Aurel Sercu Posted 8 December , 2003 Share Posted 8 December , 2003 A question on behalf of Iain (McHenry), who right now is scannerless ... A photo Iain found in his grandfather's collection. Definitely pre-WO2. But no other information. Anyone who has ? P.S. 1 I don't remember Iain promised a free trip(*) to the person who gave the correct answer, but since Iain is a nice guy ...) P.S. 2 I hope that if he promised a trip, that it was an aerial trip, not a submarine trip ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 8 December , 2003 Share Posted 8 December , 2003 I'd like a free flight please. It's a C-Class submarine. It was a pre-war sub, and almost obsolete when the war started. In 1916, C20 was part of 5th flotilla, commanded by Lt Francis JH Dawson. At the end of the war, C20 was part of 6th flotilla Portsmouth. For lots of techy info, look at Royal Navy Submarines There is also pics of C1 and C3 on Submarines of the Great Warwhich took part in the Zeebrugge raid for which Lt Richard Sandford the VC. I'll bring my own (King Size) sickbag if I may..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 8 December , 2003 Author Share Posted 8 December , 2003 I'd like a free flight please. R.T. I hope Iain doesn't compromise and give you a free flight in this obsolete sumarine ! If so I think it's you who should be paid ! Anyway, thanks on behalf of Iain too. Aurel P.S. Make sure your King Size bag is not larger than his plane ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain mchenry Posted 9 December , 2003 Share Posted 9 December , 2003 RT Tanks a lot for the info on the Sub, its been bugging me for years! Next time you are coming over to the Salient, bring a sick bag....!!! Many thanks Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signals Posted 19 May , 2007 Share Posted 19 May , 2007 Hi All, although this is an old entry, does anyone still have the photo of submarine C20? I have been researching the C20 from 1913 to April 1915 as my Great grandfather was her signalman during this period with Lt Francis Dawson. Darren. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clio Posted 20 May , 2007 Share Posted 20 May , 2007 C boats were generally used in harbour defence during the Great War. Other than as training units their operational capability was somewhat limited. Under Lt Francis Dawson C20 was active between 1914 and 1915, stationed at Leith alongside HMS Vulcan. She took part in the trawler/submarine dual operations resulting in several sightings but no successes In August 1916 she had joined the 5th Submarine Flotilla alongside HMS Arrogant in old Dover harbour on Channel A/S duties. Plenty of sightings and near misses with sea mines. By November 1918 she had been relegated to training duties at Blockhouse (6th Flotilla) She was scrapped in 1921 by the firm of Fryer of Sunderland Two good sources are ADM 173/653-686 and the Books Silent Warriors Vols 1 and 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signals Posted 20 May , 2007 Share Posted 20 May , 2007 Hi All, vitually everything i read about the submarine C20 tells you she spent the war months of 1914 with HMS Vulcan at Leith. I have been through her logs for this period and have found this not to be true. On the 30-7-1914 she departed Dundee to take up her war station at Newcastle, this was in company with HMS Alecto and the submarines C19 and C21. Yes she did carry out patrols of the harbour entrance but she also carried out sweeps for German U-boats as far south as Flaborough Head and Tees Bay, sometimes lasting a couple of days. She would quite often operate with the torpedo boat T.B.24. Just after the German battlecruiser attack on Yarmouth on the 3-11-1914 Alecto left Newcastle, C21, C20 and C19 were then ordered south to Immingham and once again sailed together, they departed Newcastle on the 7-11-1914 and were then tied to the depot ship HMS Forth in the Humber. The Humber was considered to be the possible next target for the German battlrecruisers. The three submarines remained in the Humber and HMS Forth until mid January 1915, there is no log for C20 in January 1915 but there is for C19. She departed the Humber on the 19-1-1915 and arrived in Leith with Vulcan on the 20-1-1915, this matched up with my great grandfather papers when he was on C20. My great grandfather left C20 on the 4-4-1915 and went to serve with Lt Cdr Robert Halahan and E18. There certainly isn't much information about the submarine base in Dundee prior to WW1, only the Dundee yearly book of 1909 when they first arrived. Darren Brown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clio Posted 20 May , 2007 Share Posted 20 May , 2007 [Try Commander Turner's memoir in the Submarine Museum. He served in Dundee pre war and there is a fair amount on the Tay base, a Dundee library have a file on the pre WW1 submarine base including plans and photographs. I have used both sources The information on C20 having been assigned to the Forth comes from the 1914 Navy List (supplied by submarine supremo Dave Perkins). Most sources inc 'Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy 'state that ALECTO was attached to the 8th at Harwich during this time. It just goes to show how careful one has to be about sources... Ashmore's 'The Forgotten Flotiila' may be a useful source on E18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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