,
results in ships sunk or damaged is uncertain.
Gallipoli
Campaign
Swiftsure,
battleship, Swiftsure-class, 11,800t, 4-10in/14-7.5in
and
Grafton, ex-1st-class protected cruiser,
Edgar-class, 7,350t, 2-9.2in/10-6in, now bulged or
"blister ship", providing gunfire support off Suvla
beaches. Swiftsure hit by 12-pdr field gun, 5 ratings
lost and 10 wounded, one of whom died, Grafton off
C-beach, S of Nibrunesi Point lost 9 ratings killed
and 10 wounded (Cn/da/dk)
Manica,
kite balloon ship, 4,120/1900, hired 12/5/15,
supporting Suvla landings. (da - 14th) - Torpedo fired
by UB.8 from 500yds passed under her shallow draught
(da - submarine sighted outside net, two torpedoes
fired and missed Manica, hit net at acute angle and
burst). Attack two days later on a similar vessels
also unsuccessful (D/da/md)
Friday
13
August
U-boat
Warfare - Troop transport Royal Edward was first
British merchant ship sunk in Mediterranean; French
ammunition ship Carthage was sunk earlier on 4 July.
Austro-Hungarian
submarine U.III sunk by Italian and French
warships in Strait of Otranto.
Persian
Gulf
Juno,
ex-2nd-class cruiser, Eclipse-class, 5,600t,
5-6in/6-4.7in, was 11th CS, arrived Persian Gulf in
July, Capt D Wake. Shore party casualties were
recorded for August. Apparently German-inspired
trouble led to decision to occupy the whole of the
island of Bushire on the Persian side of the Gulf,
carried out by a small joint naval/army force
commanded by Capt Wake on 13th/14th; 4 ratings killed
on 13th, 1 officer DOW on 14th, 1 rating on 16th, ship
presumably not damaged (Rn/Cn/dk)
Saturday
14
August
WORSLEY,
Admiralty trawler, 309/1913, E C Grant, Grimsby-reg
GY814, hired 1914 as minesweeper (D - 7/15 as
auxiliary patrol vessel), 1-3pdr, believed
Harwich-based,
Lt James Feetham RNR.
On patrol with a second trawler along the Suffolk
coast between Sizewell and Shipwash LV, mined under
the bridge at 1800, laid by
UC.6 (Matthias Graf von Schmettow) the previous
day, broke in two and sank in under two minutes, one
mile N of Aldeburgh Napes buoy, off Suffolk (WI - in
52.09N, 01.36.30E); Lt Feetham lost
(+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/sc/un/wi; ADM.137/3123)
Sunday
15
August
UB.4 sunk
by Q-ship fishing smack lnverlyon off Yarmouth;
Inverlyon was not believed damaged in the action
Monday
16
August
U-boat
Raid - U.24 shelled Harrington area of
Whitehaven, Cumberland and damaged benzol and naphtha
works, which were out of action for four days
North
Sea
JAPAN,
Admiralty trawler, 205/1904, H L Taylor, Grimsby-reg
GY28, hired 1915 (D - 8/14; He - 1914) as minesweeper,
Admiralty No.42, Lt Richard Harcourt RNR i/c, Skipper
Arthur Barber RNR, believed Harwich-based, sailed from
Lowestoft or Harwich, sweeping with HMT Touchstone for
UC-laid mines, both vessels clearing sweeps at 1915.
Winch boat Japan heaved in sweep wire and saw it was
fouled by a mine (laid by
UC.6, Matthias Graf von Schmettow) only 30yd
away, by the time the winch-man’s warning had been
heard and acted on, the mine was only 3-4yd distant,
insufficient headway was kept on using the trawler’s
engines, mine blew up port-side between bridge and
foremast, sinking her within 30sec off S end of
Shipwash shoal, off Harwich (wi - three entries - in
51.53.28N, 01.34.29E, in 51.57N, 01.36.45E and
in 51.52.40N, 01.37E); five ratings killed (He –
4 killed), two of the bodies were picked up by HMT
Lord Roberts and Touchstone and landed at HMS Ganges,
survivors rescued from the water within 15min
(+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/sc/un/wi; ADM.137/3124)
Eastern
Mediterranean
B.6,
(Lt C MacArthur) and B.11 (Lt N Holbrook),
submarines, B-class, 287/316t, 2-18in tt,
Mudros-based, from Alexandria with ABS Heroic for
patrol off the Libyan/Egyptian border, information
received that Turkish arms would be smuggled to
Senussi tribesmen by German U-boats. Lt Holbrook
attempted to land in a small boat under a flag of
truce near Sollum, became suspicious and pulled back
to B.11, shore group opened fire and riddled casings
and bridge screens of both submarines with bullets; Lt
Holbrook hit in the face by a ricochet, on B.6, ERA
killed and fell overboard, CERA badly wounded,
Coxswain slightly (Cn/dk/md)
Gallipoli
Campaign
LUNDY,
Admiralty trawler, 188/1908, Hull Steam Fishing &
Ice Co, Hull-reg H993, hired 5/15, 1‑3pdr, Admiralty
No.1791, patrol
vessel, Skipper Henry Charles Taylor RNR,
in
Suvla Bay, alongside SS Kalyan, taking on ammunition.
Anchorage came under fire and master of the Kalyan
decided to move position, slowly, with Lundy still
secured. As more shells landed, one of them nearby,
Kalyan increased speed and turned slightly, Lundy
failed to hear the shouted warnings, her stern was
dragged under the stern of the larger ship, the hull
holed by the propeller, and she flooded and sank; one
ratings lost
(He - the engineer dying 'of shock' in the process);
crew got away in their boat(s) (+Lr/C/D/He/dk/hw; ADM.137/3135)
Tuesday
17
August
North
Sea
Princess
Margaret,
auxiliary minelayer, 5,934/1914, and
Mentor,
destroyer, M-class, 1,055t, 3-4in/2-1pdr/4-12in tt,
10th DF, Cdr E Inman. Princess Margaret escorted by
two divisions of 10th DF, supported by Harwich LCS and
four 4th DF destroyers, sailed to lay field off Amrun
Bank, 25 miles N of Heligoland, heading S from Horns
Reef LV, very dark night, sea calm, heavily overcast.
Ran into division of German 2nd TBF, attacked with
torpedoes, Princess Margaret missed but Mentor's bows
blown away under water, steamed back to Harwich; no
casualties listed. Operation called off (Rn/Cn/D/ty)
St
George's
Channel/Atlantic off SW England
Three
Admiralty colliers, all presumably chartered (and six,
probably seven more vessels) captured by U.38
(Max Valentiner) and all sunk (except one which
escaped):
KIRKBY,
3,034/1891, Sir R Ropner & Co, West
Hartlepool-reg, Mr W Hewison, Barry for Manchester
with coal. Torpedoed by U.38, 23 miles W by S of
Bardsey Isle (L/wi - 20 miles WSW of, in 52.30N,
05.10W) (+L/Lr/te/un/wi)
THE QUEEN,
coastal collier, 557/1897, John Hay & Sons,
Glasgow-reg, Mr D Macalister, Ayr for Devonport with
coal. Sunk by gunfire, 40 miles NNE of The Smalls LH,
E of Milford Haven (wi - in 52.15N, 05.05W)
(+L/Lr/te/un/wi)
GLENBY,
2,196/1900, Sir R Ropner & Co, West
Hartlepool-reg, Mr W Crighton, Cardiff for Archangel
with coal. Sunk by gunfire, 30 miles N of The Smalls
(L - 30 miles W of; wi - in 52.13N, 05.45W); two crew
lost (+L/Lr/te/un/wi)
Wednesday
18
August
Baltic
Sea - Action in Gulf of Riga, Russian Navy
inflicted some damage on German fleet
Kattegat
E.13
(below, stranded - Navy Photos/Antoine),
submarine, E-class, 667/807t, 22/9/14, 1-12pdr/5-18in
tt with 10 torpedoes, 15kts/9kts, c30 crew, Pennant
No.I.93, served at Harwich, Lt-Cdr Geoffrey Layton.
Ordered with E.8 to join E.1 and E.9 in the Baltic,
sailed Harwich 14th, now approaching the Sound
separating Denmark from Sweden late on the 18th, and
E.13 dived. (C - 3 September) - Compass failed shortly
before 2300, surfaced and ran hard aground on the SE
of Saltholm island between Copenhagen and Malmo in
neutral waters, tried all night to get clear and at
0500 on the 19th, Danish torpedo boat Narhvalen
arrived to inform the captain that there was a 24 hour
limit for getting off, no assistance could be given
and a guardship would anchor nearby.
German
destroyer came up but left when two more Danish TB's
arrived, by this time it was accepted that E.13 could
not be refloated and the crew were waiting to be taken
off. About 0900 (or 0930) two German destroyers
approached from the south flying the signal "abandon
ship immediately", the leading G.132 fired one or two
torpedoes which hit the bottom and failed to damage
E.13, then both opened fire with machine guns, crew
jumped into the water and swam for the shore or the
Danish vessels but the Germans apparently fired on
them until torpedo boat Soulven interposed herself,
destroyers left and surviving men picked up by the
Danes; 15 ratings lost by gunfire or drowning, 23
survivors landed in Copenhagen that evening and
interned, Lt-Cdr Layton and 1st Lt Paul Eddis later
withdrew their parole and escaped back home. The
wrecked boat was interned (Cn - 18th; J - 3
September), sold to Danish shipbreakers Petersen
& Albeck December 1921 (J - 1919), BU at
Copenhagen. E.8 safely reached Revel (Tallinn)
(+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/bw/dk/ke; ADM.137/146)
(Casualty list, for the 19th)
Orkneys
POONAH,
Admiralty trawler, 171/1903, Hull Steam Fishing &
Ice, Hull-reg H737, hired 11/14 as minesweeper,
1‑3pdr, Admiralty No.550. In collision with
minesweeping trawler HMT Northward (204grt),
foundered off Stromness, Orkneys (hw - in Suvla Bay);
no lives lost (+Lr/C/D/He/dk/hw; ADM.137/146)
North
Sea
Lilac,
fleet sweeping sloop, Acacia-class, 1,200t,
2-12pdr/2-3pdr, recently joined Grand Fleet
minesweeping flotilla, Lt-Cdr Leslie Fisher, sweeping
Meteor-laid field in Cromarty Firth, bad
weather with heavy sea running. (sc - 8th) - Stem hit
mine, bows blown off nearly as far as bridge, remains
hung down from keel, now drew nearly 30-40ft of water,
towed by sister-ship Hollyhock into Peterhead,
received new bow and rejoined flotilla some months
later; 16 ratings lost (Rn/Cn/D/dk/gf/sc)
Aegean
Sea
Barry,
fleet messenger and store carrier, ex-excursion paddle
steamer, 398/1907, hired 29/6/15 (C - as minesweeper),
Pendant No.Y4.28, based at Mudros, serving as supply
ship off Dardanelles, carrying supplies to Suvla Bay.
In collision with hired screw minesweeper Whitby Abbey
(do - ABS) in Mudros Bay, island of Lemnos, stern
badly damaged and had to unload cargo, repaired by
repair ship Reliance. Believed returned to duties in
September carrying men, ammunition, mail and supplies
to Anzac Cove and Suvla Bay, often under shellfire but
never hit (C/Cn/D/da/do)
Thursday
19
August
U-boat
Warfare - In spite of German assurances that
large passenger liners would not be attacked, British
liner Arabic was sunk without warning with the loss of
2 or 3 US citizens. Strong US protests led to German
claim she was zig-zagging and as a single-funnelled
vessel, not easily identified as a liner. Germany
shortly extended assurances to small passenger ships.
Also "The Baralong Incident" - U.27 sunk by Q-ship
Baralong in Atlantic off SW England; Baralong was not
damaged in the action
Baltic
Sea - German battlecruiser Moltke torpedoed and
damaged by submarine E.1 off Gulf of Riga
Atlantic
off SW England
Possibly
three Admiralty-hired colliers sunk by gunfire of U.38
(Max Valentiner):
RESTORMEL,
(wi - Admiralty-requisitioned collier, released for
this one voyage and cargo), 2,118/1901, New Restormel
SS Co, Cardiff-reg, 19 crew, Seville for Clyde with
3,300t iron ore. U.38 surfaced close by, fired two
shells and ordered her to stop, crew tried to abandon
ship but master headed away at full-speed. Firing
continued and ship finally hove-to, crew abandoned
ship and a torpedo was fired hitting her in No.2 hold.
Restormel was still afloat after the sinking of the
nearby Baron Erskine, the U-boat returned, fired four
shells into the engine-room and she sank at 0900, 28
miles NNW of Bishop Rock, Scillies (wi - in 50.15N,
06.52W); armed yacht Rovenska arrived, forced the
submarine to withdraw, the survivors were then rescued
and landed at Penzance (+L/te/un/wi)
BARON
ERSKINE,
5,585/1911, Hogarth Shipping Co, Ardrossan-reg, 114
crew, on Admiralty charter for this voyage, Avonmouth
for New Orleans in ballast. After U.38 had shelled
Restormel, the U-boat headed for the expectant Baron
Erskine and fired a warning shot, she headed at full
speed for Land’s End sending SOS, continued to be
chased and shelled. At 0840 shrapnel brought down the
radio aerial, she stopped and after the crew had taken
to the boats, torpedo hit port side in the
engine-room. Six more shells were fired into the hull,
she went down at 0920, 25 miles NNW of Bishop Rock (wi
- in 50.12N, 06.50W); ship’s boats headed for St Ives,
picked up by Rovenska and landed at Penzance
(+L/te/un/wi)
SAMARA
(wi - Admiralty requisitioned collier No.563),
3,172/1906, MacLay & McIntyre, Glasgow-reg,
sailing Colombo via Port Said for Bristol with sugar.
Shelled by U.38, ship abandoned, sank 35 miles W of
Bishop Rock (L - 30 miles W of; wi - 35 miles NW of,
in 49.45N, 07.20W); survivors picked up by HMT
Dewsland, landed at Penzance that day at 1730
(+L/te/un/wi)
__________
"The
Baralong Incident"
Admiralty
collier (and a second British vessel) sunk by U.27
(Bernd Wegener). An attack on a third vessel led to
U.27 being sunk by HMS Baralong:
BEN
VRACKIE,
Admiralty collier, 3,908/1905, Watson Brothers
Shipping Co, Glasgow-reg, sailing Cardiff for Malta
with coal and stores. (te/un - 18th) - Captured
by U.27, sunk by gunfire 55 miles NW by N of Scillies
(L - in 50.24N, 07.55W; te/un - 50.30N, 07.30W)
(+L/Lr/te/un)
Nicosian,
cargo steamship, 6,369/1912, Leyland Line, Liverpool,
sailing New Orleans for Liverpool, carrying mules. (L
- 20th) - stopped at 1500 by U.27 (Wegener), 73 miles
S by W of Old Head of Kinsale (L - in 50.22N, 08.12W;
dx - 50.43N, 07.22W; ge - c100 miles S of Queenstown),
Q-ship Baralong was nearby, sighted Nicosian and
received signals she had been captured by one or two
U-boats. Baralong, headed as if to pick up Nicosian's
crew from their boats, the U-boat passed behind the
stopped ship to intercept the new arrival and when she
appeared again, Baralong had the White Ensign hoisted
and opened a heavy fire from 600yds which soon sank
U.27. As Baralong picked up Nicosian's crew, Germans
were seen swimming for the stopped ship and fearing
they would board and scuttle her, opened fire on them
in the water. Four Germans managed to reach her and
disappeared below. With guns and ammunition onboard,
Baralong sent her small Royal Marine contingent across
to hunt them down, no doubt on a "shoot-on-sight"
basis, before they could do any damage. All four were
killed. Nicosian's crew returned and brought her into
Bristol holed by U-boat shells.
On the bases of reports by some of the American
muleteers carried by Nicosian, the Germans described
the incident as an atrocity and demanded the crew of
Baralong be tried for murder and punished. Britain
agreed to an impartial tribunal as long as the
enquiry included the sinkings of liner Arabic,
firing on the boats of collier Ruel and the attack
on E.13 in neutral waters. The Germans dropped their
demands although still threatened reprisals
(+L/Rn/Mn/dx/ge/ms)
Adriatic
Albert
Medal 1st Class, later George Cross - CPO
Michael Sullivan Keogh, HMS Ark Royal, aircraft taking
off from Imbros airfield, crashed and caught fire,
attempted to rescue the fatally injured pilot
Saturday
21
August
Gallipoli
Campaign - British offensive at Suvla
U-boat
warfare - UC.5 was the first minelayer to
penetrate the English Channel
Monday
23
August
North
Sea
MIURA,
Admiralty trawler, 257/1911, Neale & West,
Cardiff-reg CF36, hired 1914 (D - 2/15; He - 1915) as
auxiliary patrol vessel, 1-3pdr or 6pdr, Admiralty
No.979,
Lt Leslie Kersey
RNR.
On patrol off Great Yarmouth, explosion on starboard
quarter at 1245, heeled over, righted, then slowly
settled by the stern, sank off Yarmouth, Norfolk (wi -
in 52.36.16N, 01.54.20E). Not known if she had been
mined or torpedoed although survivors gave evidence
that a U-boat was involved. Most sources list her as
mined, Hepper as torpedoed. In either case, the
submarine involved was
UB.2 (Werner Fürbringer); 11 ratings lost
(+L/Lr/C/D/He/ap/dk/sc/un/wi; ADM.137/3125)
Belgian
Coast
Albyn,
ex-Albion, paddle minesweeper, 363/1893, hired
26/5/15, 1-6pdr AA, one of the first six hired
paddlers to arrive at Dover 14/7/15 as the Dover
Paddlers, Lt A Daniels RNR i/c, night before swept
ahead of monitors for Zeebrugge shoot, now daylight on
23rd, returning to Dover. (do - 22nd) - Attacked by
German seaplane, a reported seven bombs dropped in two
groups, avoided by helm and engine changes.
During many subsequent operations, the paddle
minesweepers with their broad beam often became the
focus of German air attacks; it was reported on 10
June 1916 that "The paddle sweepers at Dunkirk...
(had their routine work) enlivened on most days by
attacks from hostile aircraft" (D/do/sc)
Atlantic
off SW Ireland
One,
possibly two Admiralty-chartered vessels stopped by U.38
(Max Valentiner) and sunk with bombs off Fastnet Rock,
off Co Cork:
SILVIA,
Admiralty chartered red-ensign oiler, 5,268/1913, Oil
Tank SS Co, Liverpool-reg, 41 crew, Mr J Prouse,
Halifax (NS) for Queenstown with 6,600t fumace fuel
oil. U.38 sighted two miles away on starboard beam at
1100, started shelling, tanker stopped and abandoned,
U-boat closed, boarded and placed charges in engine
room, pulled off a short distance and opened fire
after they had exploded, Silvia sank at 1215, 47 miles
W of (L/wi - 40 miles W of, in 51.07N, 10.46W), ship's
confidential papers thrown overboard by Master in
weighted bag; survivors picked up by armed trawler at
1900, landed at Berehaven (+L/Lr/te/un/wi)
TRAFALGAR,
4,572/1911, Glasgow-reg, Glasgow Shipowners, 31 crew,
Mr W Peter (wi - on Admiralty charter), Mejillones for
Clyde with nitrates. Sunk 54 miles SW by W of (L - 54
miles SW of; wi - in 50.39N, 10.27W) (+L/te/un/)
Wednesday
25
August
Eastern
Front - Austro-Germans captured Brest-Litovsk
Thursday
26
August
North
Sea
JASPER,
Admiralty-owned trawler, 221/1912, previously Kingston
Steam Trawling, purchased by Admiralty pre-war,
1-6pdr, Admiralty No.164, commissioned as minesweeper,
Lt William St Clair Fleming RNR.
Taking part in sweeping field laid by German auxiliary
minelayer Meteor in Moray Firth, mined at 0935
and sank quickly (He - 58.13N,
02.22W;
wi - in 58N, 03W); 8 ratings killed (He – 7 died; wi -
11) (+Mn/C/D/He/dk/wi; ADM.1/8431/250)
Saturday
28
August
North
Sea
DANE,
Admiralty trawler, 265/1913, 'D' Line Steam Fishing,
Grimsby-reg GY947, hired 4/15 as auxiliary patrol
vessel, Admiralty No.1446, believed Harwich-based,
Lt Parker RNR.
Mined at 0750, laid by UC.6 (Matthias Graf von
Schmettow), sank about 1 mile NW of North Aldeburgh
Napes buoy, off Suffolk (wi - 2½m ESE of Thorpe Ness,
in 52.10.08N, 01.41.06E); 4 ratings lost and 1 more
DOW (wi - 8 killed) (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/8431/251)
Irish
Sea
DOLORES,
naval motor boat, ex-high speed pleasure motor boat,
12grt, hired
1914,
serving
with Motor Boat Reserve as HM Motor Boat No.55 (number
also used by motor boat Arabian), armed with
rifles/small arms, manned by RNVR crew,
Sub‑Lt Harold Bishop Mylchreest RNR in command.
Caught fire, burnt to the waterline and sank alongside
the quay in Douglas Harbour, Isle of Man (wi - in
54.08.45N, 04.28.05W); no lives lost (+D/He/dk/wi)
Sunday
29
August
North
Sea
C.29,
submarine, C-class, c290/320t, 1909, 2‑18in tt with 4
torpedoes, 13/7½kts, 16 crew, Pennant No.I.59,
Rosyth-based 7th Flotilla, Lt William Schofield, on
anti-U-boat patrol with decoy trawler Ariadne,
submerged, in tow and in telephone contact with
Ariadne. Underwater explosion and tow rope went slack,
mined off the Humber near Outer Dowsing LV (bw -
53.59N, 01.25E), accidentally towed into British
minefield laid in January; 2 officers and 15 ratings
lost (He – all 16 crew lost), no survivors
(+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/bw/dk/dx/go/ke/on)
SEPTEMBER
1915
Wednesday
1
September
Auxiliary
Patrol - First 6 Elco-built ML's reached
Portsmouth, overhauled and carried out trials, ML's 1,
2, 3 commissioned at Portsmouth on 14 October
North
Sea
Two
Admiralty trawlers, both Grimsby-reg and Harwich-based
(and one steamship), mined and sunk in field laid by
UC.7 (Franz Wäger) the day before off the
Shipwash, off Orford Ness:
NADINE,
Admiralty trawler, 150/1898, Orient Steam Fishing,
GY138, hired 11/14 as auxiliary patrol vessel, Pennant
No.693, tender
to HMS Ganges, shore training establishment at
Shotley, Suffollk, Skipper Percy Michael Saunders RNR.
Sank off North Shipwash Buoy (wi - 52.01.18N,
01.37.35E); Skipper and 8 ratings lost (He – 3
survivors) (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/8432/257)
MALTA
(1) Admiralty trawler, 138/1897, W Grant, GY325, hired
11/14 as auxiliary patrol vessel, Pennant No.700, had
operated with submarine C.33 as trawler-submarine
decoy, Skipper
Frank McPherson RNR.
Sank 2 cables NW of North Shipwash Buoy (wi - in
52.01.18N, 01.37.35E); 7 ratings lost
(+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/qs/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/8432/259)
Friday
3
September
North
Sea
CHURSTON,
Admiralty collier, 2,470/1914, Wilton SS Co,
Dartmouth-reg, Mr W Martin, from Cardiff with 2,310t
Welsh coal. Mined at 0850, laid by
UC.7 (Franz Wäger), tugs attempted to take her
in tow but weather too bad, finally sank at 1300, 2½m
S of Orford Ness (W/te - in 52.01N, 01.38E); four crew
lost, survivors picked up by naval patrol vessel
(+L/Lr/sc/te/un/wi)
Saturday
4
September
U-boat
Warfare - SS Natal Transport was the first
recorded British merchant ship lost in the
Mediterranean to a U-boat
North
Sea
Dahlia,
fleet sweeping sloop, Acacia-class, 1,200t,
2-12pdr/2-3pdr, Grand Fleet minesweeping flotilla, Lt
G Parsons, sweeping Meteor-laid field in
Cromarty Firth. (Rn - 2nd) - Mined and very badly
damaged, bows blown off but ship saved and repaired; 3
ratings killed, one missing and one died of wounds, Lt
Parsons severely injured (Rn/Cn/D/dk/gf/sc)
Atlantic
off SW Ireland
Admiralty
chartered red-ensign oiler (and a British steamship)
captured off Fastnet Rock and sunk by U.33 (Konrad
Gansser), then on passage for the Dardanelles:
CYMBELINE,
4,505/1902, Bear Creek Oil & Shipping Co (C T
Bowring & Co), Liverpool-reg, Port Arthur for
Dartmouth with oil. Sunk by torpedo 96 miles W by S of
(H/te/un - also 29 miles W by S of; un – in 51.16N,
12.04W); six crew lost (+L/Mn/Lr/te/un)
Dardanelles
E.7,
submarine, E-class, 655/796t, 1913, 1-12pdr/4-18in tt
with 8 torpedoes, 15/9kts, 30 crew, Pennant No.I.87,
fitted with 6pdr in 1915, Lt-Cdr Archibald Cochrane,
attempting to break through Dardanelles defences to
Sea of Marmara to relieve E.11 and partner E.7, set
out from Kephalo Bay at 0200 on 4th. Reached Nagara
Point at 0700, starboard propeller fouled
anti-submarine net, struggled for 12 hours to get
free, blowing and flooding tanks and manouevring,
which only alerted the defences. Lt Heino von Hemburg,
commander of UB.14 (ke - U.14) was rowed out to the
approximate position, reportedly by the boat's cook,
with one or more small mines which were lowered and
detonated near the trapped submarine. According to
Hepper, the first mine exploded at 1030 shaking the
boat, and a second at 1840 which broke lights and
other equipment. Lt Cochrane accepted E.7 would be
destroyed, burnt the confidential papers, prepared for
scuttling, came to the surface and blew her up (C/Cn -
on 5th); no lives lost, all 38 crew saved, taken to
Constantinople as POW's (+J/Rn/C/Cn/D/He/bw/dk/go/ke)
Tuesday
7
September
Belgian
Coast
Attentive,
scout cruiser, Adventure-class, 2,670t, c9-4in/2-14in
tt, 6th DF leader, Capt Johnson, in support of Dover
Patrol bombardment force preparing to carry out Ostend
shoot, forced to wait for haze to clear. Bombed by
aircraft, Attentive hit on deck, one 4in gun disabled;
two men killed and seven wounded (Rn/Cn/D/dk/dp/dq)
Wednesday
8
September
Dover
Straits
Leven,
destroyer, C-class, 420t, Dover Patrol, dark night. In
collision with transport carrying 2,000 troops, bow
flattened, found drifting broadside in heavy swell in
the direction of Boulogne by destroyer Viking, taken
in tow stern-first into Dover assisted by destroyer
Tartar and tug Lady Crundall (Cn/D/dp/gr)
Thursday
9
September
North
Sea
BALAKANI,
Admiralty chartered red-ensign oiler, 3,696/1899,
Petroleum SS Co, London-reg, Mr F White, Port Arthur
for London with oil fuel. Mined, laid by
UC.1 (Egon von Werner), sank ½m SW of South
Longsand Buoy, off Clacton (L/te - 51.31.15N, 01.20E;
wi - ½m SW by S of, in 51.31.11N, 01.20.57E); six crew
lost (+L/Lr/te/un/wi)
Friday
10
September
North
Sea
Fearless,
scout cruiser, Active-class, 4,000t, 1st DF leader,
Harwich Force, sailing with battlecruiser force
supporting minelaying operation in the Heligoland
Bight on the night of 10th/11th. Collided with
unidentified destroyer during mining, Fearless
sustained "considerable damage"; but apparently no
deaths. Kindell confirms that Fearless was in
collision with destroyer Hydra, also 1st DF and that
the the cruiser lost two men killed with two more
dying of injuries, and Hydra, one man killed
(Cn/dk/gf/gr)
Saturday
11
September
Atlantic
W of Scotland
Patia,
6,103/1913, hired 21/11/14 and Oropesa,
5,364/1895, hired 22/11/14 (later French Champagne),
armed merchant cruisers, 10th CS, on patrol W of
Hebrides at night. In collision about 2200, both sent
to Clyde for repairs, Oropesa damaged from waterline
to upper deck at point of impact and leaking, Patia's
stem badly damaged, escorted in by AMC Ebro and later
a destroyer and trawlers, attacked by U-boat on
passage (Mn/D/bi/gf/gr)
Tuesday
14
September
Dover
Straits
CITY OF
DUNDEE,
Admiralty trawler, 269/1914, Fleetwood-reg FD4, T F
Kelsall, hired 11/14 as auxiliary patrol vessel,
Admiralty No.678, Lt Albert Coles DSC RNR, Dover
Patrol. In collision with Dutch
steamship Patroclus,
nearly cut in two and began to sink at once, going
down off Folkestone, Kent at 1900; Warrant Officer and
6 ratings lost, Lt Coles was on the upper bridge at
the time, became entangled in signal halliards and
nearly pulled down, reached the surface, swam to a
raft and pulled on board three other men, survivors
picked up after hour and a half in the water
(+Lr/C/D/He/dk/dq/ft/sc; ADM.137/151)
Wednesday
15
September
U.6
sunk by British submarine E.16 off Stavanger, Norway
Thursday
16
September
North
Sea
Warspite,
dreadnought, Queen Elizabeth-class, 31,500t, completed
3/15, 5th BS Grand Fleet. Damaged by grounding off
Dunbar in the Firth of Forth, repaired (Cn - at Rosyth
17/9-20/11/15; gf - Tyne), rejoined 5th BS on 23/11/15
(Cn/gf/gr)
Saturday
18
September
Eastern
Front - Germans captured Vilna by 19th.
U-boat
Warfare - following US protests over the sinking
of Arabic (19 August) and Hesperian (4 September) and
because of limited success with the unrestricted
submarine campaign, the Germans decided that by the
end of September U-boats should: (1) stop attacks off
the west coast of the British Isles and in the English
Channel; (2) carry out attacks in the North Sea
strictly according to prize rules; (3) transfer their
main area of operations to the Mediterranean where
there was less chance of meeting US ships or killing
their citizens. There were no shipping losses to
U-boat attack in the restricted areas in October and
November, although they restarted in December.
Dover
Straits
Admiralty
trawler (and two other British vessels) mined, all
believed laid by UC.6 (Matthias Graf von
Schmettow) three days before:
LYDIAN,
Admiralty trawler, 244/1908, S A Laycock, Milford
Haven-reg M232, hired 1915 (D - 8/14) as auxiliary
patrol vessel, Admiralty No.162, Dover Patrol,
Skipper James Charles Phillips.
Sank at 1100 off South Foreland, near Dover, Kent (He
- off
Leathercoat Point, St Margaret's Bay;
wi - in 51.08N, 01.27E); Skipper and 7 ratings lost, 2
survivors (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/dq/sc/un/wi; ADM.1/8434/279,
ADM.137/152)
Gallipoli
Campaign
Swiftsure,
battleship, Swiftsure-class, 11,890t, proceeding
Mudros for Suvla. Believed attacked by U-boat -
possibly U.21, but not recorded in German Official
History (Rn/Cn/D/ge)
Monday
20
September
Central
Mediterranean
LINKMOOR,
Admiralty collier, 4,306/1914, Moor Line, London-reg,
sailing Lemnos for Malta with coal. Captured by
U.35 (Waldermar Kophamel), sunk by gunfire 50
miles W of Cape Matapan (L/te - in 36.16N, 21.18E)
(+L/Lr/te/un)
Thursday
23
September
North
Sea
Christopher,
destroyer, K-class, 1,300t, 4th DF Grand Fleet. In
collision with armed boarding vessel King Orry
1,877grt in fog, Christopher damaged (D/Cn/gf/gr)
Friday
24
September
U.41
sunk by Q-ship steamer Baralong in Atlantic, 90 miles
W of Ushant, Baralong was not damaged in the action,
her second success in five weeks
Belgian
Coast
Southern North Sea and Dover
Straits (with later defences)
click maps to enlarge
GREAT
HEART
(may be spelt Greatheart or Great Hart),
Admiralty drifter, 78/1911, Inverness-reg INS233,
hired 6/15 as net drifter, Admiralty No.1395, Dover
Patrol, Skipper
William Davidson RNR.
Sailed with other drifters to screen monitors that
were due to carry out a bombardment of Ostend and
Zeebrugge - apparently streaming her buoyed nets as
protection against submarine attack. Just off Dover,
sunk by
explosion (He - about 2 miles off harbour entrance; wi
- in 51N, 01.20E), cause unknown at the time, and
probably considered due to one of her own net mines.
Now confirmed mined, laid by
UC.6 (Matthias Graf von Schmettow), two days
earlier; Skipper and 7 ratings lost.
Admiralty yacht Sanda was lost next day as part of
the bombardment force
(+L/Rn/C/D/He/dk/dq/un/wi; ADM.1/8434/284)
Saturday
25
September
Western
Front - Battle of Loos to 8 October; Second Battle
of Champagne to 6 November
Belgian
Coast
SANDA,
ex-St Serf, Admiralty yacht, 300/1906, hired 26/1/15
as auxiliary patrol vessel, 2-6pdr, Pennant No.073,
Dover Patrol, Lt-Cdr Henry Gartside-Tipping RN Rtd,
aged over 70 in August 1914, volunteered for war
service, “the oldest naval officer serving at sea”.
Sailed in company with monitor bombardment force
including Prince Eugene and General Crauford evening
of 24th for Zeebrugge shoot, to start on 25th at 0700
in support of attack by British Army.
Sanda was screening net
drifters, shore
batteries started replying at 0900. Hit near the
deckhouse and sunk, probably by 8in shell from German
batteries at Blankenberghe around 0915; 4 officers
including the captain, 5 ratings and 4 MN lost (Rn -
12 officers and men lost; ap - 4 officers, 11 men
killed or missing), survivors rescued by drifter
Fearless (+J/Rn/C/D/he/ap/dk/dp/dq; ADM.1/8437/315)
Monday
27
September
Mesopotamian
Campaign - First Battle of Kut/Kut al
Imara/Amara on the River Tigris by British/Indian
forces advancing from Amara, taken on 28th. Armed
paddle launch-tug Comet, and armed launches Shaitan,
Sumana took part
off
N
Scotland
CARIBBEAN,
Admiralty accommodation ship, ex-passenger ship,
5,820/1890, Royal Mail Steam Packet Co, London-reg,
hired 19/11/14 as armed merchant cruiser,
accommodation ship 6/15, now fitted out as receiving
ship for dockyard workmen,
Cdr Henry Bethune in command,
sailed from Liverpool on passage for Scapa Flow in
“extremely heavy weather”. Shipped a lot of water and
got into difficulties off Cape Wrath, sent out SOS in
the afternoon of the 26th, light cruiser Birkenhead
and tugs came out from Scapa and tried to tow her to
safety, foundered around 0730 on the 27th (He - in 58.14N
05.42W);
most of crew taken off early hours of 27th, but 15
lives lost - 6 ratings, 7 MN and 2 canteen staff
(Lr/C/Cn/D/He/bi/wd/dk; ADM.156/16)
Tuesday
28
September
Central
Mediterranean
H. C.
HENRY,
Admiralty chartered red-ensign oiler, 4,219/1909,
Steamer "H C Henry" Co, Vancouver (BC)-reg, sailing
London/Alexandria for Mudros with tar oil. Captured by
U.39 (Walter Forstmann), sunk by gunfire 59
miles S½E of Cape Matapan, Greece (L - 30 miles SW of
Cerigotto Is/Anti-Kythera) (+L/Lr/te/un)
Mesopotamian
Campaign
Comet
(1), armed paddle launch-tug, 144t. Only a boom which
included a dhow and two iron barges at the centre
appeared to prevent the final capture of Kut. Comet
(Lt-Cdr Cookson, on the books of sloop Clio), Shaitan
and Sumana steamed up under heavy rifle and machine
gun fire, Comet went ahead to ram the dhow, failed to
break through, gunfire also failed, Lt-Cdr Cookson
jumped onto the dhow with an axe to try to cut the
wire hawsers securing her, was riddled with bullets
from close-range and killed, no other lives lost. The
gunboats sank the dhow with gunfire and all retired.
Early next day, the Turks had gone, the boom was
dismantled and Kut occupied. Lt-Cdr Edgar Christopher
Cookson DSO was posthumously awarded the Victoria
Cross (Rn/D/dk/vc)
Wednesday
29
September
Western
Front - French captured crest of Vimy Ridge
Thursday
30
September
Mesopotamian
Campaign
Shaitan
and Sumana, launches, both armed with 3pdrs,
with Comet continued to chase the retreating Turks
north from Kut up the increasingly shoaling River
Tigris. By the 30th
Shaitan was fast aground near Kut and Sumana had
broken both rudders by grounding, only Comet remained
in action (D/Rn)
