HMS E30
HMS E30 was a British E-class submarine constructed by Armstrong Whitworth in Newcastle upon Tyne. The keel was laid on 29 June 1914, and she entered service in November 1915. HMS E30 was lost in the North Sea, believed to have struck a mine near Orfordness, Suffolk on 22 November 1916; the minefield responsible was only discovered three days later. No crew members survived the incident.
Design
As with all British E-class submarines built after the E8, E30 displaced approximately 662 long tons (673 t) when on the surface and around 807 long tons (820 t) while submerged. Her overall length measured 180 feet (55 m), with a beam of [convert: invalid number]. Propulsion was provided by two Vickers eight-cylinder two-stroke diesel engines, each rated at 800 horsepower (600 kW), complemented by two electric motors producing 420 horsepower (310 kW) each. This configuration allowed a maximum speed of [convert: invalid number] on the surface and up to [convert: invalid number] when submerged. The vessel carried up to [convert: invalid number] of diesel fuel, enabling a range of roughly [convert: invalid number] at a cruising speed of [convert: invalid number]. When submerged and moving at [convert: invalid number], E30 could remain underwater for approximately five hours.
Armament included a forward-mounted QF 12-pounder (76 mm) gun positioned ahead of the conning tower. The submarine was equipped with five torpedo tubes: two located at the bow, one on each side amidships, and one at the stern, with a total loadout of ten torpedoes. Wireless communication systems with a power output of 1 kW were standard; some vessels later upgraded to 3 kW by removing a midship torpedo tube. Although designed for operational depths around [convert: invalid number], certain submarines in the class achieved depths exceeding [convert: invalid number] during service. Some units were fitted with Fessenden oscillator devices for underwater detection. The crew complement consisted of three officers and twenty-eight enlisted personnel.
Service
Upon commissioning, E30 was assigned to the 11th Submarine Flotilla, which was stationed at Blyth, Northumberland.[1][2] Between 23 and 28 February 1916, E30 conducted a patrol near Denmark and Norway aiming to intercept vessels transporting iron ore from Norway to Germany, as well as to engage any German submarines escorting these shipments. However, no targets were sighted during this operation.[3] In March 1915, she patrolled the Kattegat region and endured damage caused by rough seas on 16 March. Two days later, on 18 March, she intercepted the Norwegian steamer Kong Inge, which was carrying a mixed cargo destined for Germany near Anholt. A prize crew was placed aboard Kong Inge, and the vessel was directed to Leith for inspection.[4] On 5 April, alongside the recently commissioned submarines G4 and G5, E30 departed Blyth with orders to patrol between Denmark and the Orkney Islands in an effort to intercept German submarines. This mission was cut short when a battery explosion occurred on the morning of 7 April, resulting in four fatalities and necessitating a return to base.[5]
On 15 May 1916, E30 embarked on another patrol in the Kattegat. During this mission on 18 June, she encountered the German steamer Trave; after firing a warning shot, the crew abandoned their ship. Following two unsuccessful torpedo launches, E30 sank the steamer using gunfire.[6] While returning from a patrol off Norway on 2 June, E30 sighted two British cruisers that were coming back from the Battle of Jutland. She signalled them; however, one cruiser, Minotaur, mistakenly fired upon E30, claiming to have sunk a submarine. Despite this, E30 safely reached port.[7] On 3 July near Lindesnes in southern Norway, she encountered the Norwegian steamer Prunelle. After firing two warning shots, E30 was repelled by the Norwegian torpedo boat Kjell. Norway lodged a formal protest against this interception attempt, asserting it occurred within its territorial waters.[8]
References
- ↑ "Supplement to the Monthly Naval List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officer's Commands, &c.: Eleventh Submarine Flotilla". The Navy List. January 1915. p. 12. Retrieved 12 October 2017 – via National Library of Scotland.
- ↑ "Ships of the Royal Navy – Location/Action Data, 1914–1918: Admiralty "Pink Lists", 1st January 1916". World War One at Sea. Naval-History.net. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ↑ Naval Staff Monograph No. 31 1926, pp. 87–88
- ↑ Naval Staff Monograph No. 31 1926, p. 157
- ↑ Naval Staff Monograph No. 31 1926, pp. 185–186
- ↑ Naval Staff Monograph No. 31 1926, p. 210
- ↑ Naval Staff Monograph No. 33 1927, pp. 50–51
- ↑ Naval Staff Monograph No. 33 1927, p. 52
Bibliography
- Hutchinson, Robert. Jane's Submarines: War Beneath the Waves from 1776 to the Present Day. London: HarperCollins, 2001. ISBN 978-0-00-710558-8. Available at: https://archive.org/details/janessubmarinesw0000hutc (registration required).
- Monograph No. 31: Home Waters—Part VI: From October 1915 to May 1916. Naval Staff Monographs (Historical), Volume XV. The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division, 1926. Accessible at: http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XV_opt.pdf
- Monograph No. 33: Home Waters—Part VII: From June 1916 to November 1916. Naval Staff Monographs (Historical), Volume XVII. The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division, 1927. Available at: http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Naval-Staff-Monographs-Vol.XVII_opt.pdf
External links
- Royal Navy Submarine Museum – 'Submarine losses 1904 to present day' (Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20150925133858/http://www.submarine-museum.co.uk/what-we-have/memorial-chapel/submarine-losses?start=6, dated 25 September 2015)
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