centurion Posted 14 February , 2011 Share Posted 14 February , 2011 According to the following volume, dated 1 July, 1918, there were no other torpedo attacks by aircraft on British merchant vessels up to that date. According to "British Vessels Lost at Sea 1914-1918" by HMSO, 1919. There were certainly no more sinkings attributed to seaplane torpedoes after the Storm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 14 February , 2011 Share Posted 14 February , 2011 As one would expect, British Vessels Lost at Sea 1914-1918 and The War in the Air, together with Cnock's sources, agree with respect to the ships lost to German aerial torpedo attacks. Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 16 February , 2011 Share Posted 16 February , 2011 A Forum Pal reminded me of an excellent article about aerial attacks on shipping in Vol 18 No 1 of Cross & Cockade (Spring 1977). The article is by the late R D Layman, probably the greatest expert on maritime aviation during the conflict. An extract reads: “The next three British losses were to aerial torpedo attack – the only successes scored out of many attempts by the Torpedostaffel established at Zeebrugge in March 1917. This unit, equipped with the Gotha WD14, made its first operational sortie in April. Gena (2487 tons, 1893). This collier was struck by a torpedo from one of the two attacking Gothas on 1 May 1917, northeast of Southwold, two miles from the Sunk light vessel. There were no casualties among her crewmen who, before the ship sank, downed one of the Gothas with the vessel’s single small gun. The two German fliers were rescued to become prisoners of war*. Kanakee (3718 tons). Sunk off Harwich on 14 June 1917, this merchant vessel appears to have been the victim of a lucky hit, for the Gotha torpedo that struck her was dropped from the relatively long range of 3000 yards. Three crewmen were killed. Storm (440 tons). In a classic case of using a sledgehammer to crack an eggshell, this little merchantman was attacked by seven Gotha WD14s on 19 September 1917, a mile off the Sunk light vessel. According to British accounts she was struck by bombs and her decks swept with machine gun fire before she was hit within two minutes by two of three torpedoes (the first reportedly passed directly under her). Under this torrent of overkill, the Storm went immediately to the bottom, taking three crewmen to their deaths.” * = FlugzgMt Karl Berghoff (pilot) and Ltn z S Richard Freude (observer). I hope that this clarifies the matter. Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJ Fisher Posted 3 May , 2023 Share Posted 3 May , 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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