H.M.S. H 47 (1918)

H.M.S. H 47 (1918)
Pendant Number:	H.47
Builder:	William Beardmore & Company
Ordered:	March, 1917
Launched:	19 Nov, 1918
Collision:	9 Jul, 1929

H.M.S. H 47 was one of forty-four "H" class submarines completed for the Royal Navy in the 1910s.

Service

From at least mid-1927 through at least early 1929, she was part of the Sixth Submarine Flotilla.

H 47 sank after being rammed by L 12 near Milford Haven on 9 July, 1929. Both submarines had been on the surface, and L 12's officer of the watch Lt. Keen felt that H 47 had made an unsound manoeuvre as he tried unsuccessfully to avoid collision by applying the Rules of the Road.

Twenty-four men in H 47 died. Her commander, Robert James Gardner was reprimanded following a Court Martial.

A memorial to her lost crew was purchased by subscription from the personnel of her parent ship H.M.S. Vulcan and emplaced near the altar of the Royal Naval Church, Portland. Rear-Admiral Grace unveiled the memorial on 10 November, 1929.

Captains

Dates of appointment are provided when known.

• Lieutenant Denis W. Granet, 24 September, 1919 – February, 1921
• Lieutenant & Commander Henry K. B. Mitchell, 14 February, 1921 – 7 January, 1922
• Lieutenant-Commander John G. Sutton, 7 January, 1922 – 25 August, 1923  (and as S.S.O.)
• Lieutenant in Command Theodore F. A. Voysey, 25 August, 1923 – 5 November, 1923
• Lieutenant in Command Thomas M. Taylor, 4 November, 1923 – 3 January, 1925
• Lieutenant-Commander Victor C. Dorman-Smith, 3 January, 1925 – 3 August, 1926
• Lieutenant in Command Geoffrey Healey, 18 November, 1926 – 5 June, 1927  (reverted to general naval service)
• Lieutenant-Commander Edwin B. Clark, 24 June, 1927 – 4 July, 1927  (temporary)
• Lieutenant in Command Rowland H. Stokes-Rees,  – 10 April, 1928  (seemingly became captain after stint as 1st Lt.)
• Lieutenant-Commander Evelyn S. Felton, 10 April, 1928 – 29 April, 1929
• Lieutenant in Command Robert J. Gardner, 29 April, 1929 – 9 July, 1929  (vessel lost under his command)

See Also

• Wikipedia