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K 4

Built By: Vickers (Barrow)
Build Group: K1
Fate: Sunk after colliding with HMS Inflexible during a night exercise off May Island on 31st January 1918. The same day as her sister K17.

There were no survivors from Submarine K4

K 4

Although embarrassing for the shipbuilder, this rare photograph of K4 gives a good impression of the size, and a seldom seen view of a K Class Submarine

K 4

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12th Flotilla: Scapa Flow.
12th Flotilla: Rosyth.

The Light-cruiser HMS Blonde was leading K1, K3, K4 and K7 in line ahead when she was forced to turn sharply to port to avoid three cruisers, that crossed her bows from starboard to port. The abrupt change of course took the submarines by surprise and K1 and K4 collided. K1 had lost way due to salt-water, instead of fuel, coming through the sprayers and extinguishing the boilers. K3 passed close on the port side. K4, following K3, suddenly observed the red light of K1, and, although taking avoiding action, struck K1 a glancing blow abreast the conning tower. Water poured into the control room. Within minutes, chlorine gas was being released from the batteries. Blonde was signalled that K1 was sinking, and the cruiser closed, lowering two cutters. The rescue boats made five trips and transferred all 56 members of the crew to Blonde. A discussion was then held as to whether K1 could be saved, and it was decided to sink her.

Roll of Honour
55
Adams, Leonard DSM
M 324
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 32
Chief Engine Room Artificer
Adams, Percy Walter DSM
306739
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 34
Stoker Petty Officer
Apps, John Frederick (RNVR) DSM
Clyde 3/18
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 26
Engine Room Artificer 1st Class
Armstrong, James
J 32585
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 23
Able Seaman
Baldwin, George Harold
J 10360
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 23
Petty Officer Telegraphist
Beer, Frank John
298980
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 35
Chief Stoker
Blake, Stanley Harold
211925
Born: 25th Jun, 1886.
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 31
Able Seaman
RN DoB 25/06/1885
Bounds, Horace DSM
K 14491
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 24
Stoker 1st Class
Brown, Charles Edward
K 22591
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 22
Stoker 1st Class
Burgess, Albert Charles
K 9375
Born: 19th Nov, 1892.
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 25
Stoker 1st Class
RN DoB 19/11/1891
Burt, Ernest Samuel
J 9569
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 23
Able Seaman
Carter, Charles DSM
236423
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 28
Leading Signalman
Church, William DSM
K 9438
Born: 20th Sep, 1888.
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 29
Leading Stoker
RN DoB 20/09/1889
Cockerill, Percival
K 21001
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 25
Stoker 1st Class
Corfield, Alfred Abe Benjamin
232865
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 30
Petty Officer
Crawforth, Harry Wakelin
SS 115298
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 22
Stoker 1st Class
Dangerfield, William George
J 17629
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 20
Able Seaman
Duggan, Alan Montgomerie
J 16974
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 22
Able Seaman
Fenner, Athelstan Alfred Lennox
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 31
Lieutenant Commander
Goddard, Charles William Henry
J 2150
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 25
Able Seaman
Goddard, Henry Thorpe
M 11218
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 25
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class
Goodsall, John Henry MID
K 12209
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 24
Leading Stoker
Grant, Patrick
K 20768
Born: 29th May, 1892.
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 25
Stoker 1st Class
RN DoB 29/05/1891
Hammond, John William
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 32
Gunner
Hanks, Frederick Francis
K 16885
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 23
Stoker 1st Class
Hayes, Joseph Charles
K 19004
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 24
Stoker 1st Class
Hayman, William Henry
305390
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 33
Leading Stoker
Hill, Ralph Reuben
270525
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 41
Chief Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class
Hogg, Albert Edward
J 9082
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 23
Leading Seaman
Iron, James Thomas (RNVR) DSM
K 11011
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 33
Leading Stoker
Jackson, Thomas William DSM
215195
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 31
Able Seaman
Leeder, Edward Barber
SS 5311
Born: 28th Feb, 1897.
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 20
Able Seaman
RN DoB 28/02/1896
Martin, Herbert Ernest
K 10876
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 23
Stoker
Mockford, Fred
J 9223
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 23
Able Seaman
Pearson, Alfred Edward DSM
206490
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 34
Leading Seaman
Puddefoot, Ernest James
J 46875
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 23
Able Seaman
Rivett, Leonard William
J 18186
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 21
Able Seaman
Rowley, William DSM
215872
Born: 15th Sep, 1880.
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 37
Petty Officer
At birth Rowley, William Thomas Served as Rowley, William. RN DoB 15/09/1883. Actual 15/09/1880
Sellick, Sydney John
K 12966
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 26
Stoker 1st Class
Sheath, Harry DSM
355913
Born: 13th Mar, 1881.
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 36
Stoker Petty Officer
RN DoB 13/03/1880
Spice, Albert
239765
Born: 6th Feb, 1891.
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 26
Able Seaman
RN DoB 06/02/1890
Spice, John
219424
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 33
Able Seaman
Stocks, David De Beauvoir DSO
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 34
Commander
Commanding Officer
Tredgett, James Henry
K 22822
Born: 18th Feb, 1897.
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 20
Stoker 1st Class
RN DoB 18/02/1896
Varey, Alan
M 21630
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 23
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class
CWGC has Alan M. Varey
Walker, Frederick
J25725
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 20
Leading Telegraphist
Watkins, Malcolm Poynter
J19411
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 22
Signalman
Watterson, Thomas Arthur (RNR) DSC
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 27
Lieutenant
Wellesley, Claud Michael Ashmore
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 27
Lieutenant
Windibank, Albert Charles
J 18037
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 21
Able Seaman
Wood, Thomas Stewart
K 12229
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 25
Leading Stoker
Woods, George Oliver Charles
M 2250
Born: 3rd Dec, 1886.
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 31
Leading Stoker
RN DoB 03/12/1887
Wyatt, William Thomas DSM
308247
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 31
Petty Officer
Youdale, Harold William
L 3820
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 24
Steward
Young, Thomas Sidney
J 16770
Died: 31st Jan, 1918.
Aged: 21
Able Seaman

Events

28-06-1915  Laid Down
15-07-1916  Launched
01-01-1917  Completed
31-01-1918  HMS K4 left harbour bound for a North Sea exercise. In what became known as the Battle of May Island a number of submarines were lost. Several collisions occurred, including K6 colliding with K4. So great was the collision that K4 was cut almost in two and sank immediately with the loss of all onboard.
K1 Specification
Length overall  339 ft
Beam  26 ft 6 inch
Draught  20 ft 11 inch
Displacement   1980 tons (surface)
  2566 tons (submerged)
Diving Depth  200 ft
Speed  Surface 24 knots (design)
  Surface 24 knots (service)
  Submerged 10 to 10.5 knots (design)
  Submerged 9 knots (service)
No. of shafts  2
Propeller  3 blades, 7 ft 8 inch diameter
Armament  4 x 18 inch bow tubes
  4 x 18 inch beam tubes
  (16 torpedoes carried)
  2 x 4 inch guns
  1 x 3 inch gun
Endurance  Surface: 960 miles at full power (design)
  Surface: 800 miles at full power or 12500 miles at 10 knots (service)
  Submerged: 13.5 miles at 9 knots (design)
  Submerged: 8 miles at 8 knots or 30 miles at 4 knots (service)
Complement  5 Officers and 53 Ratings
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