Date of Incident: 31 January, 1918
Returned to Service: See below
On the afternoon of 31 January, 1918, elements of the British fleet based at Rosyth in the Firth of Forth, Scotland got underway in order to exercise against elements of the fleet based at Scapa Flow.
The elements sailing from Rosyth consisted of over 40 vessels, including a squadron of 3 battleships (with destroyer escorts), a squadron of 4 battle cruisers (with destroyer escorts), two additional cruisers, and two flotillas of steam-powered K-class submarines, each led by a light cruiser. The 12th flotilla consisted of the submarines K.3, K.4, K.6, and K.7, led by the light cruiser Fearless. The 13th flotilla consisted of K.11, K.12, K.14, K.17 and K.22, led by the light cruiser Ithuriel.
The Isle of May is just outside the mouth of the Firth of Forth. As each group reached the island, they were scheduled to change course slightly and increase speed. As the 13th submarine flotilla reached the island, two small minesweeping trawlers were spotted approaching the flotilla. The first two submarines were able to alter course and avoid the craft. However, when K.14 began her manuever, her helm jammed, causing her to veer off course. The last submarine in the flotilla, K.22 (the ex-K.13), however, had lost track of her flotilla mates in the mist, and struck K.14. Both submarines stopped to render aid to one another and assess damage. The other submarines of the flotilla continued out to sea, unaware of the accident.
About fifteen minutes later, the next group reached May Island. This was the 4 battle cruisers of the 2nd battle squadron squadron with their screening destroyers. Amazingly, the destroyers and the first three battle cruisers all passed around the two damaged submarines that lay directly in their path. The last cruiser, HMS Inflexible, struck K.22, damaging her further. Fortunately, the damage was not mortal, and K.22 would live to be repaired.
The leader of the 13th flotilla, the light cruiser HMS Ithuriel, learned of the initial collision and decided to turn back to assist the two damaged members of her group. The remaining submarines (K.11, K.12, and K.17) followed as Ithuriel made a sweeping U-turn, meeting the still outbound 2nd battle squadron. Despite the poor visibility, the two groups intermingled and separated without further disaster, but not without several near collisions that were only avoided by luck and good seamanship.
However, just as the 13th flotilla reached the vicinity of May Island, they met the still outbound 12th flotilla. The flotilla leader, HMS Fearless struck K.17. K.17 sank in about eight minutes. Most of her crew were able to abandon ship. The submarines behind Fearless all turned to avoid their now stopped flotilla leader. K.3 only narrowly missed colliding with the submarine ahead of her in line, K.4. Unfortunately, the next submarine, K.6 struck K.4, nearly cutting her in two. Then, the last submarine of the 12th flotilla, K.7 struck the sinking K.4. However, the mortal damage had already been done by K.6, and all hands were lost aboard K.4.
Just as operations were underway to rescue the survivors of K.17, the last group, the three battleships of the 5th squadron arrived with their screening destroyers. Several destroyers swept directly through the accident scene, killing most of the men in the water. Only nine men of the crew of 56 were rescued, and one of the nine succumed to his injuries a short time later.
In a single night, two submarines were sunk with terrible loss of life and another three submarines and a light cruiser were damaged. Over 100 submariners were lost, a total not to be exceeded for nearly 50 years. Although this tragedy occured during WWI, it was the result of an exercise, not combat, and is therefore included here.
(Everitt)
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