H.M.S. A 8 (1905)
| H.M.S. A 8 (1905) | |
|---|---|
| Pendant Number: | I.18 (1914) A.8 (mid 1915)[1] |
| Builder: | Vickers[2] |
| Launched: | 23 Jan, 1905[3] |
| Sold: | Oct, 1920[4] |
H.M.S. A 8 was one of thirteen "A" class coastal submarines completed for the Royal Navy.
Service
When she sank on 8 June, 1905 off Plymouth breakwater, only the four of the eighteen aboard who were on deck when water came crashing into her conning tower hatch were saved. Though the vessel was raised on 13 June and eventually placed back into service, she was the Royal Navy's second submarine disaster.[5][6]
On 10 May, 1910, the submarine ventured out from Plymouth with A 7, A 9 and A 10 under the oversight of the submarine Snapper to practice torpedo firing. After diving at 1.30pm, A 8 had difficulty controlling her dive and was "temporarily" sunk on the seabed at 180 feet for an hour.[7][8] Lieutenant in Command Donald Greig was blamed by a Court of Enquiry for not maintaining control in the event, but was praised for his coolness in action in the aftermath.[9]
In April, 1911, A 8 was one of the four "A" class boats comprising the Devonport Submarine Flotilla.[10]
She remained with that formation after it was re-designated the First Submarine Flotilla around August, 1912 and continued to serve out of Devonport until she disappeared from the Navy List around February 1916. She likely went out of service about that time.
Captains
Dates of appointment are provided when known.
- Lieutenant & Commander Algernon H. C. Candy, – 8 June, 1905[11] (the submarine sank under his command)
- Lieutenant & Commander Hubert Vaughan-Jones, 18 May, 1908[12][13] – 15 February, 1909[14]
- Lieutenant & Commander Gilbert E. Venning, 15 February, 1909[15] – 4 January, 1910
- Lieutenant & Commander Donald Greig, 4 January, 1910[16][17] – 8 August, 1910[18]
- Lieutenant Charles L. Kerr, 8 August, 1910[19][20] – 22 February, 1911[21]
- Lieutenant & Commander Herbert W. Shove, 22 February, 1911[22] – 1 December, 1911
- Lieutenant & Commander Francis T. Hewson, 1 December, 1911[23][24] – 8 March, 1913
- Lieutenant & Commander Eric E. C. Tufnell, 8 February, 1913[25] – October, 1913
- Lieutenant & Commander Robert N. Stopford, October, 1913[26] – 6 May, 1915[27]
- Lieutenant in Command Richard I. Pulleyne, 6 May, 1915 – February, 1916
See Also
Footnotes
- ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 82.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. p. 86.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. p. 86.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. p. 86.
- ↑ "The Disaster to a Submarine." The Times (London, England), Wednesday, Jun 14, 1905; pg. 7; Issue 37733.
- ↑ "Submarine Disaster." The Times (London, England), Friday, Jul 16, 1909; pg. 10; Issue 39013.
- ↑ "Mishap to a Submarine." The Times (London, England), 11 May 1910, p. 12.
- ↑ Greig Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/143/677. f. 715.
- ↑ Greig Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/118. f. 229.
- ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1911). p. 270b.
- ↑ Hepper. British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era: 1860-1919. p. 18.
- ↑ Vaughan-Jones Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/237. f. 127.
- ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 318.
- ↑ Vaughan-Jones Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/237. f. 127.
- ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1909). p. 351.
- ↑ Greig Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/118. f. 229.
- ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1910). p. 350.
- ↑ Greig Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/118. f. 229.
- ↑ Kerr Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/265. f. ?.
- ↑ The Monthly Navy List. (March, 1911). p. 350.
- ↑ Kerr Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/265. f. ?.
- ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1911). p. 350.
- ↑ "Naval Appointments." The Times (London, England), 1 Dec. 1911, p. 15.
- ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1912). p. 350.
- ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 343.
- ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1915). p. 364.
- ↑ Stopford Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/52/6. 357.
Bibliography
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| A 6 | A 7 | A 8 | A 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A 10 | A 11 | A 12 | A 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Submarines (UK) | "B" Class | –> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
