100 Years Ago Today

[TarJak]

14 September 1914

HMA Submarine AE1, (LCDR T. F. Besant, RN), was lost with 2 officers and 32 ratings, while patrolling off the Duke of York Island. The cause of the submarine's loss was never established.


The last known image of HMAS AE1

His Majesty’s Australian Submarine AE1 was launched in the yard of Vickers Ltd at Barrow-in-Furness England on 22 May 1913. She commissioned at Portsmouth on 28 February 1914 under the command of Lieutenant Commander T F Besant, RN. She was the first of two E Class submarines built for the fledgling Royal Australian Navy.

Accompanied by her sister AE2, under the command of Lieutenant Commander H G Stoker, RN, AE1 reached Sydney from England on 24 May 1914, manned by Royal Navy officers and with a mixed crew of sailors drawn from the Royal Navy and RAN.

At the outbreak of World War I, AE1 joined the naval forces assigned to the capture of the German Pacific colonies. With AE2, she took part in the operations leading to the occupation of German New Guinea, including the surrender of Rabaul on 13 September 1914.

The following day, at 7.00 am the destroyer HMAS Parramatta (I) left her night patrol ground off Raluana Point and proceeded at slow speed in the direction of Cape Gazelle to rendezvous with AE1 and conduct a patrol in St George’s Channel to the south and east of the Duke of York Islands. The two vessels met off Herbertshohe at 8.00 am and exchanged signals before proceeding to Cape Gazelle where they arrived at approximately 9.00 am. A further exchange of signals followed during which Parramatta advised AE1 that her ‘orders were to search to the south’ard with submarine and anchor off Herbertshohe at 5.30pm’.

Parramatta then proceeded independently in a southerly direction while AE1 advanced in a north-easterly direction. The weather was hazy and visibility was observed to be between 9 and 10 nautical miles, at times decreasing to 5 miles. Parramatta reported that AE1 was obscured by the haze for some time, as was the nearest land. Given these conditions, Parramatta’s Captain, Lieutenant W H F. Warren, RAN, considered it advisable not to lose sight of the submarine for too long.
At 12.30 Parramatta turned to the north-west and by 2.30 she was close to AE1 when the submarine asked by signal: ‘What is the distance of visibility?’ Parramatta responded: ‘About 5 miles’. At 3.20 the submarine was lost sight of and Parramatta altered course and steamed in the direction she was last seen. No sign of AE1 was found and it was considered that she must have steamed back into harbour without informing Parramatta. Consequently Parramatta proceeded to the north-west and rounded Duke of York Island before heading to Credner Island, later anchoring off Herbershohe at 7.00 pm.

By 8.00 pm the submarine had not returned and Parramatta and HMAS Yarra (I) were ordered to search for her. HMAS Sydney (I), on her way to the west coast also received instructions to keep a lookout and later HMA Ships Encounter (I) and Warrego (I) also joined the search together with launches from Rabaul and Herbertshohe. No trace of AE1 was ever found, not even the tell-tale shimmer of escaping oil on the water.

The loss of AE1 with her entire complement of 3 officers and 32 sailors was the RAN’s first major tragedy and it marred an otherwise successful operation to seize the German possession in New Guinea and the South Pacific. It is not known what caused AE1 to disappear without trace and since her loss in 1914 several searches have been conducted to establish her whereabouts. Regrettably none of these have been successful. The search continues to this day. http://news.navy.gov.au/en/Sep2014/F...m#.VBT3LqN-9_8

Nice video explaining the significance of the AE1 in our military history: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-1...64?section=ww1

[TarJak]

14 September

HMAS ENCOUNTER, (cruiser), shelled German positions at Toma, New Britain. This was the first occasion a ship of the RAN had fired on an enemy.

HMAS WARREGO, (torpedo boat destroyer), captured the German steamer NUSA at Kavieng.

Dresden, In hiding behind Cape Horn, finished coaling from Baden.

Acting on planted information, Good Hope, Monmouth, Glasgow and Otranto converged on Southern Brazil in search of Dresden. For the first time all the ships that would fight at Coronel were functioning as a unit. Cradock was now convinced that Dresden was well south and ordered his ships back to the Plate to coal.

At Port Stanley the mood was tense. If Allardyce was correct this was the first of the two days on which they might be attacked by Dresden.

At dawn Scharnhorst and Gneisenau charged into the harbour at Apia (the capital of what had been German Samoa) only to find it empty of shipping. As they continued along the coast a boat came out with two German planters on board who gave details of the Allied landing and related how the German Governor had been badly treated before being taken into custody. When the squadron later swooped on the Falklands, one of their intentions was to capture the Governor in reprisal for the perceived mistreatment of their Governor at Samoa. As they left the island they made a feint to the NW then, once out of sight, headed east. For over three weeks von Spee had kept his enemies guessing. Now as he steamed away he could hear Apia radio reporting the attack.

On this day Cradock at last had some good fortune when AMC Carmania found the German AMC Cap Trafalgar off the Brazilian island of Trinidad and sank her after a brutal battle lasting an hour and a half.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by TarJak

HMA Submarine AE1, (LCDR T. F. Besant, RN), was lost with 2 officers and 32 ratings, while patrolling off the Duke of York Island. The cause of the submarine's loss was never established.

A fascinating story I had never heard.

[TarJak]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

A fascinating story I had never heard.

Until this year there wasn't much awareness of the story here either. AE2's loss in 1915 in the Dardenelles had tended to overshadow AE1.

[Jimbuna]

14th September

Western Front

Battle of the Aisne begins (continued till Sep. 28).

Germans halt on the Aisne and north of Reims.

Heavy fighting round Missy and Vailly.

Moltke's last orders at Aisne: "The lines so reached, will be fortified and defended." Open warfare ends and trench warfare begins.

Commander John French orders the BEF to entrench in the face of heavy German fire in the Battle of Aisne.

Erich von Falkenhayn replaces Moltke as the Chief of the General Staff of the German Army.

Eastern Front

Russian invasion of Prussia ends in a crushing defeat. Despite a 3:1 numerical superiority, they suffer 9 times the losses of the Germans.

Poland: Russians force the passage of the San in pursuit of Dankl's beaten army.

Political etc.

New York bankers announces that they will boycott any loan requests that come from Germany.

Spanish Prime Minister Dato states that Spain will remain neutral for the duration of the war.

Naval and Overseas Operations

HMAS AE1, the 1st submarine to serve in the Australian Navy, sinks with all hands for unknown reasons.

South Africa: Union forces surprise and defeat German's at Raman's Drift.

"Cap Trafalgar" sunk by H.M.S. "Carmania" (east coast of South America).
Carmania, Admiralty armed merchant cruiser, ex-passenger ship, 19,524/1905, Cunard SS Co, Liverpool, hired 8/8/14, 8-4.7in, Capt N Grant, South American Station, taking part in southerly sweep for German raiders, coming down from NE at 16kts to examine Trinidada Island. Discovered Cap Trafalgar (2-4in/6 pom-poms) coaling from two colliers. German made off southwards while colliers dispersed, but then turned west and began to close at 18kts, range down to 8,500yds by 1210, Carmania fired a shot across the bows, Cap Trafalgar replied, and when only 7,500yds apart both ships opened rapid accurate fire. Range continued to shorten until Cap Trafalgar could use short-range pom-poms, Carmania turned away full circle until she was chasing by which time her bridge was on fire, but the German was also on fire forward with a slight list. As a stern chase developed Cap Trafalgar slowly pulled away and by 1330 was out of range, but the fire was gaining and list increasing. Fifteen minutes later she capsized and sank in 20.10S, 29.51W.

Carmania was badly damaged with five holes on the water line and fore-bridges destroyed, fires came under control, made for Abrolhos Rocks, met next afternoon in response to her SOS by light cruiser Bristol which stood by until arrival of armoured cruiser Cornwall; 6 men killed, 4 DOW, 26 wounded.



Ship Losses:

HMAS AE1 ( Royal Australian Navy): The E-class submarine was lost in the Pacific Ocean with the loss of all 35 crew.

SMS Cap Trafalgar and HMS Carmania
Cap Trafalgar ( Kaiserliche Marine): Battle of Trindade: The auxiliary cruiser was sunk at Trinidade, Brazil in a battle with Carmania ( Royal Navy) with the loss of 51 of her 330 crew.
Clan Matheson ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was scuttled in the Bay of Bengal 60 nautical miles (110 km) south west by south of the mouth of the Hoogli River by SMS Emden ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew were rescued by Dovre (flag unknown).
Highland Hope ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was scuttled in the Atlantic Ocean 190 nautical miles (350 km) south west of the St Paul Rocks, Brazil by SMS Emden ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Trabboch ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Indian Ocean 70 nautical miles (130 km) south west by south of the mouth of the Hoogli River by SMS Emden ( Kaiserliche Marine).

[Sailor Steve]

September 14:



SMS Karlsruhe captures the frozen-meat carrier SS Highland Hope. The ship is empty but she also has 1500 tons of coal. At this moment the Spanish freighter SS Reina Victoria sails into view. She radios them asking who they are. Karlsruhe replies that they are a British convoy. 100 miles to the north HMS Canopus hears the exchange. Captain Heathcote Grant knows of no such convoy in the area and wires Reina Victoria asking for her position. Karlsruhe hears this request and Captain Köhler abandons the coal and sinks Highland Hope, then heads westward toward the Brazilian coast at full speed.

The lookouts aboard SMS Emden sight what looks like the superstructure of a ship, and rush toward it. When they get closer they realize that it is a pagoda on the island of Puri and they are in shallow water. Fighting the current Emden finally makes her way back to deep water. Once at a safe distance from the shore the job of transferring all the prisoners to Kabinga continues. As the sea is much calmer the job will be finished this day. At this point smoke is sighted in the distance, and Emden leaves her charges and goes to investigate. It is another British ship, SS Trabbock, bound from Negapatang to Calcutta. The crew is put aboard Kabinga with the rest, and she is sent on her way. To the surprise of Emden's crew the British prisoners give three cheers for the good treatment they have recieved at the hands of the Germans.

It is just growing dark when the scuttling charges aboard Trabbock are set off, and unlike the other ships this one explodes with a tremendous fireworks display. Apparently the coal dust had ignited, destroying the ship with a huge blast. Later that night a light was spotted, and Emden went to investigate. The other ship ran, and a lengthy stern chase ensued. When Emden finally caught up with the mystery vessel it turned out to be the British freighter Clan Matheson, loaded with everything from locomotives to a race horse. The crew was taken aboard Markomannia and the ship sunk as usual. Still later that same night radio messages were intercepted: The captain of the Loredano had reported their position and Kabinga radioed news of the sinkings and of their release. With their coal bunkers half empty Emden headed for the Andaman Islands to seek a safe place to recoal.

[Aktungbby]

[Jimbuna]

15th September

Western Front

The Aisne: Heavy German counter-attacks: Soissons shelled.

The Argonne: Germans begins slow advance, continued to 21 October.

Arras occupied by Germans.

Eastern Front

East Prussia: Russians prepared to resist German puruist on the Niemen.

Bukovina: Russians occupy Czernowitz.

Battle of the Masurian Lakes ends.

Political etc.

U.S. sends $5 million in gold to Canada to satisfy European demands that U.S. debt be paid in gold.

Romanian cabinet members suddenly resigns, due to division on foreign policy.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Dwarf, 1st-class gunboat, Bramble-class, 710t, 2-4in/4-12pdr. Spotted attack by German launch armed with bow torpedo in Duala estuary, opened fire, man in charge lashed wheel in the wrong position, crashed into bank and exploded.

Rebellion in South Africa begins.

[Sailor Steve]

September 15:

It is a quiet day for Maximilian von Spee's widespread squadron. He and his two armored cruisers, Scharnhorst and Geisenau, are en route from Appia to Suvarov Atoll, where Spee has ordered one of his colliers, SS O.J.D. Ahlers, to meet them. The crew of SMS Emden are enjoying a rest, having sighted no new targets. Leipzig is still underway from Mexico to the Galapagos Islands, Dresden is still at Hoste Island at Tierra del Fuego, Karlsruhe is still avoiding Canopus off the coast of Brazil, and Königsberg is still holed up on the Rufiji River in Africa, awaiting parts for their repairs.

[Jimbuna]

16th September 1914

Western Front

The Aisne: General Joffre abandons frontal attacks and forms plan to turn the German right.

Heavy fighting round Missy and Vailly.

Germans enter Valenciennes.

Eastern Front

Galicia: Russians advance towards Przemsyl.

Political etc.

A German is arrested at Morrisburg, Ontario on suspicions of spying.

[Sailor Steve]

September 16:

The Canadian Aviation Corps is formed. With only four members and one aeroplane in its inventory it would be officially disbanded eight months later, while a large number of Canadian volunteers would join the Royal Flying Corps and distinguish themselves in the war.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Aviation_Corps

SMS Dresden departs Hoste Island to rendezvous with SMS Leipzig.

In the Bay of Bengal, SMS Emden takes advantage of a perfectly clear, calm day to maker her first attempt at recoaling at sea. They rig makeshift fenders and pull up alongside their hired Greek collier Pontoporos. Then the trouble begins. Whereas the coal in Markomannia consisted of hard, rocky chunks easy to shovel, most of that from Pontoporos was fine and dusty. In the intense heat it clung to the sweat on the sailors' bodies, and when they dug a hole so it could be worked from both sides the hole immediately filled in again. After a few exhausting hours some Indian workers from the interred crew of Clan Matheson were recruited as a relief shift. The work still took the better part of the day. To make matters worse it was discovered when they got underway that this coal produced a lot of smoke, making Emden visible at much greater distances, something they certainly didn't want in their line of work. Also the boilers had to be cleaned a lot more often, meaning more work for the crew and more downtime for the ship. Captain von Müller sends Pontoporos to Simular to await further instructions, with the promise that the Greek captain would be paid and his ship released as soon as they could transfer all her coal to Markomannia. (The actual name of the Island is Simeulue, as noted earlier by Tarjak. I have continued to follow the German spelling used by Prince Franz Joseph Hohenzollern in his account.)

[Jimbuna]

17th September 1914

Western Front

The Aisne: Heavy fighting around Soissons.

Sir John French's second despatch (published 19 October).

Eastern Front

On the Eastern Front, Austrian forces steadily retreat from the advancing Russian 3rd and 8th armies fighting in southern Poland and along the Russian-Austrian border. The Germans then send the newly formed 9th Army to halt the Russians. This marks the beginning of a pattern in which the Germans will aid the weaker Austro-Hungarian Army.

Southern Front

Syrmia: Serbians evacuate Semlin.

Battle of the Drina ends.

Naval and Overseas Operations


British Naval Mission leaves Turkey.

Admiral Souchon (Imperial German navy) assumes control of Turkish navy.

German New Guinea and surrounding Colonies capitulate to Australian Expeditionary Force.



South Africa: German raid near Nakob.

General Beyers dismissed from his command.

Political etc.

President Wilson receives a Belgian delegation to hear allegations of German war crimes.

The U.S. announces it will not seek indemnities from the new Mexican government for crimes committed under the Huerta regime.

Ship Losses:

Indrani ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was scuttled in the Atlantic Ocean 145 nautical miles (269 km) north by west of Cabo São Roque, Brazil by SMS Karlsruhe ( Kaiserliche Marine).

FISGARD II, repair ship, was central battery ironclad Invincible, 6,010t, 1869, 10-9in/4-6in, relegated to harbour service, boy artificers training ship, renamed Erebus in 1904, Fisgard II in 1906, based at Portsmouth with engines, steering gear and armament removed. She was one of two old Fisgard's scheduled to become repair workshops at Scapa Flow, 64 passage crew, being towed west-about by tugs Danube and Southampton, accompanied by Fisgard I, departed Portsmouth on 16th. Next day, off Portland in very heavy weather, water shipped through hawse pipes, machinery shifted to try to correct trim, both tug captains aware she was in distress but could not get her into Portland, finally heeled over on beam ends and foundered 5 miles off Portland Bill around 1620 (wi - 50.25N, 02.30W); one of four boats smashed during launching, 6 ratings and 11 dockyard personnel lost plus non-naval dockyard civilians – various contracted labourers from Portsmouth Dockyard (Rn - total of 23; He – 6 ratings, 11 dockyard labourers; dx/wi - 21). Fisgard I got into Plymouth. As Scapa Flow needed to be converted from an anchorage into a well-equipped fleet base, Fisgard II was a real loss to the Grand Fleet.

[Sailor Steve]

September 17:

At Suvarov (Suwarow) Atoll in the Cook Islands SMS Scharnhorst and Gneisenau meet with the collier O.J.D. Ahlers, but the sea is too rough for the difficult operation of manhandling bags of coal from one ship to the other. Admiral von Spee orders the group to proceed to the sheltered bay at Bora Bora.

Still lurking off the coast of Brazil, the lookouts aboard SMS Karlsruhe see a ship's lights approaching just before dawn. The captain of the collier SS Indrani had decided that since he was so far off the usual trade routes he should be safe keeping his lights on. Upon discovering that Indrani has 7,000 tons of coal aboard, Captain Köhler decides to keep her as a spare collier.

At about noon SMS Emden reaches the intersection between the Madras-Rangoon and Calcutta-Singapore trade routes and patrols the area for several hours. At nightfall the decision is taken to proceed to the Bay of Rangoon.

[Jimbuna]

18th September 1914

Western Front

The Aisne: Heavy fighting round Noyon and Reims.

General Ferdinand Foch is awarded the Grand Officer ribbon bar of the Legion of Honour for the Marne battle.

Eastern Front

Poland: Russians take Sandomierz.

General von Hindenburg appointed Commander-in-Chief of German Armies in Eastern Theatre.

Naval and Overseas Operations

South-west Africa: British occupy Luderitz Bay (which Germans had evacuated militarily on 10 August).

Political, etc.

Germany, France, and Britain discuss possible exchange of prisoners with the U.S. acting as an intermediary.

Prime Minister Asquith gives a speech at a recruiting meeting in Edinburgh.

The British-German Friendship Society in London is officially disbanded.

Suspensory Act of 1914 is given royal assent, which suspends the Acts for Irish Home Rule and Welsh Disestablishment until the war's end.

Ship Losses:

Montmagny ( Canada): The cargo ship collided with Lingan ( United Kingdom) in the St. Lawrence River and sank with the loss of fourteen of her crew.

[Sailor Steve]

September 18:

SMS Leipzig and SS Marie arrive at the Galapagos Islands. There they meet with the supply ship SS Amasis. There they maroon the captured crew of SS Elsinore, thinking it will be some time before the British sailors can be rescued and report the Germans' position.

SMS Dresden departs Hoste Island for the Pacific. Just a few hours after geting underway her lookouts spot the British freighter SS Ortega. Her captain, Douglas Kinnier, decides to make a run for it. He takes his 8,000-ton ship into the rocky uncharted waters of the Nelson Straight, knowing the German cruiser won't dare follow him. Ortega escapes and Kinnier reports Dresden's position. The Royal Navy later gave him a temporary commission just so they could award him with the Distinguished Service Cross.

Just off Rangoon Bay the lookouts aboard SMS Emden sighted smoke coming toward them in the early afternoon. Just before dark they intercepted the new ship. She turned out to be SS Dovre, a Norwegian freighter, headed from Penang to Rangoon. Her captain was friendly, spoke German, and offered to take the prisoners from Clan Matheson off his hands. He also told von Müller that he would steam slowly so he wouldn't arrive until late in the evening. He then gave them newspapers and told them that the French Cruisers Montcalm and Dupleix were docked at Penang. From the newpapers von Müller learned that the insurance companies were limiting shippin in the Bay of Bengal because of Emden's presence there.

Von Müller decided to head back toward Madras, since the British would be unlikely to look for him in a place he'd already been. During the night they picked up an open radio message confirming that 'QMD' was indeed HMS Hampshire. It was the first time they knew for certain what they had long suspected.