In Case You're Wondering About the Submarine at the Top of This Blog

From Wikipedia.

This is the German submarine SM U-118, one of 329 submarines Germany had during World War I.

It was commissioned in May 1918.  During the war, it sank two Allied ships.  With the surrender of the German Imperial Navy later that year, the SM U-118 was transferred to Fraallience and was to be broken up.  As it was being towed through the English Channel to Scapa Flow a storm was encountered and the towing hawser broke and the ship ran aground at Hastings in Sussex, England.

Attempts to get her off or destroy her failed.  The ship then became a popular tourist attraction.  definitely something you don't see that often on a beach.  Tours were made of the interior.

It was broken up between October and December 1919.  Part of the keel may still be buried in the beach.

Anyone Have a Shovel?  --Cooter

Wreck of the Battleship HMS Vanguard, (WW I Ship)

From the January 19, 2017, North-West Evening Mail  "Wreckage of Barrow-built First World War battleship HMS Vanguard seen for the first time."

Almost 100 years after it sank.  Launched February 1909, St. Vincent-class dreadnought battleship served in the Grand Fleet under Captain J.D. Dick.

Fired its guns at the Battle of Jutland May 1916 for the first and only time and helped sink the German light cruiser SMS Wiesbaden.

But, while at Scapa Flow had catastrophic internal explosion at 11:20 pm on July 19, 1917 with a force so great it threw a 400-ton 12-inch gun to an island almost a mile away.

Eight hundred and forty-three killed instantly with only two survivors.  Fewer than fifty bodies recovered.

A section of it was raised in 1926.

It is thought that this was the result of an accidental magazine explosion.

The ship mounted ten 12-inch guns  and twelve 4-inch.  Could go 21.7 knots and was the 8th Royal Navy ship named the Vanguard.

--Cooter

U-18: Snuck Into Scapa Flow and Was Sunk in 1914

From Wikipedia.

The April 2017 VFW magazine had this ship attacking the American town of Orleans, Massachusetts, and the tug Perth Amboy on July 21, 1918, but it didn't as it was sunk in 1914.

Most likely the German submarine firing at these was the U-156 and I have written about it in the past month.

The U-18 was one of 328 submarines in the German Navy during World War I and participated in the First Battle of the Atlantic. It was 205 feet long and had a crew of 4 officers and and 25 men.

It was launched in October 1914 and on its third patrol 23 November, was able to to penetrate the British fleet anchorage at Scapa Flow by following a steamer through the boom.  However, the fleet was not there. That could have been a disaster for Britain.

On its way back out, its periscope was spotted and the periscope was rammed, rendering it unservicable.  Then, the luckless submarine had its diving plane motor break and the ship  became unable to maintain its depth.

The U-18 was rammed a second time by the British destroyer HMS Garry and it was forced to surface.  The crew scuttled the submarine and all were taken prisoner except one man who died.

Talk About Your Bad Luck.  --Cooter

The HMS Garry

Commanded by Charles Lightoller in the previous post, however, I came across mention of its having an engagement with another German submarine previous to that.

There is some conflicting information though.

One source said the Garry was involved with the sinking of the UB-18, on December 9, 1917.  The UB-18 had had a very successful career, having been on 31 patrols and sunk 130 ships (both numbers seem a bit high to me).

The UB-18 was rammed by the trawler Ben Lawer in the English Channel and sank.  Evidently, the Garry was in the vicinity.

The Great War Forum said this:  The River Class destroyer HMS Garry was involved in the ramming of the U-18 which was reconnoitering Scapa Flow when it was located and rammed by the armed trawler Dorothy Grey which damaged the ship's periscope and hydroplanes.

It dove to the bottom, surfaces and was rammed again, this time by the Garry, commanded by W.W. Wilson.  It sank to the bottom again, surfaced and began drifting helplessly.  The Garry came alongside and rescued all but one.

The U-18 was scuttled by her own crew and sank off Muckle Sherry.

I'm Not Sure of the Correct Story.  --DaCoot