BBC News - Ceremony for Armed Forces Day marks submarine tragedy A plaque is being dedicated as part of an Armed Forces Day in Holyhead to commemorate 26 sailors who died when their submarine sank in 1918. HMS H5 was mistaken for a German U-boat and rammed by a British merchant ship off the north Wales coast.
H.5, Submarine, rammed and sunk in error in Irish Sea. Saturday 2 march 1918 ALFORD, Henry R, Stoker 1c, K 7595 (Dev) ANSON, Bart., Sir JOHN H A, Lieutenant ASHMORE, Ernest J, Stoker 1c, 301367 (Po) BLUETT, Sydney F, Engine Room Artificer 3c, M 2161 (Dev) BURGESS, Nathaniel G, Lieutenant, RNR CHILDS, Earl W F, Ensign, USN COLBRAN, Charles J, Petty Officer, 208778 (Po) DARVILL, Frederick A, Petty Officer, 236159 (Po) ELLIOTT, Richard C, Able Seaman, 218687 (Po) FORBES, Arthur W, Lieutenant HEATH, George D, Engine Room Artificer 4c, M 14291 (Ch) HEATH, Herbert, Leading Stoker, K 946 (Ch) HIBBERT, Frederick C, Stoker 1c, K 17577 (Ch) HURST, Stephen C, Able Seaman, J 20084 (Ch) KELLY, James, Able Seaman, J 19569 (Dev) LAYZELL, Frederick A, Able Seaman, J 14692 (Ch) LEWIS, John, Able Seaman, 218282 (Dev) LLOYD, Thomas, Stoker Petty Officer, 309612 (Ch) NEWMAN, Percy J, Engine Room Artificer 3c, M 11997 (Ch) PAYNE, Percy E E, Signalman, J 15471 (Ch) ROBERTS, Harold B, Stoker 1c, K 15332 (Dev) ROWE, John H, Petty Officer, J 4348 (Po) SMITH, Alfred, Chief Engine Room Artificer, 268518 (Ch) SMITH, George, Stoker Petty Officer, 307246 (Po) SNOWDEN, Harry, Wireless Telegraph Operator, RNR, WTS 39 THOMPSON, James G M, Boy Telegraphist, J 54924 (Po) WALL, Frederick D, Petty Officer, 218336 (Dev) HMS H5 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Interesting one for me as this area is where I was brought up. Another sub, HMS Thetis was sunk off Anglesey in 1939 during her first trial dive, a painted test cock on torpedo tube 5 was the cause of the loss. The test cock indicated if the seadoor on the tube was open or not by allowing water to pass through The wreck was recovered and relaunched as HMS Thunderbolt, finally destroyed in 1943 with the loss of all hands. If you're ever in Anglesey, Beaumaris Gaol has a display on HMS Thetis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Thetis_(N25) And pathe newsreel BRITISH SUBMARINE DISASTER OFF NORTH WALES - British Pathe
If I remember correctly there was a program on one of the History channels about a M1, reconstucting the final moments , the M1 was one with a huge Gun sticking out the front of the conning tower , and loathed by all who sailed in it , also rammed accidentally by a merchant ship
