Sinking of Sailing Ketch "Mary Fanny"

[Guest]

The sailing ketch "Mary Fanny" of Bideford was sunk by shellfire by the German U-boat UB-64 on 15th September 1918 with the loss of her crew of five - three crew members and two RNR gunners who manned the gun/guns fitted to her as part of the Defensively Armed Merchant Shipping (DAMS) initiative.  I recently purchased a 1916 painting of this vessel by the Pierhead Painter Reuben Chappell (see attached) and I am currently researching her history from her launch in 1862 in Amlwch, Anglesey to her loss in the Irish Sea in 1918.  The UB-64 Kriegstagebuch (KTB) entry for this engagement incorrectly records that the "Mary Fanny" was a Topsail Schooner, whereas at the time of the engagement she was rigged as a Ketch and the KTB entry also reports that she had two guns installed; one aft and one between the main & mizzen masts and exchanged fire with the U-boat until she was sunk.  Can anyone give me some direction as to where I could find details of the gun/guns fitted to the "Mary Fanny" and where/when this installation may have taken place?

[seaJane]

This document in The National Archives (TNA), Kew, may hold something relevant, but I wouldn't like to say for certain:

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4113168 .

 

I haven't been able to find anything in TNA on the ship herself. She doesn't appear in the January 1918 Navy List on the "List of Merchant Vessels commissioned as H.M. Ships, and auxiliary craft. (Corrected up to 18th December, 1917)." But that may not have been the right place for me to look.

 

If you want to investigate the Navy Lists yourself, they are searchable online at the National Library of Scotland, https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/93506066 - normally also on archive.org, but that is down today.

 

 

Edited 25 June , 2019 by seaJane

[DavidOwen]

I can't answer your specific question but she was owned by Harriet Galsworthy of Bidesford being managed by Arthur Galsworthy.

 

[Guest]

If you are still looking for information on the Mary Fanny - you might find this interesting:

https://www.llanellich.org.uk/attachments/article/352/The Burry Inlet Shipwrecks 1868.pdf

[Guest]

I can remember this picture, as a child, hanging in my grandfather’s home in Barry, S Wales.  My grandfather was a seafarer himself on the clipper ships and grew up in North Devon.  The history of this vessel was never mentioned and it is only recently that I learned that the captain of this vessel  was my grandfather’s brother.  Sadly, being killed in the U-boat attack. 

 

i can remember this picture being in the family from the early 1960’s until at least the mid 1990’s.  I suspect it was in the family for a lot longer than that.

 

i hope this is of interest.

[Anthony Saunders]

My Great-great uncle Peter Gimblette was one of the two Royal Naval Reserve seamen on board manning the guns when she went down. Reading your post, Interested Party, I am having chills.

[KizmeRD]

Evidently Mary Fanny’s defensive armament was not up to the job of exchanging fire with a U-boat and coming off anything but second best. A ship of this size would typically have been fitted with a naval 3-pounder gun on the aft of the vessel. This would have provided some discouragement to a U-boat, and a chance at least of the ship being able to shoot and scoot away from the danger - provided that the surfaced U-boat was spotted in time and was far enough away not to manoeuvre and intercept, but Mary Fanny’s defensive armament would not have been sufficient to prevent a skilfully handled and more heavily armed U-boat like the UB-64 (equipped with an 88mm gun) simply sitting beyond range of the Mary Fanny’s inferior armament and pounding her to destruction.

MB

[Anthony Saunders]

I'd be much obliged if anyone could point me to a source where I can access the KTB for U-64.  The on-line archives I have found seem limited to WWII U-boats.

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

38 minutes ago, Anthony Saunders said:

I'd be much obliged if anyone could point me to a source where I can access the KTB for U-64.  The on-line archives I have found seem limited to WWII U-boats.

www.Uboat.net

Click on the WWI link ar the right hand end of the links;

https://uboat.net/wwi/boats/successes/ub64.html

Edited 21 July , 2021 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr

[Michael Lowrey]

I have UB 64's KTB for September 15, 1918. The scanning quality is questionable, but can offer a transcript:

Quote

Englischer Raaschuner "Joseph Fisher" und englischer Topsegelschuner "Energy", große etwa je 150 ts mit Artillerie versenkt. Ladung anscheinend Kohlen und Anthrazit. Kurz darauf Schuner desselben Type auf 26 hm angegriffen. Ubootfalle. Armierung 1 Geschütz achtern, 1 zwischen den Masten, Kaliber 7.5 cm oder 8.8 cm. Bedienung fällt anscheinend bald aus, vermutlich infolge umherfliegender Takelagenteile. Nach kurzen Feuerfecht vernicht.

And a translation:

Quote

English “Raaschuner” Joseph Fisher and English top-sail schooner Energy, size about 150 tons each, sunk with artillery. Cargo apparently coal and anthracite. Shortly thereafter (another) schooner of the same type attacked at 2,600 meters. Q-ship. Armament 1 gun aft, 1 between the masts, caliber 7.5 cm or 8.8 cm. (Gun) operation seems to have soon ended, probably as a result of falling rigging parts. Destroyed after a short fire fight.

The Mary Fanny is the "Q-ship" attacked and sunk.

[KizmeRD]

Whereas the RN saw a difference between a defensively armed merchant ship (DAMS) and a Q-ship (offensively armed anti-submarine decoy) - clearly U-boat commanders didn’t. But it’s unlikely that ‘Mary Fanny was equipped with a 75mm or 88mm gun, as this would have required a larger gun crew than was available to her. Also it’s probable that UB-64 had been upgraded to an even larger calibre deck gun by that stage in the war. Also not sure how many rounds of ammunition ‘Mary Fanny’ would have carried as standard (as no room on that small ship for a proper magazine, like aboard a warship), bit riggging and sails falling down on the deck from damage incurred would have meant that she was unable to attempt any escape and it could have resulted in injuries to the gun crew, or damage to the gun.  Could also be the gun jammed, but will never know for sure.

MB

Edited 23 July , 2021 by KizmeRD

[Michael Lowrey]

UB 64 was fitted with a 105mm gun during this patrol and fired 61 rounds at Mary Fanny (source: the "Liste versenkter Schiffe" from UB 64's KTB for this patrol). And its was indeed common for U-boats to regard (perceive) small defensively-armed sailing vessels as Q-ships.