HMS E15

HMS ''E15'' was an E-class submarine of the Royal Navy, commissioned in 1914.

Design

Like all post-''E8'' British E-class submarines, ''E15'' had a displacement of at the surface and while submerged. She had a total length of and a beam of . She was powered by two Vickers eight-cylinder two-stroke diesel engines and two electric motors.Akerman, P. (1989). ''Encyclopaedia of British submarines 1901–1955''.  p.150. Maritime Books. The submarine had a maximum surface speed of and a submerged speed of . British E-class submarines had fuel capacities of of diesel and ranges of when travelling at . ''E15'' was capable of operating submerged for five hours when travelling at .

As with most of the early E-class boats, ''E15'' was not fitted with a deck gun during construction but, as a vessel engaged in the Dardanelles campaign, later had a 12-pounder QF gun fitted, forward of the conning tower, at Malta Dockyard. She had five 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes, two in the bow, one either side amidships, and one in the stern; a total of 10 torpedoes were carried.

E-class submarines had wireless systems with 1 kW power ratings; in some submarines, these were later upgraded to 3 kW systems by removing a midship torpedo tube. Their maximum design depth was although in service some reached depths of below . Some submarines contained Fessenden oscillator systems. Her complement was three officers and 28 men.

Service history

During World War I, ''E15'' served in the Mediterranean, participating in the Gallipoli Campaign against the Ottoman Empire. On 16 April 1915, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Theodore S. Brodie, ''E15'' sailed from her base at Mudros and attempted to break through the Dardanelles to the Sea of Marmara. Early in the morning of 17 April, the submarine, having dived too deep and become caught in the vicious current, ran aground some ten miles (16 km) in near Kepez Point directly under the guns of Fort Dardanos. ''E15'' was soon hit and disabled; Brodie was killed in the conning tower by shrapnel and six of the crew were killed by chlorine gas released when the submarine's batteries were exposed to seawater after a second shell strike.Evans, A. S. (1986). ''Beneath the Waves - A history of British submarine losses''. Kimber, London.
Forced to evacuate the vessel, the remaining crew surrendered, to be incarcerated in a prisoner of war camp near Istanbul where six later died.Stoker, H. D. G. (1925). ''Straws in the Wind''. Herbert Jenkins Ltd., London. ubmarine actions in the Dardanelles; includes the story of Lt. G. Fitzgerald RNR, ''E15'' navigator, whilst a POW in Turkey/ref>

The stranding was soon noticed by aeroplanes of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), and reported to the SS ''Hindu Kush'', the Allied submarines' HQ and depot ship. It was considered imperative that the ''E15'' be destroyed to prevent the Turks from salvaging her. Several attempts were made; first, the British submarine , with Brodie's brother on board, tried to sink her by torpedo but missed. Later, during the night, the destroyers and (commanded by the future Admiral A. B. Cunningham of World War II British Mediterranean Fleet fame), attempted to find her, but failed. The following morning, also failed to locate the beached ''E15'' owing to dense fog. Then the battleships and were ordered in but, prevented by intense fire from the Turkish shore batteries from getting within 11,000 metres of the submarine, were obliged to withdraw. Meanwhile, seaplanes attempted to bomb the stricken ''E15'' but also failed.

Finally, on the night of 18 April, two picket boats,Stapleton, N. B. J. (1980). ''Steam Picket Boats and Other Small Steam Craft of the Royal Navy''. Dalton, UK. one from ''Triumph'', the other from ''Majestic'', both armed with two 14-inch (356 mm) diameter torpedoes mounted in dropping gear, went in. Lieutenant Commander Eric Robinson, a volunteer from , commanded the expedition from ''Triumph''s boat; Lieutenant Claud Herbert Godwin skippered the boat from ''Majestic''. Departing at 2200 hrs, the two vessels managed to navigate the narrow channel for before being detected and illuminated by searchlights, attracting a hail of fire from both shores. Miraculously both boats remained unscathed, and when one carelessly directed searchlight briefly illuminated the stricken submarine, Godwin seized his chance. Blinded by the lights, his first shot missed, and seconds afterwards the Turkish gunners scored their only hit, blowing away part of the stern and mortally wounding one seaman. Undeterred, Godwin went in again and fired his second torpedo, which struck ''E15'' just forward of the conning tower, but well below the waterline. Robinson, observing his comrades' plight, unhesitatingly brought his boat alongside and rescued them. Now doubly laden, ''Triumph''s boat fled downstream unobserved, the Turkish gunners concentrating their fire on the drifting and abandoned wreck of her sister ship.

The ''E15'' action would no doubt have earned Robinson the Victoria Cross had he not already been recommended for the award following earlier exploits on the Gallipoli peninsula. Instead, he was promoted to commander by special decree. Lieutenant Godwin was awarded the DSO, Lt. Brooke-Webb and Midshipman Woolley received the DSC, while the rest of the crews, all volunteers, received the DSM.

''E15'' remains off Kepez Point in 8 m of water. The bodies of Lieut. Commander Brodie and several crew, initially buried on a beach nearby, were reinterred at the Chanak Consular Cemetery.

References

External links

'Submarine losses 1904 to present day' - Royal Navy Submarine Museum


Theodore Stuart Brodie - The Dreadnought Project


Great Uncle's adventures on E15

{{DEFAULTSORT:E15
British E-class submarines of the Royal Navy
Ships built in Barrow-in-Furness
1914 ships
World War I submarines of the United Kingdom
Maritime incidents in 1915
Scuttled vessels of the United Kingdom
World War I shipwrecks in the Dardanelles
Lost submarines of the United Kingdom
Royal Navy ship names