Battle of May Island
Encyclopedia
The Battle of May Island is the name given to the series of accidents that occurred during Operation E.C.1 in 1918.
Named after the Isle of May
, an island in the Firth of Forth
, close by, it was a disastrous series of accidents amongst Royal Navy
ships on their way from Rosyth
in Scotland
to fleet exercises in the North Sea. On the misty night of 31 January to 1 February 1918, five collisions occurred, involving eight different vessels. Two submarine
s were lost and three other submarines and a light cruiser
were damaged. 270 men died, all of the Royal Navy. Although it took place during the First World War it was an entirely accidental tragedy and no enemy forces were present. It was therefore not a Battle and was only referred to as such with black humour.
The subsequent investigation and court martial were kept quiet, with much of the information not released until the 1990s.
In 2011, surveyors conducting a detailed preparatory survey of the sea floor for the Neart Na Gaoithe
offshore wind farm published sonar images of the wrecks of the two submarines - K-4
and K-17
- sunk during the Battle of the Isle of May.
, Scotland on the afternoon bound for Scapa Flow
in Orkney where the exercise, EC1, involving the entire Grand Fleet would take place the following day.
The vessels included the 5th Battle Squadron of three battleship
s with their destroyer
escorts, the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron
of four battlecruiser
s and their destroyers, two cruisers and two flotilla
s of K-class submarines
each led by a light cruiser
. The K class submarines were specially designed to operate with a battle fleet. They were large boats for their time, at 339 feet long, and were powered by steam turbine
s to allow them to travel at 24 knots on the surface to keep up with the fleet.
The two flotillas were the 12th Submarine Flotilla, consisting of HMS K3
, K4
, K6
and K7
led by HMS Fearless
and the 13th Submarine Flotilla, led by HMS Ithuriel
composed of K11
, K12
, K14
, K17
and K22.
At 18:30 the vessels weighed anchor
and the entire fleet steamed in a single line nearly 30 miles (50 km) long. At the head of the line were the two cruisers Courageous
and Ithuriel followed by the rest of the 13th Submarine Flotilla. These were followed by the battlecruiser squadron, HMAS Australia
, HMS New Zealand
, Indomitable
and Inflexible
with their destroyers. After these came the 12th Submarine Flotilla and finally the battleships.
To avoid attracting German
U-boat
s, particularly as one was suspected to be in the area, after dark each vessel showed only a dim stern light to the following vessel and they all maintained radio silence. As each group passed the Isle of May at the mouth of the firth
, they altered course and increased speed to 20 knots.
As the 13th Submarine Flotilla passed the island, a pair of lights (possibly minesweeping
naval trawler
s) were seen approaching the line of submarines. The flotilla altered course sharply to port to avoid them but K14s helm
jammed and she veered out of line. Both K14 and the boat behind her, K12 turned on their navigation light
s and eventually K14s helm was freed and she tried to return to her position in the line. The next submarine in line, K22 had lost sight of the rest of the flotilla in the mist and veered off the line with the result that she hit K14. Both submarines stopped whilst the rest of the flotilla, unaware of what had happened continued out to sea. K22 radioed in code to the cruiser leading the flotilla to say that she could reach port but that K14 was crippled and sinking.
About fifteen minutes later, the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron passed the island and the two submarines, but the battlecruiser Inflexible hit K22 causing further damage. The battlecruiser bent the first 30 feet of K22s bows at right angles, and wrecked the ballast and fuel tanks. She settled by the bow until only the conning tower
showed.
Meanwhile, Leir, captain of Ithuriel, had received and decoded
the message about the first collision between the two submarines and turned back to help them. As the submarines behind her turned to follow her, the 2nd Battle Squadron passed through the line, and it was only through emergency turns by both groups of vessels that further accidents were narrowly avoided.
As the 13th Flotilla reached the Isle of May, they encountered the outbound 12th Submarine Flotilla. The leader of the 12th Flotilla, Fearless loomed out of the mist and collided with K17 which sank within a few minutes, although most of her crew were able to jump overboard.
As the submarines following Fearless turned to avoid their now stationary flotilla leader
, the battlecruiser Australia narrowly missed K12 which turned to get out of the way, putting her on a collision path with K6. K6 tried to avoid her but in doing so hit K4, nearly cutting the latter in half. The seriously damaged K4 sank with all of her crew, during which she was hit by K7.
At this point the 5th Battle Squadron of three battleships and their destroyers passed through the area unaware of what had happened, some of the destroyers cutting down the survivors of K17 struggling in the water. Only nine of the 56 men originally on board the submarine survived and one of these died of his injuries shortly afterwards.
Within 75 minutes, the submarines K17 and K4 had been sunk, and K6, K7, K14, K22 and Fearless had been damaged and over a hundred people killed on the night, with a total loss of 270 persons altogether, including those later dying of wounds. The accident was kept secret during the war, and a memorial cairn
was finally erected 84 years later, on 31 January 2002 at Anstruther
harbour opposite the Isle of May.
Named after the Isle of May
Isle of May
The Isle of May is located in the north of the outer Firth of Forth, approximately off the coast of mainland Scotland. It is 1.8 km long and less than half a kilometre wide...
, an island in the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
, close by, it was a disastrous series of accidents amongst Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
ships on their way from Rosyth
Rosyth
Rosyth is a town located on the Firth of Forth, three miles south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 12,790....
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to fleet exercises in the North Sea. On the misty night of 31 January to 1 February 1918, five collisions occurred, involving eight different vessels. Two submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s were lost and three other submarines and a light cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
were damaged. 270 men died, all of the Royal Navy. Although it took place during the First World War it was an entirely accidental tragedy and no enemy forces were present. It was therefore not a Battle and was only referred to as such with black humour.
The subsequent investigation and court martial were kept quiet, with much of the information not released until the 1990s.
In 2011, surveyors conducting a detailed preparatory survey of the sea floor for the Neart Na Gaoithe
Neart Na Gaoithe
In February 2009, Mainstream Renewable Power was awarded exclusive rights to develop Neart Na Gaoithe , a £1.1bn offshore wind farm with a potential capacity of 420 MW in the outer Firth of Forth, some 30 km north of Torness.In 2011, surveyors conducting a detailed preparatory survey of the...
offshore wind farm published sonar images of the wrecks of the two submarines - K-4
HMS K4
HMS K4 was a British K class submarine built by Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 28 June 1915 and commissioned on 1 January 1917, one year before the end of World War I.- Accident 17 November 1917 :...
and K-17
HMS K17
HMS K17 was a British K class submarine built by Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness.- Loss :K17 was sunk on 31 January 1918 during the night time fleet exercises later known as the Battle of May Island when she was attached to the 13th Submarine Flotilla. ploughed into K17 at the head of a line of...
- sunk during the Battle of the Isle of May.
History
Around 40 naval vessels left Rosyth on the Firth of ForthFirth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
, Scotland on the afternoon bound for Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
in Orkney where the exercise, EC1, involving the entire Grand Fleet would take place the following day.
The vessels included the 5th Battle Squadron of three battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s with their destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
escorts, the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron
2nd Battlecruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)
The 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron was a Royal Navy squadron of battlecruisers that saw service as part of the Grand Fleet during the First World War.-August 1914:In August 1914, the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron was in the Mediterranean, and consisted of:-1915:...
of four battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
s and their destroyers, two cruisers and two flotilla
Flotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
s of K-class submarines
British K class submarine
The K class submarines were a class of steam-propelled submarines of the Royal Navy designed in 1913. Intended as large, fast vessels which had the endurance and speed to operate with the battle fleet, they gained notoriety, and the nickname of Kalamity class, for being involved in many accidents....
each led by a light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
. The K class submarines were specially designed to operate with a battle fleet. They were large boats for their time, at 339 feet long, and were powered by steam turbine
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
s to allow them to travel at 24 knots on the surface to keep up with the fleet.
The two flotillas were the 12th Submarine Flotilla, consisting of HMS K3
HMS K3
HMS K3 was the lead ship of the British K class submarines. She was laid down on 21 May 1915 by Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness. She was commissioned on 4 August 1916.In December 1916, K3, with the future King George VI aboard,...
, K4
HMS K4
HMS K4 was a British K class submarine built by Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 28 June 1915 and commissioned on 1 January 1917, one year before the end of World War I.- Accident 17 November 1917 :...
, K6
HMS K6
HMS K6 was a British K class submarine built by HM Dockyard, Devonport. She was laid down on the 8 November 1915 and commissioned in May 1917.K6 was the first of the K class to have its bows raised by converting it into a bulbous swan shape....
and K7
HMS K7
HMS K7 was a K class submarine built by HM Dockyard, Devonport. She was laid down on 8 November 1915 and commissioned in July 1917.K7 was involved in the accident with the 4th Light Cruiser Squadron. She was also involved in the Battle of May Island exercise...
led by HMS Fearless
HMS Fearless (1912)
HMS Fearless was an Active-class scout cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built at Pembroke Dockyard and launched on 12 June 1912.On commissioning she was assigned to the Harwich Force with her sisters, and was the leader of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla...
and the 13th Submarine Flotilla, led by HMS Ithuriel
HMS Ithuriel (1916)
HMS Ithuriel was a flotilla leader. Originally to have been named Gabriel, the name was changed before her launch.-References:*...
composed of K11
HMS K11
HMS K11 was a K class submarine built by Armstrong Whitworth, Newcastle upon Tyne. K11 was laid down in October 1915, and commissioned in February 1917....
, K12
HMS K12
HMS K12 was a K class submarine built by Armstrong Whitworth, Newcastle upon Tyne. She was laid down in October 1915 and commissioned in August 1917....
, K14
HMS K14
HMS K14 was a K class submarine built by Fairfields in Govan, Scotland. She was laid down in November 1915, and commissioned on 22 May 1917....
, K17
HMS K17
HMS K17 was a British K class submarine built by Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness.- Loss :K17 was sunk on 31 January 1918 during the night time fleet exercises later known as the Battle of May Island when she was attached to the 13th Submarine Flotilla. ploughed into K17 at the head of a line of...
and K22.
At 18:30 the vessels weighed anchor
Weigh anchor
Weigh anchor is a nautical term indicating the final preparation of a sea vessel for getting underway.Weighing anchor literally means raising the anchor of the vessel from the sea floor and pulling it up to the side of the vessel after the engines have been brought up to operating power.-Example of...
and the entire fleet steamed in a single line nearly 30 miles (50 km) long. At the head of the line were the two cruisers Courageous
HMS Courageous (50)
HMS Courageous was the lead ship of the cruisers built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord, John Fisher, the ship was very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Courageous was completed in late...
and Ithuriel followed by the rest of the 13th Submarine Flotilla. These were followed by the battlecruiser squadron, HMAS Australia
HMAS Australia (1911)
HMAS Australia was one of three s built for the defence of the British Empire. Ordered by the Australian government in 1909, she was launched in 1911, and commissioned as flagship of the fledgling Royal Australian Navy in 1913...
, HMS New Zealand
HMS New Zealand (1911)
HMS New Zealand was one of three s built for the defence of the British Empire. Launched in 1911, the ship's construction was funded by the government of New Zealand as a gift to Britain, and she was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1912...
, Indomitable
HMS Indomitable (1907)
HMS Indomitable was an of the British Royal Navy. She was built before World War I and had an active career during the war. She tried to hunt down the German ships Goeben and Breslau in the Mediterranean when war broke out and bombarded Turkish fortifications protecting the Dardanelles even...
and Inflexible
HMS Inflexible (1907)
HMS Inflexible was an of the British Royal Navy. She was built before World War I and had an active career during the war. She tried to hunt down the German battlecruiser and the light cruiser in the Mediterranean Sea when war broke out and she and her sister ship sank the German armoured...
with their destroyers. After these came the 12th Submarine Flotilla and finally the battleships.
To avoid attracting German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s, particularly as one was suspected to be in the area, after dark each vessel showed only a dim stern light to the following vessel and they all maintained radio silence. As each group passed the Isle of May at the mouth of the firth
Firth
Firth is the word in the Lowland Scots language and in English used to denote various coastal waters in Scotland and England. In mainland Scotland it is used to describe a large sea bay, or even a strait. In the Northern Isles it more usually refers to a smaller inlet...
, they altered course and increased speed to 20 knots.
As the 13th Submarine Flotilla passed the island, a pair of lights (possibly minesweeping
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
naval trawler
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
s) were seen approaching the line of submarines. The flotilla altered course sharply to port to avoid them but K14s helm
Ship's wheel
A ship's wheel is the modern method of adjusting the angle of a boat or ship's rudder in order to cause the vessel to change its course. Together with the rest of the steering mechanism it forms part of the helm. It is typically connected to a mechanical, electric servo, or hydraulic system...
jammed and she veered out of line. Both K14 and the boat behind her, K12 turned on their navigation light
Navigation light
A navigation light is a colored source of illumination on an aircraft, spacecraft, or waterborne vessel, used to signal a craft's position, heading, and status...
s and eventually K14s helm was freed and she tried to return to her position in the line. The next submarine in line, K22 had lost sight of the rest of the flotilla in the mist and veered off the line with the result that she hit K14. Both submarines stopped whilst the rest of the flotilla, unaware of what had happened continued out to sea. K22 radioed in code to the cruiser leading the flotilla to say that she could reach port but that K14 was crippled and sinking.
About fifteen minutes later, the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron passed the island and the two submarines, but the battlecruiser Inflexible hit K22 causing further damage. The battlecruiser bent the first 30 feet of K22s bows at right angles, and wrecked the ballast and fuel tanks. She settled by the bow until only the conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
showed.
Meanwhile, Leir, captain of Ithuriel, had received and decoded
Encryption
In cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process is encrypted information...
the message about the first collision between the two submarines and turned back to help them. As the submarines behind her turned to follow her, the 2nd Battle Squadron passed through the line, and it was only through emergency turns by both groups of vessels that further accidents were narrowly avoided.
As the 13th Flotilla reached the Isle of May, they encountered the outbound 12th Submarine Flotilla. The leader of the 12th Flotilla, Fearless loomed out of the mist and collided with K17 which sank within a few minutes, although most of her crew were able to jump overboard.
As the submarines following Fearless turned to avoid their now stationary flotilla leader
Flotilla leader
A flotilla leader was a warship suitable for commanding a flotilla of destroyers or other small warships, typically a small cruiser or a large destroyer...
, the battlecruiser Australia narrowly missed K12 which turned to get out of the way, putting her on a collision path with K6. K6 tried to avoid her but in doing so hit K4, nearly cutting the latter in half. The seriously damaged K4 sank with all of her crew, during which she was hit by K7.
At this point the 5th Battle Squadron of three battleships and their destroyers passed through the area unaware of what had happened, some of the destroyers cutting down the survivors of K17 struggling in the water. Only nine of the 56 men originally on board the submarine survived and one of these died of his injuries shortly afterwards.
Within 75 minutes, the submarines K17 and K4 had been sunk, and K6, K7, K14, K22 and Fearless had been damaged and over a hundred people killed on the night, with a total loss of 270 persons altogether, including those later dying of wounds. The accident was kept secret during the war, and a memorial cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
was finally erected 84 years later, on 31 January 2002 at Anstruther
Anstruther
Anstruther is a small town in Fife, Scotland. The two halves of Anstruther are divided by a small stream called Dreel Burn. Anstruther lies 9 miles south-southeast of St Andrews. It is the largest community on the stretch of north-shore coastline of the Firth of Forth known as the East Neuk,...
harbour opposite the Isle of May.