A nice article here re U-Boats in the Irish Sea, lightships and some controversial sinkings.
Flanders Flotilla and U-Boat Alley
Of interest are the mine laying maps for Arklow, Dublin and Liverpool coastlines. These are from 1917 when it was becoming harder for U-Boats to operate.
It is strange that no U-Boat operated in this area during the Easter Rising given that re-inforcements from England would have to travel by sea (Liverpool to Kingstown in the case of the Sherwood Foresters for example).
Showing posts with label U-Boats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label U-Boats. Show all posts
Wednesday, 19 March 2014
U-Boat SM U-20
The U-20 appears to have been able to set out to sea shortly after the U-19 and to have sunk 6 ships from 30th April 1916:
30th April 1916 : Bakio (no information re casualties)
1st May 1916 : Bernadette (no information re casualties)
2nd May 1916 : Ruabon 0 casualties
3rd May 1916 : Marie Molinos 0 casualties
6th May 1916 : Galgate 0 casualties
8th May 1916 : Cymric 5 casualties
U-Boat SM U-19
The U-19 was the u-boat that took Sir Roger Casement, Robert Monteith and Daniel Bailey from Germany to Ireland in 1916.
The task was originally given to U-20 but this vessel developed a fault shortly after starting out and had to return to port.
Having dropped Casement, Monteith and Bailey in Ireland, U-19 ventured towards the Bay of Biscay sinking 6 ships before returning to port :
21st April 1916 : Feliciana 0 casualties
22nd April 1916 : Jozsef Agost Foherzeg 0 casualties
22nd April 1916 : Ross 0 casualties
23rd April 1916 : Parisiana 0 casualties
23rd April 1916 : Ribston 0 casualties
25th April 1916 : Carmanian 2 casualties (some accounts say 3)
New York Times
The King of Norway awards a silver cup to Father Tom Jones for leading the rescue of some of the Carmanian sailors off the coast of Kerry. Money and scrolls awarded to 3 farmers who aided in the rescue. All 4 receive awards from the Carnegie Trust.
The U-45 was operating nearby and sank 4 ships in the period to 2nd May 1916
27th April 1916 : Industry 0 casualties
30th April 1916 : Vinifreda 0 casualties
2nd May 1916 : Le Pilier 0 casualties
2nd May 1916 : Maud 0 casualties
The U-67 operated in the area before U-19 and U-45 sinking 3 ships :
16th April 1916 : Cardonia 0 casualties
20th April 1916 : Whitgift 32 dead, 1 survivor
22nd April 1916 : Chanaral 0 casualties
The sinking of the Cairngowan is mentioned in Danger Zone by E Keble Chatterton in a chapter on the Easter Rising. This was sunk by U-69 which appears to have been operating in the area off Kerry and to have sunk 8 ships in the period 15th to 20th April 1916.
The task was originally given to U-20 but this vessel developed a fault shortly after starting out and had to return to port.
Having dropped Casement, Monteith and Bailey in Ireland, U-19 ventured towards the Bay of Biscay sinking 6 ships before returning to port :
21st April 1916 : Feliciana 0 casualties
22nd April 1916 : Jozsef Agost Foherzeg 0 casualties
22nd April 1916 : Ross 0 casualties
23rd April 1916 : Parisiana 0 casualties
23rd April 1916 : Ribston 0 casualties
25th April 1916 : Carmanian 2 casualties (some accounts say 3)
New York Times
The King of Norway awards a silver cup to Father Tom Jones for leading the rescue of some of the Carmanian sailors off the coast of Kerry. Money and scrolls awarded to 3 farmers who aided in the rescue. All 4 receive awards from the Carnegie Trust.
The U-45 was operating nearby and sank 4 ships in the period to 2nd May 1916
27th April 1916 : Industry 0 casualties
30th April 1916 : Vinifreda 0 casualties
2nd May 1916 : Le Pilier 0 casualties
2nd May 1916 : Maud 0 casualties
The U-67 operated in the area before U-19 and U-45 sinking 3 ships :
16th April 1916 : Cardonia 0 casualties
20th April 1916 : Whitgift 32 dead, 1 survivor
22nd April 1916 : Chanaral 0 casualties
The sinking of the Cairngowan is mentioned in Danger Zone by E Keble Chatterton in a chapter on the Easter Rising. This was sunk by U-69 which appears to have been operating in the area off Kerry and to have sunk 8 ships in the period 15th to 20th April 1916.
Tuesday, 18 March 2014
The Belgian Coast Barrage
At 5am on the 24th April 1916, work began on the Belgian Coast Barrage, a scheme devised by Vice Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon, commander of the Dover Patrol, to lay mines and mine nets near the Belgian coast. The aim of the barrage was to interrupt the work of the German naval forces at Zeebrugge etc - German U-Boats based here were causing problems and the surface vessels were a constant threat.
A number of merchant ships were converted to minelayers (Orvieto, Paris, Princess Margaret and Biarritz) supported by small trawlers (Welbeck, Carmania, Osta, Shackleton, Ostrich and Russell) and drifters. About 1421 mines were laid.
On the 25th April, UB13 was caught in one of the first nets and destroyed. It should have been helping the German naval ships involved in the raid on Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth.
The German ships heading to Lowestoft were met in the early hours of the 25th April 1916 by ships from the Harwich Force commanded by Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt. The Harwich Force was weaker than it should have been - 12 destroyers had been taken away to defend the ships laying mines for the Belgian Coastal Barrage.
The Harwich Force ships HMS Conquest and HMS Penelope suffered damage and casualties in the above encounter.
There were a number of incidents during the laying of the barrage :
- the drifter Clover Bank hit one of the newly laid British mines on the 24th April during the barrage laying operation. 18 dead.
- the drifter Au Fait was shelled and captured. Her crew was taken prisoner and the boat sunk.
- Harwich Force destroyers Milne, Medea, Melpomene and Murray were involved in a fight with 3 German destroyers from Zeebrugge on the 24th April 1916 while they were defending the minelayers and drifters. All four ships suffered damage; Medea lost 2 killed in action and 1 who later died of wounds.
The Belgian Coast Barrage was completed 26th May 1916.
On the 27th May 1916, u-boat UC-3, a mine laying u-boat, was destroyed by a mine off the coast near Zeebrugge. Her 18 crew all died. She had destroyed one ship off the Suffolk coast before her destruction, The Golcanda was destroyed on the 3rd June 1916 by a mine newly laid by UC-3.
In September 1916, work began on the Cross Channel Barrage which would work in a similar manner to the Belgian Coast Barrage.
April 24th 1916 was also the date that German u-boats were ordered to cease unrestricted warfare against merchant ships, a result of pressure from the still neutral USA.
A number of merchant ships were converted to minelayers (Orvieto, Paris, Princess Margaret and Biarritz) supported by small trawlers (Welbeck, Carmania, Osta, Shackleton, Ostrich and Russell) and drifters. About 1421 mines were laid.
On the 25th April, UB13 was caught in one of the first nets and destroyed. It should have been helping the German naval ships involved in the raid on Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth.
The German ships heading to Lowestoft were met in the early hours of the 25th April 1916 by ships from the Harwich Force commanded by Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt. The Harwich Force was weaker than it should have been - 12 destroyers had been taken away to defend the ships laying mines for the Belgian Coastal Barrage.
The Harwich Force ships HMS Conquest and HMS Penelope suffered damage and casualties in the above encounter.
There were a number of incidents during the laying of the barrage :
- the drifter Clover Bank hit one of the newly laid British mines on the 24th April during the barrage laying operation. 18 dead.
- the drifter Au Fait was shelled and captured. Her crew was taken prisoner and the boat sunk.
- Harwich Force destroyers Milne, Medea, Melpomene and Murray were involved in a fight with 3 German destroyers from Zeebrugge on the 24th April 1916 while they were defending the minelayers and drifters. All four ships suffered damage; Medea lost 2 killed in action and 1 who later died of wounds.
The Belgian Coast Barrage was completed 26th May 1916.
On the 27th May 1916, u-boat UC-3, a mine laying u-boat, was destroyed by a mine off the coast near Zeebrugge. Her 18 crew all died. She had destroyed one ship off the Suffolk coast before her destruction, The Golcanda was destroyed on the 3rd June 1916 by a mine newly laid by UC-3.
In September 1916, work began on the Cross Channel Barrage which would work in a similar manner to the Belgian Coast Barrage.
April 24th 1916 was also the date that German u-boats were ordered to cease unrestricted warfare against merchant ships, a result of pressure from the still neutral USA.
Monday, 17 March 2014
Submarine E22
Harwich based submarine E22 was sunk by German U-Boat UB18 on the morning of 25th April 1916 off the Suffolk coast.
31 crew appeared to have died as a result of the torpedo fired by UB18. 2 crew were picked up by UB18 (Frederick Buckingham and William Harrod) and taken to Zeebrugge as Prisoners of War.
What makes E22 unusual is that it was a submarine fitted with 2 Sopwith Schneider aircraft for use intercepting Zeppelins. E22 had been in a group of 4 submarines travelling on the surface when attacked by UB18.
The following day, UB18 captured and scuttled the Alfred off the coast of Lowestoft. No casualties were inflicted.
UB18 was herself sunk in December 1917.
31 crew appeared to have died as a result of the torpedo fired by UB18. 2 crew were picked up by UB18 (Frederick Buckingham and William Harrod) and taken to Zeebrugge as Prisoners of War.
What makes E22 unusual is that it was a submarine fitted with 2 Sopwith Schneider aircraft for use intercepting Zeppelins. E22 had been in a group of 4 submarines travelling on the surface when attacked by UB18.
The following day, UB18 captured and scuttled the Alfred off the coast of Lowestoft. No casualties were inflicted.
UB18 was herself sunk in December 1917.
HMT King Stephen - Q Ship
The ship HMT King Stephen was captured and sunk by the German Navy torpedo boat SMS G41 on the 24th April 1916. She was working as a Q Ship (hidden armament) to lure U-Boats into action but had the misfortune to steam in the German High Seas Fleet involved in the bombardment of Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth.
Lt Phillips RNR and the rest of the crew were taken prisoner and the boat sunk.
The Germans were interested in the crew of this ship as it had left the crew of the Zeppelin L19 to drown (it had been damaged on an air raid and crashed into the sea and 19 crew were counted as being alive). Phillips had to prove that he and the crew were not the men who abandoned the L19 men to die. Phillips and his men had only recently joined the King Stephen after it had been requisitioned by the Admiralty.
Lt Phillips RNR and the rest of the crew were taken prisoner and the boat sunk.
The Germans were interested in the crew of this ship as it had left the crew of the Zeppelin L19 to drown (it had been damaged on an air raid and crashed into the sea and 19 crew were counted as being alive). Phillips had to prove that he and the crew were not the men who abandoned the L19 men to die. Phillips and his men had only recently joined the King Stephen after it had been requisitioned by the Admiralty.
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