E 18 (I 98)
| Built By: | Vickers (Barrow) |
| Build Group: | E2 |
| Fate: | E18 was due to report in to Dagerot on the 2nd of June. Recently laid mines along the submarine's course home the likely cause for E18's loss |
E 18 (I 98)
E18
E18 and E19 in the Baltic, 1915.
Commanders
| 1915: | Lieutenant Commander | Robert C Halahan |
8th Flotilla. HMS Maidstone, Harwich.
Baltic Flotilla. Revel (Tallin), Estonia.
E18 was ordered as part of the 1913/14 Naval Estimates and was built at the Barrow in Furness Yard of Vickers, Sons and Maxims. The submarine was launched on 4th March 1915 and, after commissioning on 6th June 1915, joined the Eighth Submarine Flotilla at Harwich and was later sent to join the Baltic Flotilla.
The Submarine was on patrol in the Baltic on 23rd May 1916 when the Commanding Officer Lieutenant Commander Robert C Halahan torpedoed the German Destroyer V100 blowing off the bows of the German ship. This success was reported on the 24th May which was the last message received from the submarine. No reason for the loss of the submarine has been identified.
Two Ratings who had been members of the E18 crew were left inboard immediately prior to sailing on this last patrol and became inadvertent survivors of the loss. Both men survived J23950 War and one became a significant figure in the early years of the Submarine Old Comrades Association (SOCA). The two were:
- PO John Percival Ryan O/N J690 was left inboard when the Submarine sailed on patrol owing to him being listed 'Sick' with measles. On his recovery he was drafted to Submarine E19. He returned home in January 1918 after the disbandment and scuttling of the Baltic Submarine Flotilla. In November 1933 John Ryan was elected as the Secretary of the London Branch of the Submarine Old Comrades Association at an Inaugural Meeting held in Carr's Restaurant in the Strand. He remained as the London Branch SOCA Secretary until the outbreak of WWII in 1939.
- Able Seaman Charles Henry Sexton O/N J23950 was avery lucky man who had, previously, survived the sinking of Submarine D5 in November 1914. According to a former member of the RNSM Archives Working Party Charles Sexton survived the loss of Submarine E18 by virtue of the fact that he had been sentenced to 90 days in cells for 'borrowing' beer from the Wardroom. After completion of his detention Charles Sexton was drafted to Submarine E8 - also in the Baltic Flotilla. He returned home safely in January 1918 after the destruction of the Baltic Submarine Flotilla.
Roll of Honour |
30
|
| Died: 01-06-1916 | |||||
| Bagg, Edwin Albert Thomas 177854 | |||||
| Chief Petty Officer | Born: 28-02-1879 | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 37 | ||
| RN DoB 28/02/1878 | |||||
| Bass, William George 201300 | |||||
| Leading Seaman | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 35 | |||
| Clack, Frederick 195904 | |||||
| Petty Officer | Born: 17-12-1880 | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 35 | ||
| RN DoB 17/12/1881 | |||||
| Colson, Douglas Nowell (RNR) DSC | |||||
| Sub Lieutenant | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 25 | |||
| Duffield, Percy K 18506 | |||||
| Stoker 1st Class | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 21 | |||
| Edwards, Clement Harry J 8503 | |||||
| Leading Telegraphist | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 22 | |||
| Fox, Ernest Alfred K 9171 | |||||
| Stoker 1st Class | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 24 | |||
| At birth Fox, Alfred Ernest Served as Fox, Ernest Alfred. | |||||
| Fuller, Maurice Harold 271261 | |||||
| Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 27 | |||
| Gaby, George J 1764 | |||||
| Telegraphist | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 28 | |||
| Galloway, James Kerr (RNR) EA 1085 | |||||
| Engine Room Artificer 1st Class | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 29 | |||
| Godward, Cyril Francis J 7415 | |||||
| Able Seaman | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 23 | |||
| Guest, Thomas Edwin K 4295 | |||||
| Stoker 1st Class | Born: 23-12-1889 | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 26 | ||
| RN DoB 03/02/1891 | |||||
| Halahan, Robert Crosby | |||||
| Lieutenant Commander | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 30 | |||
| Commanding Officer | |||||
| Hall, Albert George K 14150 | |||||
| Stoker 1st Class | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 22 | |||
| Harris, Herbert Thomas 302072 | |||||
| Leading Stoker | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 32 | |||
| Holland, Charles William 271983 | |||||
| Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 26 | |||
| Hunt, Charles K 13248 | |||||
| Stoker 1st Class | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 28 | |||
| Landale, Walter Luke | |||||
| Lieutenant | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 26 | |||
| Maddox, Frank Ladbrooke 224189 | |||||
| Able Seaman | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 29 | |||
| Nye, Percy James Peter K 9941 | |||||
| Stoker 1st Class | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 23 | |||
| Percy, James Reuben K 6463 | |||||
| Leading Stoker | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 28 | |||
| Phillips, Arthur Percy 309511 | |||||
| Leading Stoker | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 31 | |||
| Powell, William George 182354 | |||||
| Able Seaman | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 45 | |||
| Pritchett, Horace Edward J 4417 | |||||
| Able Seaman | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 23 | |||
| Ruaux, Ernest William 205600 | |||||
| Leading Seaman | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 33 | |||
| Sheppard, Samuel Arthur 289749 | |||||
| Chief Petty Officer Stoker | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 35 | |||
| Spencer, William Chadwick 271190 | |||||
| Chief Engine Room Artificer 1st Class | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 34 | |||
| Turrall, Charles William 204563 | |||||
| Petty Officer | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 32 | |||
| Welsh, Sydney Augustus 224767 | |||||
| Able Seaman | Born: 15-04-1886 | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 30 | ||
| RN DoB 15/05/1887. Actual 15/04/1886 | |||||
| White, Frederick J 3791 | |||||
| Leading Seaman | Died: 01-06-1916 | Aged: 23 | |||
| At birth White, Frederick Charles Served as White, Frederick. | |||||
Events
| 01-01-1914 | Laid Down |
| 04-03-1915 | Launched |
| 06-06-1915 | Completed |
| 25-05-1916 | E18 & the Russian Gerpard were ordered to sail at 1800 hrs, the Russian Gepard was to patrol off the Swedish coast for German Merchantmen. E8 was to patrol the Steinort area while E18 was given the dangerous Memel billet. |
| 26-05-1916 | E8 sights a group of German warships 25 miles NW of Steinort, E18 just behind E8, manages to blow the bow of the large German destroyer V100, a second torpedoed missed. E18 then escaped and headed off to Memel. |
| 28-05-1916 | E18 was sighted by a German naval aircraft off Memel during the morning, E18 dives. |
| 01-06-1916 | A persicope was clearly sighted 25 miles NW of Steinort by the German U-boat UB-30, all allied submarines were safely back in base, the Germans rightly believed this was E18. The sighting was at 1500 hrs German kept time and E18 was due to report in to Dagerot on the 2nd of June. Recently laid mines along the submarine's course home the likely cause for E18's loss. |
| 17-10-2009 | E18 was found close to the Estonian island of Hiiumaa by a Swedish marine survey company, MMT. They were guided by information provided by an Australian descendant of one of the crew. The Swedish survey vessel, the MV Triad, deployed a remote-operated vehicle and obtained the first pictures showing the submarine in remarkably good condition. |
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