Desdichado Posted 13 January , 2008 Share Posted 13 January , 2008 I'm doing a bit of research on Roger Casement. I know that he was captured by Lt. Tyrell, an RIC officer, as he came ashore from the German submarine U19 on the same date that a disguised Norwegian freighter, the Aud, which was carrying arms from Germany, was captured in nearby waters by two Royal Navy destroyers; HMS Bluebell and HMS Zinnia. Can anyone tell me the names of the commanders of these two ships and their subsequent fate? Moreover, did the ships themselves survive the war. I assume that the Aud was taken as a prize but I can find no record of her after 1916. Finally, the U19 got away from the Irish coast safely but I don't know if she and her crew survived the war either. As usual, any help from the nautical pals on here will be gratefully received. Regards, Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARABIS Posted 13 January , 2008 Share Posted 13 January , 2008 Hi Des, H.M.S. Zinnia [Lieut.-Commander G. F. W. Wilson R.N.] & H.M.S. Bluebell [Lieut. Martin A. F. Hood R.N.] were not destroyers but Flower class sloops. There is a good account of their encounter with the Aud [which was scuttled to avoid capture just outside Queenstown harbour] in Danger Zone by E. Keble Chatterton. Please let me know if you would like a copy of the relevant pages. Cheers, ARABIS [which was also a Flower class sloop]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARABIS Posted 13 January , 2008 Share Posted 13 January , 2008 Des, Zinnia was sold to Belgium in 1920 & Bluebell was sold in 1930. Lt. Cdr. Graham F. W. Wilson [D.S.O.] was still in command of Zinnia in Dec. 1918. [Navy List]. Martin Arthur Frankland Hood died a Lt. Cdr. on 14th May 1919, & is buried in Nettleham [All Saints] New Churchyard, Lincolnshire. ARABIS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desdichado Posted 13 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 13 January , 2008 Des, Zinnia was sold to Belgium in 1920 & Bluebell was sold in 1930. Lt. Cdr. Graham F. W. Wilson [D.S.O.] was still in command of Zinnia in Dec. 1918. [Navy List]. Martin Arthur Frankland Hood died a Lt. Cdr. on 14th May 1919, & is buried in Nettleham [All Saints] New Churchyard, Lincolnshire. ARABIS. Thanks Arabis. Can you explain the difference between a Flower class sloop and a destroyer please. Thanks, Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARABIS Posted 14 January , 2008 Share Posted 14 January , 2008 Des, In general, destroyers were faster, more manouverable & better armed [e.g. destroyers were armed with torpedoes & sloops were not] to suit their more aggressive role with the fleet, & they were built in the naval dockyards. The Flower class sloops were designed & built on merchant ship lines & could be built in 6 months in yards with no previous naval experience. They were classed as A1 at Lloyds for special service. The first 72 Flower class sloops were built as fast mine sweepers to work with the fleet & they were easily adaptable for other duties such as escort work etc. & were divided into 3 types, Acacia, Azalea & Arabis. These 3 types all had 2 funnels & looked like warships. Bluebell was an Acacia type & Zinnia an Azalea type. They did a similar thing in WWII & called them corvettes. The last 39 Flower sloops [Aubretia & Anchusa types] were built to various different designs with single funnels to resemble merchant ships & were escort & decoy vessels only, on convoy & anti-submarine work. Regards, ARABIS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r!dleyhill Posted 14 January , 2008 Share Posted 14 January , 2008 U-19 survived the war and was Surrendered on 24 November 1918. She was Broken Up at Blyth, Northumberland, England during 1919-1920. See... http://uboat.net/wwi/boats/index.html?boat=19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r!dleyhill Posted 14 January , 2008 Share Posted 14 January , 2008 About the German 'Libau' (ex- 'Castro') masquerading as the Norwegian 'Aud'..... http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz/ship/li...mp;IDNo=1132231 ...then click on the ID No. 1132231 ++++++++++++++++ More about the REAL 'Aud Norge'.... http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz/ship/li...mp;IDNo=5602815 ...then click on the ID No. 5602815... ...which this source gives as being sunk by Submarine gunfire 9 nautical miles N.N.W. of Godrevy Lighthouse, Gwithian, near Hayle, Cornwall on 30 November 1916. http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/engsw.htm Then search the page for 'Godrevy Island' for more details of the location. ++++++++++++++++ Of course you already know about this.... :-) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Casement Hope this helps. 'Tom Carnes' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadsac Posted 14 January , 2008 Share Posted 14 January , 2008 Des, follows Award for Bluebell / Casement episode ; HOOD Martin A.F N/E Lt. RN 85U008 Bluebell Vice Admiral Sir L. Bagly 21.04.17 Gazetted Capture of German Auxiliary off Coast of Ireland 21.04.15 Mentioned in Despatches Brought the vessel to Dand's Rock during the night. Regards Sadsac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadsac Posted 14 January , 2008 Share Posted 14 January , 2008 Des, Award for WILSON Skipper of ZINNIA - not the Casement episode, but how / why he received DSO ; WILSON Graham F.W N/E Lt.Cdr. RN 83P093 Zinnia Vice Admiral Queenstown 20.07.17 Gazetted Actions with enemy Submarines 04.05.17 DSO Engaged an enemy submarine on the 4th May, 1917. The approach was well carried out. Sadsac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desdichado Posted 14 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 14 January , 2008 Thanks for the information pals. It will come in very useful. In a related topic, what happened to the ship HMS Helga that bombarded Dublin during the Easter Rising. I can't locate any information on her except for the odd brief mention of her action in April 1916. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARABIS Posted 14 January , 2008 Share Posted 14 January , 2008 Des, H.M.S. Helga was a hired yacht of 323 tons gross, 2x12pdr guns, launched 1908, purchased 12/3/15, sold 1922 & renamed Muirchu. ARABIS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 14 January , 2008 Share Posted 14 January , 2008 Click for more info More of interest Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wig Posted 15 January , 2008 Share Posted 15 January , 2008 It is quite impossible to find a more detailed account than that set out in Xander Clayton's book on the AUD. The link below takes you to the reviews of the book on Amazon. http://www.amazon.co.uk/AUD-Xander-Clayton...8785&sr=8-1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karl Murphy Posted 19 January , 2008 Share Posted 19 January , 2008 Des, H.M.S. Helga was a hired yacht of 323 tons gross, 2x12pdr guns, launched 1908, purchased 12/3/15, sold 1922 & renamed Muirchu. ARABIS. In the link it says she was sold in August 1923 but pretty certain that should be 1922 as my grandfather sailed on her from Limerick to Kerry around that time when she was transporting Irish Free State troops to Fenit Harbour during the Irish Civil War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wig Posted 22 January , 2008 Share Posted 22 January , 2008 From the Archives of the Irish Times (Muirchu means Hound of the Sea in Irish). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadsac Posted 22 January , 2008 Share Posted 22 January , 2008 `Et Al', gong for William - rescue / capture re AUD ; BEE William H.A N/E Lt. RNR 84S037 H.M.T. Lord Heneage Vice Admiral Queenstown 27.06.17 Gazetted Auxiliary Patrols to 31.12.16 DSC Assisted in the capture of the S.S. "Aud", on the 21-22nd April, 1916. Regards Sadsac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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