M2

Built By:	Vickers (Barrow)
Build Group:	M
Fate:	Foundered due to a leak in the hangar door on 26th January 1932

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Started life as K19.

M2 and M3 had their large 12-inch guns removed in the late 1920s to conform with the Washington Disarmament Treaty, which stated that no submarine should have larger than 8-inch calibre guns. M2 was refitted with a seaplane hangar forward of the conning tower and a catapult to launch a small Parnall Peto seaplane.

Schematic

Specially designed for M2's hanger, the Parnell Peto Seaplane had a 135 hp engine and an endurance of about two hours at 70 knots

This conversion was a success, and M2 could surface from periscope depth, open the hangar door, catapult the plane, close the door and dive again within five minutes. She was subsequently lost during exercises in the English Channel in 1932 when her hangar door was left open.

Roll of Honour

Name	Rank	Number	Hons	Age
Arbuthnot, Crofton Keith	Lieutenant Commander			30
Back, Leonard Stanley	Electrical Artificer 3rd Class	M 37056		26
Banks, Sydney Wilfred	Petty Officer	J 48971		33
At birth Banks, Sydney Wilfrid Served as Banks, Sydney Wilfred.
Blake, Frederick James	Petty Officer	J 46983		33
Brown, Dougal McPherson	Leading Steward	L 12605		30
Burridge, Jack	Leading Telegraphist	J 60943		32
Butcher, Harold Frederick	Able Seaman	J 91916		30
Chapman, Cecil	Able Seaman	JX 126505		23
Clarke, Allan	Petty Officer	J 43273		32
Coleshill, Charles Jeffrey	Able Seaman	J 102918		26
Drummond, James	Stoker 1st Class	K 62886		29
Edwards, John Herbert	Able Seaman	J 106978		25
Ellis, Stanley Gilbert	Petty Officer Telegraphist	J 29040		34
England, George	Able Seaman	J 58560		31
Estcourt, George	Stoker Petty Officer	K 65495		31
Ferguson, Douglas	Stoker 1st Class	KX 79049		23
Gregory, Leslie	Leading Aircraftsman (RAF)	364018		29
Hardy, Charles Percy	Engine Room Artificer 1st Class	M 31105		37
Harman, Frank James	Leading Aircraftsman (RAF)	364868		27
Hayes, William Alfred	Warrant Engineer			39
Head, Hamilton Charles Wrightson	Lieutenant			23
Horn, Stanley Charles Albert	Engine Room Artificer 1st Class	M 21453		36
RN DoB 24/02/1895. Actual 24/02/1897
Jackson, Edward Victor	Engine Room Artificer 4th Class	M 39396		22
Jacobs, Albert Ernest	Leading Seaman	J 96297		29
Jarrett, Sidney Reginald Williams	Able Seaman	J 100140		29
King, James	Chief Petty Officer	J 18133		37
Lakin, John William	Leading Stoker	K 59059		31
RN DoB 08/02/1901. Actual 08/02/1902 (Sheffield Yorkshire)
Leathes, John Duncan de Mussenden	Lieutenant Commander			36
Commanding Officer
Leavy, Frederick William	Signalman	J 94973		29
Lewis, John William James	Stoker 1st Class	K 63662		26
MacDonald, Louis Peter	Stoker Petty Officer	K 16558		38
At birth McDonald, Louis Peter Served as MacDonald, Louis Peter
Macdonald, Somerled	Lieutenant			23
Matthews, Edward	Stoker 1st Class	K 64672		30
Morris, Thomas	Able Seaman	J 96156		30
O'Dwyer, Albert Anthony Edward	Able Seaman	J 102310		27
Oliver, Frank Henry Joseph	Leading Steward	L 12825		30
Peplow, William	Able Seaman	J 101056		27
Powell, Henry	Leading Stoker	K 60855		33
Rawlings, William Herbert	Able Seaman	J 108253		25
Ready, Frank	Able Seaman	J 25478		35
Sharpe, George	Leading Stoker	K 59370		31
At birth Sharp, George Served as Sharpe, George. RN DoB 09/07/1901. Actual 09/07/1904
Sims, John Harold	Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class	M 35324		28
Smales, Joseph Frederick	Yeoman of Signals	J 22885		36
Smith, Reginald	Able Seaman	J 99442		27
Sweetland, Cecil Sydney	Stoker 1st Class	KX 75588		28
Thomas, Ernest Joel	Telegraphist	J 76817		31
Thornton, Thomas	Able Seaman	JX 128413		22
Threlfall, Charles Harold	Stoker 1st Class	KX 75873		28
Toppin, Henry Castlehow	Lieutenant			28
Pilot
Totterdell, James Henry Francis	Leading Stoker	K 61157		28
Townsend, Claud Richard	Lieutenant			29
Observer
Treacy, Philip	Leading Seaman	J 105646		27
Vincent, Arthur John	Able Seaman	J 24276		34
Walker, Ralph	Stoker 1st Class	KX 78023		23
Watson, William Alan	Stoker 1st Class	K 67092		24
Whiting, Francis Charles	Able Seaman	JX 127947		22
Williams, Leonard Walter	Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class	M 36709		26
Winfield, Harold	Able Seaman	JX 128093		22
Woodhouse, Frank Leslie	Stoker 1st Class	K 60100		28
Wrathmall, Charles	Able Seaman	J 37310		33
Real name, AKA John Edward Wrathmall

Events

13-07-1916 :	Laid Down
19-10-1918 :	Launched
14-02-1920 :	Completed
26-01-1932 :	Foundered due to a leak in the hangar door on 26th January 1932 At 9 o'clock on the morning of 26th January 1932 HMS M2 left Portland to take part in routine exercises. At 1011 she signalled her intention to dive at 1030. This was the last communication with the submarine. The loss of radio communication did not cause any consternation until M2 failed to return to port as expected at 1615. Search vessels were dispatched but there was no sign of the submarine or her crew. No explanation could be found for her loss until the Admiralty received a report from the captain of the coaster Tynesider which reported seeing a submarine diving stern first off Portland. This had caused the Captain some anxiety but he thought he saw the same submarine a short time later. M2's exact position remained a mystery for a week until the Destroyer Torrid picked up sonar sounds that indicated a sunken submarine; divers confirmed this to be M2 lying with her stern in the sand at a depth of 90ft Two bodies were recovered from the wreck during the next week. A number of attempts were made to raise the vessel but all failed.

Comments

1 comment

My Grandfather is Harold Frederick Butcher J91916.

Prior to transferring to the submarine HMS M2, my grandfather served on various ships and land-based facilities. In 1929 he was with HMS Pembroke, during this time he took part in the Royal Tournament Field Gun Competition, he won two solid silver medals for best aggregate score and Fastest Run.

I am the proud custodian of these medals plus various memorabilia relating to the sinking of the M2, these passed into my possession on the death of my father, my grandfather's only son. My Grandfather had just had his thirtieth birthday when he met his fate in the M2.
Melanie Bishop Fri, 26 Aug 2022

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Length overall	295' 9"
Beam	24' 8"
Depth	18' 8"
Displacement	1594 tons (surface)
	1946 tons (submerged)
Diving Depth	200'
Speed	Surface 16 knots (design) 10 (service)
	Submerged 10 (design) 8 to 9 knots (service)
No. of shafts	2
Propeller	3 blades, 5' 10" diameter
Armament	(i) 4 18" bow tubes (8 torpedoes carried)
	1 12" gun
	1 3" gun
Endurance	Surface: 2500 miles at 16 knots (design) 2000 miles at full power or 4500 miles max (service) / Submerged: 10 miles at 10 knots (design) 9 miles at 8+ knots (service)
Complement	64
Note	(i) In M3 these were replaced by four 21" bow tubes, which were responsible for an overall increase in length of 10'

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M2

Roll of Honour

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