U-boat incident

[Psmith24]

I'm researching the war dead of Padstow in Cornwall. During my chats with a local historian he mentioned an incident during the war when a single U-boat sank a large number of Padstow fishing boats within a few miles of the town on the North Cornwall coast. All the crews were allowed to escape. He couldn't give me a date, though I suspect it would have been 1914/15 as after that anti-sub defences were much better around our coasts. Despite scouring various naval books I can find no mention of this incident. Can anyone shed any light on it?

[Regulus 1]

Any shipnames known ? That might be a really good help...

[historydavid]

Peter, I don't have any records of the Padstow boats, but the possible date could be virtually any time during the war. A group of eight fishing boats were captured and sunk with bombs off the Isle of Man in May 1918!

The local paper, library or history group might be able to provide you with some clues to date or names of the boats.

Best wishes

David

[joseph]

Could this be the incident? Maybe David and Michael can fill in the gaps.

22nd February 1917

8 Dutch steamers sailed from Falmouth having been granted Safe Conduct by Germany. Whilst off the Cornish coast were attacked by U21 (Hersing) who having served in the Mediterranean and was bringing his boat home was not aware of the safe conduct. Sighted and sunk all 8 leading to 200 shipwrecked Dutchmen being landed on the Cornish coast. Two of the vessels were later salvaged by the Auxiliary Patrol.

Regards Charles

[Borden Battery]

You will find the U-Boat experts on this website. Michael Lowrey is also a regular on the GWF. Borden Battery

U-Boat

This website contains detailed information on the German U-Boat from both the Great War and the Second World War. The site also contains a small discussion forum and a good source of referenced material and articles. While the site is primarily Second World War, there is a growing commitment to the Great War. Statistics indicate apparently in WWI a total of 375 U boats sank 6596 merchant ships, a total of 12,800,000 tons. The site is operated from Iceland by Gudmundur Helgason with a detailed database being developed by Michael Lowrey. [April 2005]

www.uboat.net

[historydavid]

U 21 (Hersing) sank 7 Dutch vessels and 1 Norwegian on 22nd February 1917 in the general area Scilly Isles/Bishop Rock.

The Dutch ships were Bandoeng, 7.166 grt, Eemland, 3.770 grt, Gaasterland, 3.917 grt, Gaasterland, 3.917 grt, Jacatra, 5.373 grt, Noorderdijk, 7.166 grt, and Zaandijk, 4.189 grt.

The Norwegian ship was Normanna, 2.900 grt.

Another Dutch ship was damaged on this date by UC 66, she was the Ambon, 3.598 grt, off the Scilly Isles

It is possible that there was an eigth Dutch ship sunk that day but insufficient evidence exists to attribute to a submarine.

Best wishes

David

[historydavid]

Just found this account in The Merchant Navy Volume 3 by Archibald Hurd:

"It was not only to British or Allied ships that these tugs were rendering service. On February 22nd, eight Dutch ships which had put into Falmouth, came out, bound to the westward. These were the Jacatra, Gaasterland, Noorderdijk, Bandoeng, Eemland, Ambon, Zaandijk and Menado. They had been given a safe-conduct by the Germans. On the evening of that day a distress wireless call was picked up from the Bandoeng, whereupon three of the rescue tugs from Falmouth, as well as patrol vessels, were at once sent out. What had happened was soon explained. When about twenty-five miles west of the Bishop's Rock, Scillies, the ships were attacked by a German submarine, with the result that every one of the eight vessels was abandoned by her crew. Afterwards the tugs and patrol vessels came up. The distressed Dutchmen, to the number of about two hundred, were picked up and taken into Penzance and the Scillies. Six of the ships sank, but the Ambon and Menado were salved. The immediate result was that Dutch steamers sought refuge in Falmouth harbour, and during the week ending March 3rd there were as many as twenty-four of them lying at anchor up the Fal, causing great congestion and inconvenience. This attack, so unexpected and successful, had been carried out by Lieutenant-Commander Hersing of the U21, the submarine which had left Germany in April 1915, had reached Cattaro in May, and then had begun to operate in the JEgean and Mediterranean. The U21 was on her return voyage to Germany, when the Dutch convoy offered a most tempting target. She reached Wilhelmshaven on March 3rd. It was stated later that Hersing was unaware of the fact that his country had granted a safe-conduct to the Dutch ships, and, after long negotiations, Germany agreed to compensate Holland by transferring to her, under certain conditions, six German steamers then lying in ports of the Dutch East Indies."

So it seems that if there was an eigth Dutch ship it was the Menado, which was damaged.

Hope this resolves your search

David

[Psmith24]

Thanks for that everyone. I shall make fresh inquiries in Padstow to see if I can confirm this is the incident referred to.