K 13 (K 22)
| Built By: |
Fairfield (Clyde) |
| Build Group: |
K1 |
| Fate: |
K13 sank on 29th January 1917 when carrying out Acceptance Trials in the Gareloch off shore of the Shandon Hydropathic Hotel. All personnel in the after part of the submarine were drowned.
The survivors from the front end of Submarine K13 were rescued on 31st January. The Submarine was raised on 15th March 1917 and was refitted and returned to service as K22.
Scrapped 1926. |
K 13 (K 22)
K 13 (K 22)
K 13 (K 22)
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During her final dive on acceptance trials on 29th January 1917, whilst carrying 80 personnel (crew, civilians from the builders and the captain designate of K14), she ran into problems.
Just after noon HMS K13, on trials in the Gareloch, signalled to nearby HMS E50 her intention to dive. At a depth of some 20 feet the boiler room reported that the compartment was flooding. Main ballast tanks were blown and the forward keel was dropped, she continued out of control to the seabed. Although the depth was only some 50 feet more, aft of the torpedo room was completely flooded and 31 men were drowned.
The crew of E50 witnessing K13's rapid dive closed in on the area discovering traces of oil and escaping air breaking the surface.
The first rescue vessel arrived around midnight. Divers were sent down to inspect the submarine and just after daybreak on the 30th morse signals were exchanged between the divers and the trapped crew.
At 1700 an airline was successfully connected, empty air bottles recharged and ballast tanks blown. With the aid of a hawser slung under her bows K13 was brought to within 8 feet of the surface.
By midday of the 31st K13's bow had been raised ten feet above the water. By 2100 the pressure hull had been breached using oxyacetylene cutting equipment. After almost two and a half days later that the remainder of the crew were able to escape.
She was raised on 15th March 1917 and returned to Fairfields. After the necessary repair work was completed she was eventually commissioned as K22.
K14 was the last submarine that Fairfield built and as a result no other submarine carried the number 13.
Later at an Admiralty Inquiry, divers reported finding four 37inch ventilators over the boiler room open, Indicators in the boiler room were set open and the engine-room hatch was undone.
Related Pages
Unlucky Thirteen
K13 was carrying out her final acceptance trials prior to the Admiralty officially taking her over from her Clydeside builders. She had already covered the measured mile at a record 23 knots to gain the honour of the world's fastest submarine and there was a festive air about the pre-diving lunch which continued to 3:15 pm. And as she glided slowly down to the diving area in Gareloch she was carrying not only her regular crew of 53 officers and men but also 14 directors and employees of Fairfield, 13 other civilians, and two Royal Navy submarine officers acting as observers. When she arrived at the loch she picked up two more civilian experts. She dived smoothly enough but to Lt-Cdr Herbert's consternation she refused to trim level at 20 feet and continued plunging toward the bottom.
Steam Submarines
The gargantuan steam submarines were treated as a joke by the hardened veterans of the Submarine Service when they first appeared. But on the fateful afternoon of January 29th, 1917 the K boats suddenly developed a new and more sinister reputation. From that day onwards 'K' stood for Killer. And by apt coincidence the drama featured No 13.
Wartime Memoirs of Coxn Oscar Moth
A survivor Of K13 - It must be clearly understood, by all those who read my War Experiences, that, they were only written under pressure from my relatives and also the Friends I made during the Great War. They all tell me that my experiences are so varied that they deem it my duty that I should try and write them in Book Form. I think myself that my effort should prove very interesting to everyone and instructive to the younger generation.
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Bevis, George William
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| K 8719 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 25
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Stoker
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Bradley, Tom
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| 272472 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 24
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Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
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Clark, Stephen Clutson
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| K 5824 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 25
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Acting Leading Stoker
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Cornish, Herbert
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| K 9219 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 22
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Stoker
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Dickinson, John
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| K11895 (Po) |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 24
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Stoker
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Dymond, Ridgeway
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| K14330 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 23
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Stoker
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Fenson, Walter Abraham
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| 297570 (Ch) |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 34
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Chief Stoker
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Fieldwick, George William
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| 301111 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 35
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Stoker Petty Officer
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Goddard, Henry Charles
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| K20432 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 22
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Stoker
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Goodhart, Francis Herbert Heaveningham
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 32
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Commander
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Hallihan, Timothy
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| K12408 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 24
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Stoker
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Hole, Frederick Stephen (Civilian)
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Admiralty Overseers Assistant
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Hooper, Richard
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| K 9871 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 24
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Stoker
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Howard, Frederick James
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| K 9207 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 24
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Leading Stoker
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Kirk, James (Civilian)
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Engine Fitter
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Lane, Arthur Ernest
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Engineer Lieutenant
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Lewis, William John (Civilian)
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Engine Fitter
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Mitchell, Thomas
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| 302275 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 36
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Leading Stoker
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Neate, Frank Thomas (Civilian)
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Foreman Electrician
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Porter, Frederick Raymond DSM
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| 171745 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 39
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Petty Officer
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Pratt, Herbert
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| Ex203959 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 33
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Bosun
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Roberts, John Arthur
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| 1629/EA |
| Born: 15th Dec, 1887.
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 29
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| From: Perth Western Australia |
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Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class
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Roberts, William
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| K1715 (Dev) |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 26
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Stoker
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Scarlett, Alfred
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| K/12902 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 23
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Stoker
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Simpson, Horace
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| K 4303 (Dev) |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 25
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Stoker
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Smith, Frederick William George
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| 270355 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 38
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Chief Engine Room Artificer
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Smith, William Chalmers (Civilian)
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Engine Fitter
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Steel, John P (Civilian)
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Engine Fitter
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Strachan, William Alfred (Civilian)
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Engine Fitter
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White, Leonard
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| K15229 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 26
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Stoker
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Williams, Robert William
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| J3706 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 25
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Able Seaman
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Williamson, George Jenkins
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| 229331 |
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| Died: 26th Jan, 1917.
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| Aged: 29
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Stoker Petty Officer
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Events
| 29-01-1917 |
Just after noon HMS K13, on trials in the Gareloch, signalled to nearby HMS E50 her intention to dive. As the submarine submerged the engine room began to flood. The submarine became uncontrollable and came to rest on the bottom with the engine room and after torpedo room flooded.
The crew of E50 witnessing K13's rapid dive closed in on the area discovering traces of oil and escaping air breaking the surface.
The first rescue vessel arrived around midnight. Divers were sent down to inspect the submarine and just after daybreak on the 30th morse signals were exchanged between the divers and the trapped crew.
At 1700 an airline was successfully connected, empty air bottles recharged and ballast tanks blown. With the aid of a hawser slung under her bows K13 was brought to within 8 feet of the surface.
By midday of the 31st K13's bow had been raised ten feet above the water. By 2100 the pressure hull had been breached using oxyacetylene cutting equipment the survivors being transferred to safety.
K13 was finally raised on 15th March, refitted and returned to service as HMS K22. |
Comments
Comment by: Sandra Smith on September 9th, 2021
Many thanks for the list of survivors of the K13 submarine. My husband's grandfather was a survivor of this incident. We have both searched the internet many times for a list of survivors, without success. Today I have spent over 3 hours searching and have stumbled on this web-site!
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