Submarine and Anti-submarineNewbolt, Henry John, Sir
History
Submarine and Anti-submarine
Newbolt, Henry John, Sir
Submarines (Ships); World War, 1914-1918 -- Naval operations -- Submarine
was underlined by the award of the V.C.
Within twelve hours of E. 14’s return, her successor, E. 11, was
proceeding towards the Straits. The commanding officer of this boat
was Lieut.-Commander M. E. Nasmith, who had already been mentioned in
despatches for rescuing five airmen while being attacked by a Zeppelin
in the Heligoland Bight during the action on Christmas Day, 1914. He
had been waiting his turn at the Dardanelles with some impatience,
and as E. 11’s port engine had been put completely out of action by
an accident on the voyage from Malta, he had begged to be allowed
to attempt the passage into the Marmora under one engine. This was
refused, but his repairs were finished in time for him to take the
place of E. 14.
He made the passage of the Straits successfully, reconnoitred the
Marmora and made a neat arrangement, probably suggested by the
adventures of E. 14, for saving the enemy the trouble of so much
hunting. He stopped a small coastal sailing vessel, sent Lieut. D’Oyly
Hughes to search her for contraband, and then trimmed well down and
made her fast alongside his conning-tower. Being now quite invisible
from the eastward, he was able to proceed in that direction all day
without interruption. At night he released his stalking-horse and
returned westward.
[Illustration: ‘Made her fast alongside his conning-tower.’]
Early on the 23rd, he observed a Turkish torpedo-boat at anchor off
Constantinople and sank her with a torpedo; but as she sank she fired a
6-pounder gun, the first shot of which damaged his foremost periscope.
He came up for repairs, and all hands took the chance of a bathe.
Five hours later he stopped a small steamer, whose crew did a ‘panic
abandon ship,’ capsizing all boats but one. ‘An American gentleman
then appeared on the upper deck, who informed us that his name was
Silas Q. Swing of the _Chicago Sun_ and that he was pleased to make our
acquaintance.... He wasn’t sure if there were any stores on board.’
Lieut. D’Oyly Hughes looked into the matter and discovered a 6-inch gun
lashed across the top of the fore hatch, and other gun-mountings in the
hold, which was also crammed with 6-inch and other ammunition marked
Krupp. A demolition charge sent ship and cargo to the bottom.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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