C 27 (I 57)
| Built By: | Vickers (Barrow) |
| Build Group: | C1 |
| Fate: | Deliberately scuttled in the Baltic off Helsingfors to prevent their capture by the German Army. The Care and Maintenance Party (under Lieutenant Downie) who carried out the scuttling also destroyed all of the stores and torpedoes of the Baltic Flotilla before returning home safely via Petrograd & Archangel. |
Commanders
| 1915: | Lieutenant Commander C C Dobson |
| 1916: | D C Sealy |
| 1917: | D C Sealy |
1914: 7th Flotilla Chatham, HMS Vulcan and Alecto
1915: Leith. HMS Vulcan
1915: Baltic Flotilla. Dvina, Revel (Tallin), Estonia.
1916: Baltic Flotilla. Dvina, Revel (Tallin), Estonia.
1917: Baltic Flotilla. Dvina, Revel (Tallin), Estonia.
1917: Baltic Flotilla. Pamyat Azova, Helsingfors, Finland.
This boat, along with three other C Class, was sent to the Baltic to reinforce the E Class boats which were operating there.
They were towed to Archangel and then made their way down the White Sea Canal on lighters to Kronstadt, where they carried out short patrols in the Gulf of Riga.
This boat was also involved in one of the more unusual submarine operations. It was decided to tow a C class submarine submerged, behind a trawler, submarine and trawler being linked by telephone whose cable ran down the towing wire. The idea being, if a U-boat was sighted the tow would be slipped and the C class would take up position and hopefully torpedo the U-boat.
This method did prove successful on more than one occasion.
C27 torpedoed U-23 by this method whilst being towed by the Princess Louise.
There were mishaps too, see C29.
Credited with sinking 1 merchant ship, tonnage unknown, whilst in the Baltic.
Attacked and damaged the transport Indianola, 1917.
Related Pages
Early in 1915 an experiment took place in the Firth of Forth of a C class boat being towed submerged by a powerful tug. The submarine was towed along at various depths, using a towing slip to enable her, at the opportune moment, to release herself and so make the attack. It was C27 which carried out these experiments which proved quite a success, she and C19 were sent to Aberdeen for actual operations.
Events
| 04-06-1908 | Laid Down |
| 22-04-1909 | Launched |
| 14-08-1909 | Completed |
| 04-04-1918 | Deliberately scuttled in the Baltic off Helsingfors to prevent their capture by the German Army. The Care and Maintenance Party (under Lieutenant Downie) who carried out the scuttling also destroyed all of the stores and torpedoes of the Baltic Flotilla before returning home safely via Petrograd & Archangel. |
This form is for you to comment on, or add additional information to this page. Any questions will be deleted. If you wish to ask a question contact the Branch or the Webmaster using the Contact Us page or ask your question on our Facebook Page
