World War, 1914-1918 -- Naval operations -- Submarine
On the 25th "E 12" returned down the Narrows. Her experience with the
net should be read, remembering that she was an old boat and not meant
to stand deep-water pressures.
She passed through the net at 80 feet depth and carried a portion of it
with her. This portion must have had some of the heavy weights attached
that had been holding the net down, for as the boat came through she
took a big angle down by the bow and sank.
The forward hydroplanes caught in the net jammed at "10° of dive." "E
12's" external tanks were blown out and full speed put on the motors.
The boat continued down, however, and as the pressure increased, the
conning-tower glass scuttles burst in and the conning-tower filled up,
the hull leaked forward, and the fore compartment had to be closed off.
By putting three men on the wheel the bow hydroplanes were moved a
little, and after ten minutes at 245 feet the boat started to rise.
They managed to check her at 12 feet, but found her almost
uncontrollable. Six patrol boats opened fire as the conning-tower
showed above water, and then the panting hydroplane men forced her down
again. The boat continued to dive badly (she was still towing the net
and sinkers), and twice she ran down to 120 feet. Both diving gauges
had failed and the gyroscopic compass had followed suit. The
conning-tower (magnetic) compass was flooded out and useless. Then at
80 feet she struck chain moorings off Kelid Bahr and scraped past. This
broke away the length of net she had been towing, and released of the
weight she rose at once, and before the tanks could be filled again
broke surface. The shore batteries and patrol vessels opened fire at
once, hitting the conning-tower full with a small shell and sending
other small shells and splinters through the bridge. As the boat went
down (the conning-tower being flooded already, the shell hole was
nothing to worry about) a torpedo fired from Kelid Bahr passed over
her, and another 50 yards astern of her. "E 12" continued her dive
towards home, her trim and control being then normal. She observed two
large explosions a couple of miles astern of her and saw the track of
another torpedo, but was not further molested, and joined the
Dardanelles Fleet a few hours later.
Submarine "H 1" (Lieutenant Pirie) has been mentioned as having worked
in company with "E 12." An "H" boat is, of course, much smaller and
less seaworthy than an "E," being of 400 tons and 150 feet length.
Before meeting "E 12" at the rendezvous, this boat had sunk a steamer.
Later she sank three more steamers and a dhow. As "E 12" was leaving
the Marmora first, she politely took "H 1's" mails out with her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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