Lost at sea

[regbutler]

Having had incredible help finding my grandfather in the army, I am now helping one of his grandaughters locate the ship her maternal grandfather went down with. His name is Thomas Henry Stratford and it is believed his ship was sunk on 22 September 1914. In the 1891 census he is listed as a member of the ships company of HMS Ruby moored of the Tougue Light Ship of the Isle Sheppy, a training ship. Any help would be very much appreciated. Reg Butler

[Coldstreamer]

Name: STRATFORD, THOMAS

Initials: T

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Yeoman of Signals 2nd Class

Regiment/Service: Royal Navy

Unit Text: (RFR/CH/B/317). H.M.S. "Hogue."

Date of Death: 22/09/1914

Service No: 149993

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: 3.

Memorial: CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL

This him ?

[Tony Lund]

HMS Hogue. One of three ships sunk in an hour or so by the U9.

CWGC

Tony.

[Tony Lund]

Kapitanleutnant Otto Weddigen wrote a short account of the U-9’s attack on HMS Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue, on the morning of September 22nd 1914. He described his attack as follows: “I set out from a North Sea port on one of the arms of the Kiel Canal and set my course in a south-westerly direction. Thus I was soon cruising off the coast of Holland. I had been lying in wait there only a few days before the morning of September 22nd arrived, the day on which I fell in with my quarry.

“When I started from home the fact was kept quiet and a heavy sea helped to keep the secret, but when the action began the sun was bright and the water smooth - not the most favourable conditions for submarine work.

“I had sighted several ships during my passage, but they were not what I was seeking. English torpedo boats came within my reach, but I felt there was bigger game further on, so on I went. I traveled on the surface except when we sighted vessels, and then I submerged, not even showing my periscope, except when it was necessary to take bearings. It was ten minutes after 6 on the morning of last Tuesday when I caught sight of one of the big cruisers of the enemy. I was then eighteen sea miles northwest of the Hook of Holland. I had then travelled considerably more than 200 miles from my base. My boat was one of an old type, but she had been built on honour, and she was behaving beautifully. I had been going ahead partly submerged, with about five feet of my periscope showing.

“Almost immediately I caught sight of the first cruiser and two others. I submerged completely and laid my course so as to bring up in the centre of the trio, which held a sort of triangular formation. I could see their grey-black sides riding high over the water. When I first sighted them they were near enough for torpedo work, but I wanted to make my aim sure, so I went down and in on them. I had taken the position of the three ships before submerging, and I succeeded in getting another flash through my periscope before I began action.

“I soon reached what I regarded as a good shooting point. Then I loosed one of my torpedoes at the middle ship. I was then about twelve feet under water, and got the shot off in good shape, my men handling the boat as if she had been a skiff. I climbed to the surface to get a sight through my tube of the effect, and discovered that the shot had gone straight and true, striking the ship, which I later learned was the Aboukir, under one of her magazines, which in exploding helped the torpedo’s work of destruction. There was a fountain of water, a burst of smoke, a flash of fire, and part of the cruiser rose in the air. Then I heard a roar and felt reverberations sent through the water by the detonation. She had been broken apart, and sank in a few minutes.

“The Aboukir had been stricken in a vital spot and by an unseen force; that made the blow all the greater. Her crew were brave, and even with death staring them in the face kept to their posts, ready to handle their useless guns, for I submerged at once. But I had stayed on top long enough to see the other cruisers, which I learned were the Cressy and the Hogue turn and steam full speed to their dying sister, whose plight they could not understand, unless it had been due to an accident. The ships came on a mission of inquiry and rescue, for many of the Aboukir's crew were now in the water, the order having been given, ‘Each man for himself’.

“But soon the other two English cruisers learned what had brought about the destruction so suddenly. As I reached my torpedo depth I sent a second charge at the nearest of the oncoming vessels, which was the Hogue. The English were playing my game, for I had scarcely to move out of my position, which was a great aid, since it helped to keep me from detection. On board my little boat the spirit of the German Navy was to be seen in its best form. With enthusiasm every man held himself in check and gave attention to the work in hand. The attack on the Hogue went true. But this time I did not have the advantageous aid of having the torpedo detonate under the magazine, so for twenty minutes the Hogue lay wounded and helpless on the surface before she heaved, half turned over and sank.

“By this time, the third cruiser knew of course that the enemy was upon her and she sought as best she could to defend herself. She loosed her torpedo defence batteries on boats, starboard and port, and stood her ground as if more anxious to help the many sailors who were in the water than to save herself. In common with the method of defending herself against a submarine attack, she steamed in a zigzag course, and this made it necessary for me to hold my torpedoes until I could lay a true course for them, which also made it necessary for me to get nearer to the Cressy. I had come to the surface for a view and saw how wildly the fire was being sent from the ship. Small wonder that was when they did not know where to shoot, although one shot went unpleasantly near us.

“When I got within suitable range I sent away my third attack. This time I sent a second torpedo after the first to make the strike doubly certain. My crew were aiming like sharpshooters and both torpedoes went to their bull’s-eye. My luck was with me again, for the enemy was made useless and at once began sinking by her head. Then she careened far over, but all the while her men stayed at the guns looking for their invisible foe. They were brave and true to their country’s sea traditions. Then she eventually suffered a boiler explosion and completely turned turtle. With her keel uppermost she floated until the air got out from under her and then she sank with a loud sound, as if from a creature in pain. The whole affair had taken less than one hour from the time of shooting off the first torpedo until the Cressy went to the bottom. Not one of the three had been able to use any of its big guns.

“I knew the wireless of the three cruisers had been calling for aid. I was still quite able to defend myself, but I knew that news of the disaster would call many English submarines and torpedo boat destroyers, so, having done my appointed work, I set my course for home. My surmise was right, for before I got very far some British cruisers and destroyers were on the spot, and the destroyers took up the chase. I kept under water most of the way, but managed to get off a wireless to the German fleet that I was heading homeward and being pursued. I hoped to entice the enemy, by allowing them now and then a glimpse of me, into the zone in which they might be exposed to capture or destruction by German warships, but, although their destroyers saw me plainly at dusk on the 22nd and made a final effort to stop me, they abandoned the attempt, as it was taking them too far from safety and needlessly exposing them to attack from our fleet and submarines.

“How much they feared our submarines and how wide was the agitation caused by good little U-9 is shown by the English reports that a whole flotilla of German submarines had attacked the cruisers and that this flotilla had approached under cover of the flag of Holland. These reports were absolutely untrue. U-9 was the only submarine on deck, and she flew the flag she still flies, the German naval ensign. The Kaiser conferred upon each of my co-workers the Iron Cross of the second class and upon me the Iron Cross of the first and second classes. Otto Weddigen, Commander of the U-9”

On March 18th 1915, Kapitanleutnant Otto Weddigen, now commanding the U-29, was manoeuvring for a shot at the modern British warship HMS Dreadnought when the ship’s lookouts spotted the periscope, and just seven minutes later the 17,900 ton Dreadnought, travelling at eighteen knots, rammed into the U-boat raising the bows out of the water. The identifying number was clearly visibly as the Dreadnought sliced through the submarine, there were no survivors.

Tony.

[regbutler]

Thanks to both of you, Coldstreamer and Tony Lund. That was simply incredible. My cousin lives at Thunder Bay at the end of Lake Superior in Canada. I am going to see her in May. I have only seen her once before and that was in 1961.

This Forum Must be the Greatest in all of Cyberspace. Thanks a million Reg.

[Coldstreamer]

we aim to please!

[Tony Lund]

This link is to a piece about the sinking of HMS Hawke, also sunk by the U-9 about 17 days after the three cruisers.

HMS Hawke

It contains photos of the U-9 and the Captain and crew which may be of interest.

Tony.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

His service resister (a summery of all the ships that he served on) can be downloaded for £3.50.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=1

Name Stratford, Thomas

Official Number: 149993

Place of Birth: Chinnor, Oxfordshire

Date of Birth: 10 October 1873

He entered service in 1889!

[regbutler]

His service resister (a summery of all the ships that he served on) can be downloaded for £3.50.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=1

Name Stratford, Thomas

Official Number: 149993

Place of Birth: Chinnor, Oxfordshire

Date of Birth: 10 October 1873

He entered service in 1889!

Duly downloaded. Thanks to you all for your help

Reg.

[Adrian Roberts]

Were these cruisers the very first vessels sunk by submarine torpedo, or were there others in the earlier days of the war?

(Other than the USS Housatonic sunk by CSS Hunley using a so-called spar torpedo in 1864).

Adrian

[regbutler]

One more from me I'm afraid. Would naval men have Medal index cards as do solders.

Reg Butler.

[Michael Lowrey]

Adrian,

The first vessel sunk by U-boat was HMS Pathfinder by U 21 on September 5, 1914, then come the three cruisers sunk by U 9 on September 22.

Best wishes,

Michael

[daggers]

1400 lives said to have been lost in the three RN vessels sunk. One is named on our church memorial.

Daggers

[sadsac]

Reg, STRATFORD Thomas Henry is commemorated in Memorial Book WW1 WG Lost at Sea, Part 1 1914 Chatham Page 103.

I have HMS HOGUE survivors list + reports etc. re loss of ship if you require. Would have to send `hard copies' as much `bumpf'. If required `shout' but will need Name Address etc.

Regards and Good Hunting Sadsac

[Coldstreamer]

One more from me I'm afraid. Would naval men have Medal index cards as do solders.

Reg Butler.

not the same but they do have cards (on fiche I think) and the details are very good

[per ardua per mare per terram]

The online MICs are army documents and only rarely have RN men on them. The Navy produced alphabetical medal rolls without MICs, his will be in ADM 171/116 on microfilm at Kew. He will have qualified for a 1914/15 Star trio, and the roll should note who it was sent to (such as mother, father, widow).

There are also medal roll for the colonial wars, so if he was in China, the Boer War, etc you will have to check the ships he was on the relevant dates against the ships involved in all the campaigns.

[Guest stocarter]

Reg, STRATFORD Thomas Henry is commemorated in Memorial Book WW1 WG Lost at Sea, Part 1 1914 Chatham Page 103.

I have HMS HOGUE survivors list + reports etc. re loss of ship if you require. Would have to send `hard copies' as much `bumpf'. If required `shout' but will need Name Address etc.

Regards and Good Hunting Sadsac

Hi.

My Great Grandfather was a survivor of the Aboukir. I see you have survivors lists and other imfo on the Hogue. Would you happen to have same on the Aboukir?

[historydavid]

Actual crew losses were: Aboukir 528, Hawke 527, Hogue 374 = 1429 in total.

Figures from ADM death cards.

Best wishes

David

[chrisharley9]

1400 lives said to have been lost in the three RN vessels sunk. One is named on our church memorial.

Daggers

At least 2 on the Southwold War Memorial

Chris

[sadsac]

Hello Stoker, YES I have survivors list of ABOUKIR as well as HOGUE & CRESSY. If you give name of ??? then I will look up. What other info do you wish ? I have reports of Enquiry etc. Survivors list is those taken abord LOWESTOFT - others were rescued some two ndays later.

Good Hunting Sadsac

[keithchristmas]

Hi!

Does any one have a list of the survivors from HMS Hawke?

Keith

[historydavid]

Having reread my previous post I realise I boobed big time.

Actual losses for the 3 ships sunk on 22/9/14 were:

Aboukir 528, Cressy 563, Hogue 374 = 1465.

The figure for Hawke sunk 15/10/14 remains unchanged at 527.

Best wishes

David

Interesting that no one challenge my post.

[ian turner]

Having reread my previous post I realise I boobed big time.

Actual losses for the 3 ships sunk on 22/9/14 were:

Aboukir 528, Cressy 563, Hogue 374 = 1465.

The figure for Hawke sunk 15/10/14 remains unchanged at 527.

Best wishes

David

Interesting that no one challenge my post.

We knew we could rely on you to correct it!

Ian

(PS. I researched an Aboukir vicitm once - William Woolley from Burham, Kent. He was a stoker. A prewar sailor he rejoined at the begining of the war, and left behind a wife and several children. The villagers wondered how he could have not survived as he was a 'good swimmer'. ....)

[historydavid]

Thanks for the vote of confidence Ian.

Even if your man managed to get out of the ship (doubtful, bearing in mind that his location was a long way from the top deck) he wouldn't have survived for very long in a rather chilly North Sea at that time of year.

Best wishes

David

[ian turner]

David,

No, indeed not. It just showed the innocent naievety of those days.

Cheers

Ian