K Boat Catastrophe: Eight Ships and Five Collisions: The full story of the ïBattleÍ of the Isle of MayOn 31 January 1918 nine K Class steam-powered submarines sailed with the Grand Fleet to Exercise in the North Sea. The ships left the Firth of Forth at a speed of 21 knots on a cold winter night with the flagship HMS Courageous leading the way. Following in her wake was HMS Ithuriel and the K Class submarines of the 13th Submarine Flotilla and then 5 nautical miles astern of them, four more capital warships. As they approached The Isle of May navigational confusion broke out, caused by the misinterpretation of ship's steaming lights and mayhem followed. During the next couple of hours five collisions occurred involving eight ships and resulting in the death of 105 officers and ratings. This fiasco and the resulting naval investigation and court marshal were shielded from the general public and kept in secret files until the full details were released in 1994. From this official report, the author now tells the full story of that dreadful night and the proceedings that followed. Background information on the evolution of the ill-fated and much hated K Class submarines is also included together with the investigation and court marshal proceedings of the events surrounding that tragic night. |
Contents
List of Illustrations | 7 |
Foreword | 9 |
Acknowledgements | 12 |
Setting the Scene | 13 |
At Anchor | 43 |
Under Way | 52 |
Court of Inquiry | 72 |
The Reckoning | 84 |
The Verdict Who Was Really to Blame? | 105 |
Whatever Happened to ? | 115 |
The K Boats | 127 |
The Roll of Honour | 134 |
142 | |
143 | |
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Common terms and phrases
13th SF 2nd BCS Able Seaman action Admiral Sir Admiralty ahead altered course appointed astern Battle battlecruiser battleships Beatty boats Capt Captain of HMS Cdr Leir close collision with K-22 command Commander-in-Chief court martial Court of Inquiry crew destroyer destroyer screen dive enemy Ernest Leir evidence Firth Fisher funnels Geoffrey Layton German gunnery guns Harbottle Hawksley Hearn helm HM Submarine HMAS Australia HMS Barham HMS Courageous HMS Fearless HMS Inflexible HMS Ithuriel Hugh Evan-Thomas Island Isle Jutland knots Leading Seaman Leir Leir’s Lieutenant Light Cruiser Lt Cdr miles naval navigating officers navigation lights North Sea Petty Officer port Portsmouth promoted Rear Adm Rear Admiral retired Rosyth Rosyth force Royal Navy Sandford Sea Lord ship’s signal Sir Hugh Evan-Thomas Slayter Sold for breaking speed starboard steam steering Stoker 1st Class Strathella Submarine Flotilla sunk torpedo track trawlers vessels Vice Adm Sir Vice-Admiral