| 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. |
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.
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.
| 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. |
Bill's prime Cause Celebre has resulted in his being included in the Guinness Book of Records as having made the deepest unaided ascent from a sunken submarine. He has other claims worthy of recognition, he was among those officers and men who trained many of the crews who joined the Twelfth Submarine Flotilla during WW2. This Flotilla consisted of X Craft and Two Man Chariots. It was based at Port Bannantyne on the Isle of Bute. The HQ was known as HMS Varbel.
Hell-bent on starving the British into surrender, Hitlers U-Boats prowled the Atlantic in packs like hungry wolves sending ships, supplies and thousands of men to a watery grave. Stealthy and undetected, the German submarines of WW2 were unparalleled in the ability of sneak attack.
Their goal was to destroy merchant shipping bound for the British Isles with essential supplies, and bring the country to the brink of starvation and total collapse allowing an easy Nazi invasion.
This new DVD release contains spectacular footage of operation U-Boats, detailed graphics and additional featurs including a gallery of U-Boat types, and in-depth Tech Specs.
12 pages added or updated in the last Array month
Please help to maintain this site by reporting any Errors, Broken Links, Information or Site Issues on this page using this button
If you find this site useful, please consider supporting my work with a small Donation.
Please Note: Donations made using this option go directly to the site owner and not to the Submariners Association.
Thankyou for your support.
Bill's prime Cause Celebre has resulted in his being included in the Guinness Book of Records as having made the deepest unaided ascent from a sunken submarine. He has other claims worthy of recognition, he was among those officers and men who trained many of the crews who joined the Twelfth Submarine Flotilla during WW2. This Flotilla consisted of X Craft and Two Man Chariots. It was based at Port Bannantyne on the Isle of Bute. The HQ was known as HMS Varbel.
Hell-bent on starving the British into surrender, Hitlers U-Boats prowled the Atlantic in packs like hungry wolves sending ships, supplies and thousands of men to a watery grave. Stealthy and undetected, the German submarines of WW2 were unparalleled in the ability of sneak attack.
Their goal was to destroy merchant shipping bound for the British Isles with essential supplies, and bring the country to the brink of starvation and total collapse allowing an easy Nazi invasion.
This new DVD release contains spectacular footage of operation U-Boats, detailed graphics and additional featurs including a gallery of U-Boat types, and in-depth Tech Specs.
12 pages added or updated in the last Array month
Please help to maintain this site by reporting any Errors, Broken Links, Information or Site Issues on this page using this button
If you find this site useful, please consider supporting my work with a small Donation.
Please Note: Donations made using this option go directly to the site owner and not to the Submariners Association.
Thankyou for your support.
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